P2PU Archive - General discussion

Concluding the class

Larry Cooperman — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:03:29 +0000

This was originally intended to be a six-week class. However, we've had new people join us along the way and the perspectives they have brought have been very valuable. I am really pleased that there was such an international group for this conversation.

I'd like to offer you the opportunity to try to develop the ideas we've talked about by developing a sample campaign strategic plan that answers the following questions:

1. How will the candidate's biography interact with the campaign - media, budget, etc...?

Managing Election Campaigns

Week Six: Get Out the Vote (GOTV)

Larry Cooperman — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 04:56:01 +0000

You've now spent months sending volunteers out door-to-door on Saturday and Sunday. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the candidate and volunteers have been telephoning voters. Now you have identified some 30% of likely voters and it's a week before the election. What do you need to do?

Managing Election Campaigns

Week Four-Five: Candidate Statements, Direct Mail, Campaign Organization

Larry Cooperman — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 11:17:47 +0000

We're a little bit behind and I've been allowing new enrollments into the class, so there's a lot of catching up to do.

I'm going to write two postings for this week: written material (candidate statements, direct mail) and then a separate one on campaign organization, which is a big topic.

Managing Election Campaigns

US 2010 Election Cycle

Larry Cooperman — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 15:26:02 +0000

Since we're just weeks away from the US election, let's use this forum to comment on things like use of media, campaign strategy, etc...

Managing Election Campaigns

Week Three: Campaign Budgets

Larry Cooperman — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 23:27:14 +0000

This week's topic covers the fundamentals of designing a budget. From last week, we learned the importance of the "select" (database query) that yields our "universe" (the precise voters that we are going to target).

The basic categories of the budget are:

Expenses
1. Staff salaries and benefits (paid staff)
2. Consultant expenses (usually in lieu of #1 above, but not always)
3. Rent (headquarters, phone bank operational headquarters, if any).
4. Fundraising (rent, food, drinks, publicity)

Managing Election Campaigns

Week Two: How Voter Data Informs Election Strategy

Larry Cooperman — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:12:33 +0000

This week we will look at what voter data is available. Please begin by reading my next posting under this forum and taking a look at the report of an election in San Francisco, California.

Also, a ritual apology. I am attending the OpenCourseWare Consortium's board meeting and the meeting of the Japan OpenCourseWare Consortium, so my timeezone so I haven't posted in the last two days as promised.

Managing Election Campaigns

Week One: Understanding the problem

Larry Cooperman — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:52:05 +0000

In most countries, incumbency is all-powerful. There are few districts in which there is a level playing field, whether through greater access to media, greater fundraising capability, entrenched party loyalty, or other reasons. In this week, we look at the question, “what do we know about each voter,” in an attempt to be able to overcome natural disadvantages.

Managing Election Campaigns

Miscellaneous

Larry Cooperman — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:27:02 +0000

This forum is the right place for general commentary that does not fit neatly into the syllabus topics. For example, I'm sure many are watching the current election cycle. The global crisis of 2008 has created new opportunities and problems for parties, candidates, and the voting public. Since the course focuses on the elements of campaign management, you may want to post relevant comments about the current campaign cycle here, rather than try to sandwich it under finances, or volunteers, or database management, etc...

Managing Election Campaigns

Welcome Messages

Larry Cooperman — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:04:25 +0000

First, let me introduce myself. Then, I'd like each of you to post a welcome message with:

Your interest in the course. Why did you choose this course? Presumably you are pondering or already active with a candidacy of some kind.
What areas of election campaigns you would like to focus on. The course will cater to its participants, so now is the time to say which areas we should focus on.
How you found P2PU? This has nothing to do with the course, but it will be interesting feedback to P2PU for the future.

Managing Election Campaigns