DFA-NJ Training, Day One

so far so good (4.00 / 1)

very interesting stuff on the basics - figuring out how many votes are needed to win, getting volunteers, building your base.

Looking forward to the rest of this training.

Scott Garrett - on the wrong side of, well, everything.

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by: Adam L @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 15:18:50 PM UTC

How can you bring people in? (0.00 / 0)

Know the issues, speak to their (and your) values, and address their issues.  

The litmus for bringing people into the campaign shouldn't be about how much money they can donate.  Time is the most important thing a person can give to a campaign and candidate.  

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 15:20:40 PM UTC

Volunteer Recruitment (0.00 / 0)

It seems obvious, but I've seen many campaigns w/far too few volunteers. Not as easy as it seems.

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by: Jeff Gardner @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 15:29:58 PM UTC

How can you bring them in? (0.00 / 0)

Face-to-face, events, canvass, festivals;
Phone;
Email/Facebook;
Flyers

Maximize the mediums to find people to volunteer and follow-up with them. Make them a part of the campaign and they will become invested to help you as much as they can.  

Most importantly, start early and make sure you have seasoned volunteers that can get out the vote on Election Day.  

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 15:32:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

How do you ask someone to volunteer? (4.00 / 1)

Per the DFA Campaign Academy Handbook:

1.Connect-Establish a quick personal rapport.  This is as simple as looking them in the eye, noticing a new haircut or cool button, or referencing a previous conversation.

2. Context-Let them in on a piece of the strategy and how valuable a role they play in the strategy.  This is an important and an effective use of their time.

3. Commitment-Get a solid committment.  Use a solid ask.  If you're ask is a roundabout question, you get a noncommital answer.  "Probably," "maybe," and "I'll try" are not "Yes."

4. Catapult-Throw them into the commitment. Be excited about their answer and let enthusiasm gush. Ask them who else they're bringing with them.

5. Confirm-Give them a reminder of their commitment.  Don't county on them until you have made a successful confirmation.

 

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 15:40:31 PM UTC

You can follow along (0.00 / 0)

with people posting from the traiining as we have created the #njdfatrain hashtag for people.

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by: Jason Springer @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 16:20:47 PM UTC

look at you (4.00 / 1)

Mr. conversant in Twitter-ese

;-)

Scott Garrett - on the wrong side of, well, everything.

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by: Adam L @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 17:28:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Voter Contact: Tactical Overview with Chris Montana (0.00 / 0)

Where is your support and how do you target the right people?

1. ID calls, find out who supports you and who doesn't.  Use that information to make your call list smaller and more targeted to persuadable voters.  

2. Persuasion and Identification.  Re-ID. This is how you adjust your campaign, your issues, and your message to what you learned from initial ID calls.  The people that have become supporters should move into your GOTV universe and should be recruited to help get out persuadable voters.    

3. GOTV, make sure you know how many votes you need to win and that you know who you need to get to the polls to reach that number.  

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 17:12:30 PM UTC

Democratic State Chair Joe Cryan (0.00 / 0)

addressing the class and stating some accomplishments:

2006-First Latino Senator in NJ
2007-NJ moves from 43rd to 11th in male-to-female legislator rank
2008-Helped elect first African American President.

Restates the importance of voter contact and the fruit it bore in Stafford to help the Democrats win there.  

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 17:21:41 PM UTC

President Obama (4.00 / 4)

Chairman Joe Cryan:

"Can safely say we will see President Barack Obama in New Jersey"

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 17:23:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

sweet n/t (4.00 / 1)

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by: Jeff Gardner @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 17:24:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

distorted (4.00 / 1)

Moving from 43rd to 11th was nice, although it was still less than a 1/3 of the legislature as women.  And this is before Dana Redd, Nilsi Cruz and Sandy Love "decided" to retire ... to be replaced by men.  

So.... as FAB as today's event sounds and as JEALOUS i am to not be there, i want to keep beating the drum that A) #11 is not good enough for NJ to begin with and B) we're not ranked that high anymore anyway.

activist for hire.

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by: Jay Lassiter @ Sun Jun 07, 2009 at 11:59:41 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

distorted, and myopic? (0.00 / 0)

couldn't have said it better.  

I'd add that we're still zero women from NJ in DC and under-represented in statewide office.  Maybe that's going to change with the Lt Gov position, but it has to be a springboard and not just a deadend office.

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by: kwilkinson @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 02:49:40 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

There are no campaign "donations" (0.00 / 0)

There are only campaign "contributions."

Donations are tax-deductible.
Contributions help bring about good government.

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by: Jeff Gardner @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 17:26:28 PM UTC

Strategy: (0.00 / 0)

Pick a medium and dominate it; you need to use different tactics, direct mail, social networks, radio & television if applicable.  But you need to dominate one of them and have it persuade people to vote for your candidates.  

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 17:30:01 PM UTC

Montana: "fish where the fish are" (0.00 / 0)

What are the 3 most effective ways to contact voters? (question to Chris Montana)

1. Door knocking
2. Phone banking
3. Based on constituency, "fish where the fish are"

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 17:55:33 PM UTC

Here's Joe Cryan (4.00 / 3)

Hey, this is still my login (Rosi) but the state Democratic Chair Joe Cryan just arrived and walked into our sessions on voter contact, fundraising, and messaging, to talk to people. So, here's the Chairman:

Hi, Blue Jersey. This training looks great. It's another great day for the partnership between DFA and progressive
Democrats all over New Jersey.

It's great to see folks so committed to building this party the way it should be built, on the local level. That's door-by-door, street-by-street.

And our partnership produced the first Latino elected statewide - Senator Menendez. And New Jersey voting for the first African American for president in history. And then an important statistic: together we took NJ from 2007, 43rd of of the 50 states as a percentage of women legislators to men, to 11th today.

So together, we've made a difference in NJ, and this year we have the election of the only democratic incumbent Democrat governor up for re-election in the country: Jon Corzine.

Thanks for inviting me.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 17:58:23 PM UTC

Glad you could be there for them (0.00 / 0)

It seems like they put together a great training, bringing a good deal of new people into the fold. It's good to see the state party supporting their efforts.

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by: Jason Springer @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 18:27:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Now we have a session with Matt Blizek: (0.00 / 0)

"Campaign & Event Planning"

What are the 4 key principles of effective planning?

1. Explicit and written, write down your plan and have specific details for everyone involved.

2. Set specific, quantifiable goals, establish benchmarks.  Have something to work towards.

3. Create a timeline and work backwards.  Always be working towards the ultimate goal of winning the election.

4. Revise and update.  Your campaign should be fluid and adjusting to the issues and whatever may come up.  

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 18:05:15 PM UTC

This training gets me fired up: (0.00 / 0)

I'm excited about this campaign season and really contributing to electing Democrats to every level of government, especially in traditionally red areas. Democrats are in a position to really take the State over and I hope we capitalize on it in new emerging blue and purple areas in the State.

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 18:29:09 PM UTC

Modify your plan to keep it fresh. (0.00 / 0)

What are your priorities when having a campaign or issue event?

1. Crowd building, have a goal and get confirmed people to attend.

2. Media-reach out to members of the media via press releases and local blogs.

3. Logistics, make sure you have a location, permits, bills paid.

4. Program, have speakers, elected officials, and relevant community leaders to headline your event.

5. Priorities- make sure your resources are allocated to maximize your effort.  

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 18:35:59 PM UTC

Thanks, DFA (4.00 / 1)

We're getting to the end of a long day with a lot of information, with just as much coming tomorrow.

This is my second DFA training. Using what we learned last year, both my running mate and I won last year - in a town that votes overwhelmingly Republican!

Thanks, DFA, for providing this training.  It is invaluable - not only because this sort of training is hard to find, but also because it works. This is how we will change the world for the better.

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by: cbleitner @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 19:49:56 PM UTC

cbleitner (4.00 / 1)

is way modest.

The fact is that just last year he was here as a candidate. This year, he's here as a mentor to the new crop of candidates. And he brought his new candidate, Alex Viecelli, who's running to join him on Council in Point Pleasant.

Chris talked about how one of the trainers - fundraiser/campaign manager Anastasia Apa- convinced him to suck it in and commit to raising money for himself whether he had fun doing it or not, she didn't care. He said getting that meant everything for his win. Nice moment.

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by: cbleitner @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 20:17:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Shout out to clammyc (0.00 / 0)

3 rows ahead of me in the message session.

Great points on Christie just now.  

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 20:50:34 PM UTC