This time of year everyone is getting a little on edge. TV spots are being produced, mail is being designed, money needs to come in, and candidates are flipping out.
I have two things that are really sending me over the edge today.
The first is reporters that call and ask for the biography of my client. This makes me question that value of websites and the reporters ability to type in a google search. They can go just as easily to the candidate website and find the bio as I can — but they ask me to do it. The worst part is that I actually do it for them.
The second is candidate questionnaires. For people working on races this cycle we have filled out hundreds of them. My observation is this — if your organization can’t create an electronic copy to send around you are probably not much of an organization. The questions aren’t some big secret.
I called someone today asking about a questionnaire. The message that I got in return was that the PAC Chair did not use e-mail so the staff could not send me one electronically. If you want to set a rule that you will not send out your stuff electronically that is fine. The PAC Chair not having e-mail preventing you from e-mailing the questions is just silly. To me that speaks volumes about the organization.
I know some of you are also experiencing this same thing.
The reason for his post is that reporters and association staff must read this blog.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:00 am
“The second is candidate questionnaires. For people working on races this cycle we have filled out hundreds of them. My observation is this — if your organization can’t create an electronic copy to send around you are probably not much of an organization. The questions aren’t some big secret.”
Indeed.
And I’ll go a step further – you can get what you want generally with shorter surveys, yes and no questions, and the like instead of requiring ‘War and Peace’ length answers. Save that for the interview.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:00 am
As a reporter who does regularly read online bios, here’s a piece of advice: Consultants could save themselves a phone call if just once someone would include their candidate’s date of birth in the online bio.
Sure, reporters might like to know that a candidate received the Farm Bureau’s Legislator of the Year Award in 2002, but they absolutely have to know such nuts-and-bolts information as a candidate’s age.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Matt, I loved your comments!
Here is my biggest complaint: Questionnaires need to be updated constantly to reflect the office sought and the real issues! If your questionnaire asks a local water board candidate, “Would you have voted for HR 1441 in the 1997-98 Session of Congress?” then you should probably go back to the drawing board.
If some seemingly silly question like that is so important to your group, then include a copy of the legislation with your questionnaire. I have never met the candidate who had so much free time that he would look up and read obscure bills to find out whether he would have supported them or not.