Strategy

Campaign Mistakes: Warning Signs of a Losing Political Campaign

Jan 02, 2023 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Campaign Mistakes: How to Turn a Losing Political Campaign Around

Can you spot a losing political campaign? People plan and launch political campaigns with the best intentions, but sometimes they get off track. Can you spot mistakes in your campaign? As a trainer and consultant for over 20 years - Here are some warning signs to help you spot and course-correct a losing political campaign:

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Media Consolidation Changed Political Campaigns

Jun 27, 2022 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Media Consolidation Makes It Harder to Localize a Message

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Non-Political Books for Politicos

May 10, 2018 by Elena Veatch

10 Non-Political Books Every Politico Should Read

*Originally written by Joe Fuld and updated by Elena Veatch 4/3/18

When you get into politics, it’s hard to resist the all too common tunnel vision of focusing only on politics. But be careful – binge watching Veep or The West Wing is not going to help you run a better campaign or organization; nor will reading solely political books.

The fact is, you are running a business. And while we like to think of politics and business as totally separate realms, it’s tough to run any political operation without a Business 101 crash course. So, take a break from the latest Clinton campaign staffer or Obama aide memoir you are probably reading, and check out some of our non-political book recommendations. Below are ten non-political books that will be helpful to any politico running a campaign, a non-profit, or really any operation.

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7 Questions with Joshua Kalla on Political Persuasion

Jan 29, 2018 by Elena Veatch

Is persuasion still possible? Political scientist Joshua Kalla answers our questions

Joshua Kalla is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley whose research focuses on American political behavior and opinion. Along with Stanford’s David Broockman, Joshua Kalla co-authored a study on voter persuasion that made a splash in the media and in progressive circles in September 2017. In this study, Kalla and Broockman argue that voter persuasion through traditional campaign communication methods (such as direct mail, canvassing, and digital advertising) have essentially no persuasive effect on voters during general elections. We asked Kalla about his recent work and its implications for campaigns.

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7 Questions with Bernie Horn on Progressive Campaign Strategy

Jan 18, 2018 by Elena Veatch

Bernie Horn is the Senior Director for Policy and Communications at the Public Leadership Institute, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that works with a network of 13,000 progressive state and local policymakers on a wide range of economic and social issues. Bernie Horn is the coauthor of Voicing our Values: A Message Guide for Policymakers and Advocates, which describes how progressives can more effectively frame their arguments to persuade audiences. Below, Bernie Horn shares some tips on how to shape your progressive campaign strategy, get people to realize they agree on the issues, and make policy debates more accessible to voters.

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Nonpolitical Books for the End of Summer

Aug 14, 2017 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Join the TCW Book Club! Check out these end of summer Nonpolitical Books:

When you get into politics, you can have tunnel vision. Binge watching House of Cards and the West Wing is not going to help you run a better campaign or advocacy organization. The fact is, campaigns are like running a small business.

Here is a list of business books that have inspired and would be good reads as you move into the end of the summer.

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7 Questions with Jason Mida | Nonprofit Fundraising

Aug 07, 2017 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Jason Mida Answers Your Non-Profit Fundraising Questions

Jason Mida is a seasoned fundraising and political professional, having served in a number of roles throughout his career. His work has been focused in the areas that truly motivate him, including LGBT causes. Jason Mida is the former Vice President of Development for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, the Vice President of Development for the American Association of Peoples with Disabilities, and the President of Mida Associates.

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7 Questions with Rick Ridder on Campaign Strategy

Jun 22, 2017 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

A Political Pro Talks Campaign Strategy, Per His Latest Book.

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Digital Advocacy: Advertising Campaign Goal Setting Part II

Jan 30, 2017 by Sophie Thurber (she/her)

Digital Advocacy Advertising: Making the Most of My Campaign.

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5 Tips to Find a Job in D.C.

Nov 12, 2016 by The Campaign Workshop

Best tips to find political jobs in DC

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Get Out the Vote with Social Media: Digital GOTV

Oct 06, 2016

How to Use Social Media for Get Out the Vote

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Member Public Affairs Strategies to Remember

May 16, 2016 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Member Public Affairs Strategies to Remember

Member public affairs strategies can be an amazing way to move your issue forward. Membership organizations should have a head start when it comes to public affairs strategies, but that head start is often complicated. Membership organizations tend to have bureaucratic structures that make it difficult to work nimbly, especially when it comes to public affairs. Because of this, some member organizations have avoided using member-based public affairs strategies and they are missing out.

Here are some ways to use your membership to enhance public affairs strategies by turning them into member public affairs strategies.

Membership Storytelling

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