Winning Elections: Organizing Tips from San Diego Poppy DeMarco Dennis Community Coalition Network San Diego, California Effective election strategies in San Diego helped beat local Far Right candidates in November 1992 elections, representing the first major reversal of the alarming national trend of fundamentalist successes in local races. Coalitions seeking to replicate San Diego's success should consider the following strategies: identify allies and common goals and concerns among various constituencies; learn about the opposition and advertise their extremist philosophy to voters; craft a written set of principles and beliefs to inform the community about the progressive perspective; establish a pre-endorsement process to help identify and support the strongest candidate in multi-candidate races; help qualified candidates speak to voters; become familiar with voters through use of polling data; become better informed about free speech rights and then use those rights; learn how to use campaign tools and create new ones when needed; and push for progressive policies after elections are won. San Diego is proof that the Far Right can be beaten at the polls. In the now famous election of November 1992, San Diego's Far Right was out-mobilized, out-organized, and for the most part beaten in local races with the help of the area's grassroots campaign group, the Community Coalition Network (CCN). With a focus mainly on non-partisan races and issues, organizing and commmunications were carried out on a county-wide and regional basis in successful anti-Far Right campaign efforts. Following are strategies used in winning local battles against Far Right candidates. Know Your Allies and Your Base. Identify groups with common goals, find their leaders, and invite them to meet and discuss problems and share experiences. CCN included key local board members who faced extremists on their boards and presidents of various groups. Wide diversity in geography and interest is important in order to maximize learning and stimulate new alliances. This process lead to identification of common concerns and goals and agreement to do further research. Know the Opposition. Find out as much as possible about the goals, actions, and beliefs of the Far Right opposition. CCN read news articles; attended Far Right rallies; and obtained materials from "Christian" bookstores, radio stations, and newspapers. CCN found that the Far Right was more open about their agenda when talking to their own people. CCN members traveled with small recorders and taped Far Right representatives in public meetings. This technique was useful in three key ways: communicating with the media about the Far Right's agenda (i.e., tapes were provided to the media); documenting Far Right activities; and as a technique for energizing the organization against the Far Right agenda. Significant help in monitoring the Far Right was provided through the research of the Mainstream Voters Project (MVP). At times, research was shared with reporters. Define Your Goals. Articulate your key beliefs and principles. As the common concerns of its diverse coalition became clear, and the tactics and goals/beliefs of the opposition were better understood, key "Principles" were identified summarizing CCN's strongest beliefs. This enabled CCN to more readily identify those times when the opposition violated them and to clearly state their own positions instead of just expressing opposition to the Far Right's principles. They also served as the basis for questions for candidates and criteria for use in examining records of candidates to assess consistency with these principles. The principles were also adapated by other communities-- including the Lubbock, Texas Moderate Majority and Centerville, Ohio. Establish a Pre-endorsement Process. Work with reasonable and knowledgeable groups within a community to locate and campaign for potential qualified candidates--particularly when there is no primary. When too many good candidates are competing against each other, a single extremist has a better chance of winning when the mainstream vote is split. Help Qualified Candidates Communicate With Voters. Publicize your principles, evaluate candidates and publicize results of the evaluation. CCN evaluated candidates and published the results in the local newsmagazine Women's Times, various newspapers, and group newsletters and freely duplicated the results. Many "election hotlines" used the list. This was carried out well before the election--in time to reach absentee voters before they voted. CCN then followed-up during the regular poll election time. Know Your Voting Public. Candidates and campaign need to know the mood and priorities of voters in order to make the wisest use of their time in communicating their message to the public through such mechanisms as brochures, interviews, speeches, and radio shows. A professionally designed poll was developed and then administered, in a cost-cutting move, by trained volunteers from the American Association of University Women and local churches. (See article on polling for further information on this election tool.) Know Your Free Speech Rights. CCN found that even the most active among their ranks were not fully aware of the full range of their First Amendment Rights. Training of school-based teams by mainstream specialists--such as the First Liberty Institute or help from the ACLU or American's United for Separation of Church and State-- provided CCN representatives with more confidence and answers to support their instincts and beliefs. The value of this effort was particularly evident when CCN found that school personnel or other public servants often will not challenge abuses because they are not sure about their standing. Become Familiar With Campaign Tools. CCN has worked primarily with local people and on non-partisan elections in efforts that have been very low budget or no-budget. Local consultants volunteered to provide one workshop each to help candidates get started and subsequently helped out on an hourly fee basis to cut candidate costs. Candidates in the same region worked as teams or "slates" to share expenses. Experienced elected officials acted as mentors for novice candidates. Also useful are low cost workshops such as those offered by National Women's Political Caucus and the California Teachers Association/National Education Association. Create Your Own Tools (When Existing Ones Don't Exist). Technology makes it possible to do almost anything on a home computer given volunteers who are bright, creative, and dedicated to tackle the task. CCN started the Bea Sweeney Memorial Tech Center, a cooperative effort that has developed lists of all registered voters with voting histories from 1988 and enhanced phone numbers. The center can produce election analysis, precinct profile lists, and other tools as needed, as well as precinct maps on mylar for easy copying. The center's dedicated and talented programmer helps make this possible. Other areas have carried out similar efforts. While a large user area is needed to make it cost effective, the information is invaluable, particularly for jobs that are needed immediately. Avoid Duplication Through Collaboration and Communication With Allies - Communications were centralized through a group called "Clearinghouse." Future efforts may continue through a Pro-Choice Network or other group. Tasks such as school board observing, candidate questionnaires, and voter identification projects can be shared to avoid duplication of effort; calendars or regional emphasis can be coordinated. Continue to Work--Even After the Election - Push for policies that support your progressive agenda. For example, a code of ethics policy for elected school officials could call for loyalty to the public school district and the whole community as a means for countering Far Right efforts that speak only to the fundamentalist religious community. Continue to work with your allies as well. Utilize positive relationships built among qualified candidates in various districts to help strengthen policies regionally, sharing strong solutions developed by one district with friendly board members in another district when similar issues arise.u Initiative Campaigns Kimberly Moore Webster and Peggy A. Norman RightWatch PAC Portland, Oregon Initiative campaigns, public votes on policy issues usually handled through elected bodies, have become a tool for radical right-wing efforts to pass regressive laws on such issues as homosexuality, school vouchers, and others. Effective strategies to win initiative battles include: research; controlling the debate; creating momentum; message delivery; aggressive media; effective field work; building a broad coalition; doing the unexpected; and raising funds. Initiatives are proposals to change laws or state constitutions through a direct vote by the voting public, bypassing elected representatives. The initiative, a tool available to voters in fewer than half of the states, has become a favorite tool for the Far Right. Since the 1980s, initiative efforts have been led by right wing organizations, most with national affiliations, as a basis for building their political agendas. Initiative campaigns have enabled them to garner national publicity while building voter lists and perfecting their language and tactics. The most visible Far Right initiatives have included anti-gay and school voucher measures. Oregon's Initiative 9, which sought to repeal rights laws protecting gays and lesbians in the state, grabbed national attention in 1992. Initiative 9 was successfully beaten by Oregon's "No on 9 Campaign," which turned out to be a rare victory among the major fights over anti-gay votes held in recent years. Progressives must learn how to win on the initiative battlefield. What are the elements of a winning formula? Research. Control of the debate. Create momentum. Message delivery. Aggressive media. Effective field work. Building a broad coalition. Doing the unexpected. Raising enough money to pull the whole thing off. Research. Campaign research collects data about supporters and detractors and finds common denominators in words and messages that will move the most voters. Months of hard labor in the campaign should be grounded in the best information you can buy about what the voters think and what they feel about your issues and where your opponents' strengths and vulnerabilities lie. Polling presents your campaign with an in-depth picture of what the voters think at a given point in time. Focus groups help campaign strategists understand the nuances of how voters feel about the issue as it relates to their lives. Opposition research provides you with the keys to understand your opponents' base of support, the money trail financing their campaign and how and when to take the offensive with the opposition. Many campaigns win with good polling alone. But if you want to ensure that you control how the campaign unfolds, and that you have the best chance of achieving a solid victory, incorporate all three research components. Controlling the Debate. The side to seize and control the debate wins. When you control how the issue is viewed by the public (i.e., discrimination v. special rights), you are on the offensive, which forces your opponents to respond. When your opponents are on the defensive and responding, you prevent them from moving their own message. In the "No on 9 Campaign," we succeeded in making our opponents and what they were trying to do to lesbians and gay menand to Oregonthe issue in the campaign. We forced them to continually explain themselves and justify their tactics, instead of allowing them to force us to explain that gay and lesbian people really are not child molesters out for special rights. Creating Momentum. Imagine your campaign as a symphony and yourself as the conductor. It is your job to orchestrate all the instruments playing together. When they play together, they build momentum, creating a whole larger than any one instrument. To create momentum, show the voters that significant numbers of diverse groups support you. When you get support from the teachers union, go to the librarians. When labor signs on, go to business. When members of the faith community come on board, branch out to bring others in. At every step, let voters know who is supporting you. You create the momentum and orchestrate it to peak on election day because you want a campaign to which nobody can say NO! Message Delivery. Good research provides you with words and phrases that become your campaign messages. Sticking to the most powerful messages identified by your research will undoubtedly prove difficult for some. Some may believe they know the state better than the pollster. It is possible that leadership will be uncomfortable with the messages that come from your research. For example, polling for the "No on 9 Campaign" showed that comparing our opponents to Nazis could well lose us votes. Yet some community leaders persisted in using that analogy. This is your campaign's challenge and responsibility: do good research and listen to what the voters tell you. Embellishing your messages to please yourselves or your friends will not help persuade the undecided. An Aggressive Media Campaign. Most winning campaigns spend close to two- thirds of their money on television and radio with supplementary print ads to bolster the electronic media. Why so much? Because most voters watch a significant amount of television and will see and hear your message on television! If you really intend to take your case to the people, you must buy significant amounts of television timeyou can reach the same number of voters with two weeks of advertising as you can with months of door to door canvassing. Ideally, your campaign targets and coordinates both media and field to deliver a knockout. In the "No on 9 Campaign," we began advertising two weeks before our opposition was on the air, and we ran hardhitting ads that put them on the defensive. Our opposition never came close to regaining their composure or their momentum. Effective Field Work. Organizing in the field is a key way to reach voters and to puncture stereotypes about who cares about your issues. Target field work first toward solidifying your base and organizing and educating your natural constituencies. Then begin the crucial work of expanding your base and coalition-building. Whether your field plans include voter identification, literature drops, door- to-door canvassing, town meetings, huge rallies and marches, or just good solid get-out-the-vote projects, your field campaign should echo and reinforce the same messages and themes as your media campaign. Initiative campaigns have succeeded all across this country with strong media components alone. But controversial proposals brought forth by the radical right wing require extraordinary public education. Grassroots organizing is an excellent method for delivering that education and it uses many volunteers anxious to help. To ensure a win on these hot-button issues, your campaign must have a strong, aggressive media component and a strong, aggressive field campaign. Doing the Unexpected. Winning campaigns are usually campaigns that conduct good research, develop effective messages to move the voters, ensure that voters hear and see those messages several times before election day, and turn out their votes. And, winning campaigns usually do morethey stand out from the ordinary. Plan the unexpected element in your campaign. In the "No on 9 Campaign," we broke stereotypes wherever possible. We won endorsements from chambers of commerce and top business leaders. Supporters held a huge multi- denominational religious rally. Both the Democratic and Republican party leaders appeared in a television spot for us. The two bitterly opposed candidates for U.S. Senate appeared in a joint print ad. Librarians marched and rallied in the streets. Campaigns that do more than the same old events and tactics stand outand the press and electronic media love it. Building the Broadest Coalition Possible. The job of a campaign steering committee is to forge a campaign broad enough so that the majority of voters decide to ally themselves with you. The more your campaign and its supporters reflect the diversity of your state, the more you will signal that you are the majorityand the closer you will be to winning. Your campaign messages, spokespeople, advertising, and actions must dovetail to pull the majority of the voters in to your camp on election day. Raising the Funds to Pull the Whole Thing Off. If your campaign concerns a controversial issue, it is important to realize that in all likelihood, you will need to significantly out-fundraise your opponent. The messages your campaign crafts carry over into fundraising. Momentum helps build your fundraising efforts. Field organizing will yield new volunteers and supporters. The media campaign will carry your messages to large numbers of concerned people. The surprises your campaign produces help imbue voters and donors with a sense that they're on a winning team. All these elements will aid in your fundraising efforts, which must start early and stay consistent right to the end. Balance defines all good fundraising plans. Ideally, your campaign will not rely on any one element for too many dollars. Elements could include: house parties, direct mail, major gifts from individuals, business, organizations, labor, special events, sales of merchandise (buttons, bumper stickers, lawn signs, T-shirts), rallies, monthly pledges, telephone solicitations. One final word about fundraising. Don't think small. Assume that the entire world cares about what's happening in your state. Assume that the business community cares not only about the economic impacts inherent in the proposal, but that they also care about how the issue tears at the heart of your state. Assume that everybody has something at stake and that everybody wants to give. And ask as many of them as you can, using whatever method is most appropriate for the time, place, and potential giving. Conclusion. It should be apparent by now that every element of a campaign works together. If you do solid research, create strong, clear messages which speak to the largest segment of the voters, control the debate and keep momentum on your side, your chances of winning are very good. Two things are certain: after going through a campaign on a controversial initiative, your state will never be quite the same again. And winning feels a whole lot better than losing.u HOW TO CONTACT ELECTED OFFICIALS Linda J. Yanney, Ph.D., ed. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute Washington, D.C. One thing elected officials do - and do well - is count. They count votes, they count contributions to their campaign, and they count phone calls, letters and office visits. This article contains practical advice on contacting and influencing your local elected officials on issues of importance to lesbian, gay and bisexual people. M any elected officals are happy to meet with constituents in their offices. State and federal officials have their primary offices in Washington or in the state capitol, but they usually will meet with constituents when they are in the constituents' home area. When you call the official's office, ask to speak to his or her scheduler or appointment secretary. Be specific about your reason for wanting the appointment. Do you want to discuss a vote with which you agree or disagree? Do you want to speak generally about AIDS and its impact on your insurance, health care, or employment? Do you want the official to cosponsor or support a specific idea or piece of legislation? Are you inviting the official to speak at your annual award dinner? Whatever the reason, be honest and keep your request for time brief 15 minutes is a long time to discuss your views on a particular vote or issue. Respect for an official's time will be appreciated and remembered the next time you want access to his or her office. During the Visit. Present yourself and your views in a respectful, dignified manner. Dress appropriately as if you were going to a business appointment. Local elected officials often meet with constituents themselves, others have staff. Don't assume you're "getting blown off" because you're dealing with a staff person. Most of the information officials rely on comes from their staff. If you get a credible staffer to see things your way, you have been successful. Be direct and concise in your presentation. Know what you want the official to do (cosponsor, vote for/against, write a letter to an agency, etc.) and be able to present your views clearly. It's the quality of the discussion that is important, not the length. If you're going to see an official who has a bad voting record on lesbian/gay/bisexual issues, you might be tempted to tell him or her off. Don't do it! If he or she says things that offend you, keep a cool head and respond rationally with facts. In some offices, all you may achieve the first time out is a civil exchange of conflicting opinions, but if you handle yourself well you can begin to establish a working relationship with that office. They'll recognize your name when you write or phone the next time, building the base for continuing communication . Whenever possible, demonstrate that you speak for other voters in the community. Back up your claim with petitions and letters. Let the official or staffer know that you intend to communicate with the lesbian/gay community about your visit. If an official has a good or excellent record of support thank them! Our friends in government need to know that their support is appreciated. After the Visit. Be sure to summarize your discussion in a follow-up letter. If the official holds a federal office, you also may want to send a copy of your letter or other correspondence you receive from the official to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. NGLTF is in contact with Congressional offices daily and your visit is important information for future lobbying work. If there is a state or local civil rights or gay/lesbian/bisexual rights organization, they also may be interested in the results of your visit. Tips For Contacting Officials By Letter. Individuals need to stay in written contact with their elected officials. Officials use letters as one way to measure public opinion in their district. Officials count the pieces of mail for and against every issue. Identify Yourself. Make sure your elected official knows you are his or her constituent. You can also assume the staff person recognizes most addresses in the community or district which means you must include your name and address. Avoid anonymous letters. Topics. Cover one subject per letter. In a large office, different staff persons cover different issues. Your letter may get lost or hung up with one staff person if you cover several topics in your letters. If you have more than one issue to raise, write more than one letter. If the issue can be identified by a bill number, include the bill number. If possible, mention who introduced the legislation, how many others have cosponsored the bill and what it will do. This demonstrates to the official that you are serious about the issue and are keeping a close watch on the progress of the bill. Selling Your Position. Be brief and concise. Type or write legibly so that your letter is easy to read. State your position and exactly what you want the official to do in your first paragraph. For example, "I urge you to support state efforts designed to end the irrational discharges of lesbian and gay national guard personnel." Or, "I urge you to support and cosponsor the Johnson County Domestic Partnership Policy." Give reasons for your position. Remember, when you write, you are essentially trying to sell your idea or position on an issue to the official. Avoid deeply emotional appeals, demands, threats or promises. These are not effective letter writing tactics. However, if you are writing about discrimination and have been a victim of discrimination, explain that to the legislator. Officials will want to know how a bill or proposal will affect the lives of their constituents. Your own experiences and observations will help sell our position. Follow Up. Request a reply. You can ask your official how he or she will vote on a particular bill; you can ask about his or her position on an issue; and/or you can request his or her personal involvement in a particular issue. You are more likely to receive a reply if you ask for one. When you receive a reply from the official indicating that he or she agrees with your position or that he or she intends to vote for the position you have advocated, write back and thank him or her. If you receive a reply which indicates that the official intends to vote in opposition to your position, write back and explain your position again. Don't let him or her off the hook. Keep the heat on! Addressing Your Letter. Officials are addressed in a variety of ways. Some titles may be obvious, such as "Dear Senator Spring." Some forms of address require phrases such as "The Honorable." If you know the proper title, use it. You can find out the proper title from the official's office or look in the back of most dictionaries. If you don't know the proper way of addressing the official, you can't go wrong with a simple "Dear Mr. Fehrman" or "Dear Ms. Carpenter." Politeness will usually substitute for properness. Remember: the only effective letter is one which is written and mailed! Host a "Letter-Writing" Party. Parties can be hosted by individuals or organizations, and can be as large or small and as formal or informal as the host wants. The basic goal is to make it easy for individuals to write their letters. Have sample letters and information on legislation available for use by your guests. By making it easy for people to write letters, you are helping them to be heard, and making sure that our community is represented. Tips For Contacting Officials By Phone. Just as letters are used by officials to measure public opinion, officials also count phone calls which are either for or against an issue. Phone calls to a policy maker's office are most useful when a vote has been scheduled and there isn't time to write or visit the office. Congress and state legislatures often have one general number for each chamber which can be used to leave messages about an approaching vote. What to Expect. When you call your official's office, expect that the call will be taken by someone on the office staff. If you're calling to request information about the official's position on an issue or to register an opinion, your call will most likely be transferred to the staff person in charge of that particular issue. He or she will be able to discuss in more detail the official's position on the issue and the current status of any pending legislation. Identify Yourself. Make sure the staff person knows you live in the official's district. Be sure to provide the staff member with your name and address for follow-up. Topics. Cover one subject per call. Different staff persons cover different issues. Do not assume that the person you are speaking with handles all lesbian and gay issues for the official. If you have more than one issue to raise, ask to speak to the staff person who is in charge of each issue. Selling Your Position. If there is a pending vote on the floor of the House or Senate, or before the City Council, your phone call should be simple and to the point: "I support S. 242, the state gay and lesbian civil rights bill, and I urge Senator Tinsman to vote for the legislation." The information will be recorded and forwarded to the appropriate staff person. If the issue isn't pending on the floor of a governing body, it is still important to be brief and concise in your conversation. Your opinion is important, but the staff person will respect your use of their time. Be prepared to state your position, what you want the official to do, and be ready to back up your position with one or two supporting arguments. Follow-Up. The official may not have an immediate answer for you. Ask when you can expect an answer. If a staff person doesn't have an answer for you, ask that they speak with the official and get back to you, either by letter or phone. When you receive a reply by phone, be sure to thank the official or staff person for getting back to you, even if the information about the official's position is bad news. Establishing a good relationship with the staff will help you when you need to speak with them again. Other Kinds of Contacts. There are many occasions, formal and informal, where officials interact with the public. Elected officials need to spend a lot of time meeting constituents, contributors, and party workers and volunteers. Most of these opportunities are open to the public for free or for a very small contribution. Legislative forums, candidate forums during elections, public office hours and attendance at civic events are all opportunities to talk to officials. They are expecting it, so ask questions during question and answer sessions. Keep your questions short and to the point. Often, officials are available before and after the event to meet people. You can use this time to introduce yourself and make brief comments. Remember that officials are often criticized and rarely thanked, so if you like something an official has done, thanking them can make a big impression. Party fund-raisers are great informal occasions to get to know officials as well as the political movers and shakers in your area. Some fund-raisers can go for as little as $5-$25 dollars. If the crowd is large, you may have to work to get a hand-shake, but if the crowd is small, you may be able to engage the official in a real conversation. Follow-Up. It can't be said enough: you will maximize the impact of your contact with any official by following up. Following up lets the official know that you are serious and committed, and it gives you an opportunity to get to know each other. You may not agree this time, but whatever you learn about an official may come in handy on the next issue. Congratulate Yourself. Every call you make and get others to make! and every letter you write is a triumph of participatory democracy. For most people, government is a spectator sport. By using the techniques discussed here, you will become one of the most important and powerful people in America an active citizen.u The Numbers Say What?! A Primer on Polling Peggy Norman and Kimberly Moore Webster RightWatch PAC Portland, Oregon "The Numbers Say What?!" is a primer on campaign polling. It reviews the two most frequently used types of campaign polls, provides direction on what to look for in a campaign pollster, how to write polling questions, and how to use the data once it's collected. The authors discuss the necessity for security and provide some cautions to help readers how best to make use of campaign polling. You're facing a statewide electoral campaign on an issue spawned by the Radical Right. Don't panic. Sooner or later it happens to all of us. Your first steps are clear. Your campaign needs to fundraise in order to make a serious investment in voter research. Until data is available on what the voters think about an issue today, there is no effective way to plan a campaign to capture their hearts and minds on election day. Conducted properly, polling yields essential information that influences every area of your campaignfrom your name to your spokespeople to your campaign messages. Polling data tells you your strongest arguments and who already supports your position. It also tells you what arguments work best for your opponents and where you're most vulnerable politically. With cross-tabulated information about voters across the state, you can even determine specifics (e.g., what the male Republican voter over 50 years of age who lives in a particular county and makes over $50,000 per year thinks on the issue). Polling numbers assist in setting budget priorities, timing, and strategy. Good polling is the single most important piece of your campaign infrastructure. Without it, you're just guessing.... The Benchmark Poll The first poll you conduct is often called a "benchmark" poll. It establishs a baseline from which to measure your campaign's progress as election day draws near. The benchmark poll should establish voter familiarity with your issue and give you initial numbers for and against. It should tell which age groups of which sex are your best supporters. It should tell which groups are undecided and which are against your issue. It should test particular words and ideas, allowing you to begin crafting messages. It should rate spokespeople and organizations, and it should delineate your opponent's best slogans and strategies. Timing of the benchmark poll is important. If you have no idea of how voters feel about the issue in your state, you can't start too soon. If you already have information from a previous poll, don't go out more than 11 or 12 months before the election. If you do the benchmark poll that early, plan another "mini-benchmark" along the way to gauge progress. How many people should you poll in the benchmark poll? Each state is different, with populations varying greatly. Your pollster will advise you on numbers. Don't poll just the minimum number of people. Be certain that you have a statistically sound sample of opinions and that you test all the messages you are likely to want to usebefore you say them in public. Polling is NOT the place in your campaign to be miserly with your money. Tracking Polls Near the election, keep a close eye on your numbers. At that point, you'll need daily information that you will use to adjust advertising and strategy. Tracking polls test smaller numbers of people with one, two, or three questions generally, and target segments of the population. They generally run over a series of days, providing the freshest information possible. Low budget campaigns are forced to rely on "handouts" from the media's tracking or a friendly politician to know how they're doing. But if you have the money, it's much safer and wiser to do your own tracking. Piggybacking Questions If the pollster you hire has other clients in your state who are also in political races, you may be able to piggyback a question or two when they are doing polling. This can be an especially useful tactic as it allows you to get some polling information without going to the expense of conducting an entire poll. The down side of piggybacking is that you're dependent upon someone else's schedule, so you can't always plan to make use of it. Choosing Your Pollster Like every other vendor associated with your campaign, your pollster's reputation and connections will add to or detract from the credibility of your campaign. If your issue is a controversial one, and bringing mainstream respectability is a consideration, be especially aware of your pollster's connections and expertise. Many pollsters have no experience doing political polling: they survey products or attitudes. Steer away from them. Ideally, the chosen pollster will have experience polling on your issue or on another controversial or related measure in your state. It is not necessary to choose a pollster from your state. It is critical, however, that your steering committee and staff feel comfortable working with the pollster and that you are sure you'll have adequate access to your pollster's time. Writing Polling Questions Polling is an art and a science and most pollsters will write the poll for you. However, most steering committees and campaign managers have strong opinions and want to help design the polling instrument. A subcommittee of your steering committee can come up with the questions and you can work with your pollster on wordsmithing. The questions you write for your poll depend on the questions you need answered for your campaign. If you do not already know how familiar the public is with your issue, you need to establish that base. For example, if your campaign is about an issue pertaining to discrimination against lesbian and gay people, what kind of research do you already have to suggest the public's attitudes about discrimination? Are there previous votes on this issue? If you have no research upon which to draw, you must start at the very beginning. If the issue is discrimination, you may want to test similar words (i.e., bigotry, prejudice, hate). You'll very likely find that some words are better for your cause than others. Uses of Polling Data The results are in from your benchmark poll. What do you do with the information? Perhaps the polling data has yielded information with which some members feel uncomfortable: you're 20 points behind and the public believes gay people are a danger to their children. Now is the time for your steering committee to redouble its commitment to running your campaign based on research and not upon comfort levels or "gut feelings." The polling data you've collected will always give you a picture of your friendly and your persuadable audiences. These data help you plan your campaign strategy and focus your resources. For example, if the data suggest your issue is particularly weak with women under 35 with children, your media consultant should craft advertising that speaks to that audience. You might run those ads during daytime television and then do tracking polls to see if your advertising is making a difference. If the data suggest you are faring poorly with older Republican males, make it a priority to get public endorsements from older Republican men, or decide that they will be a low priority for organizing. Security and Confidentiality Your polling results are essential to the planning of your campaign. So too could they be essential in the planning of your opposition's campaign. It is important to keep your information confidential! You probably just spent $20,000 or more to get these data. Why make a $20,000 donation to the opposition's campaign by leaking the results? Your steering committee will be privy to the results of the poll. You need a clear agreement on confidentiality ahead of time. Most campaigns agree that under no circumstances may they release information from the poll to their friends and colleagues. It may be helpful to everybody to prepare one or two summarizing statements about the poll and its uses such as "This poll shows us that campaign is definitely winnable if we get our message to the voters" or "Our poll shows this race is too close for comfort and we will be putting forward an all-out effort to win." Security of the polling data is also a critical issue. Many campaigns agree to have copies available for steering committee members and top staff to review, but no copies are allowed to be taken out of the campaign office. The physical security of your polling data is as critical an issue as the protection of your donor list. Some Words of Caution Polling data give you an in-depth picture of what a statistically significant sample of the voting public thinks about a key issue on the day they were interviewed. Things change. So do polling numbers. The side that is 30 points down in January can still win in November if that side understands what the polling numbers mean and if they run a savvy campaign. And the side that is 20 points ahead in January can easily lose if they run a campaign as though they can cruise along basking in the public's support. Run your campaign as if you're dead even or just a little behind. Also, be aware that controversial hot-button issues such as the proposals to require discrimination against lesbians and gay men have a significant "lie factor" or hidden "bigot vote." After consulting several pollsters, the "No on 9 Campaign" in Oregon decided to simply assign 10% of its vote to the opposition to account for that hidden vote. In addition, toward the end of the campaign, the bulk of all undecideds were assigned to the opposition. This came very close to the final voting results. Building a Map for the Future Many of the campaign issues progressives are working on in the 1990s are breaking new ground. Learning is still ongoing on how to poll on progressive issues and how to speak convincingly to the public. As polling data are gathered to track these issues over time and across state boundaries, a map is being built for the future.u =================================================== How to Win: A Practical Guide for Defeating the Radical Right in Your Community Copyright 1994 by Radical Right Task Force Permission is granted to reproduce this publication in whole or in part. All other rights reserved. For more information contact: Pat Lewis National Jewish Democratic Council 711 Second Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 544-7636 =================================================== This document is from the Politics section of the WELL gopher server: gopher://gopher.well.com/11/Politics/ Questions and comments to: gopher@well.com .