Political Campaigning (Thursday, January 12, 4th period)

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Josh was tacking a large map of Montana to the wall as his political campaign students filed in. When they had all arrived, he turned around, pointed at Parker and said, "how many days until the next election?"

"Welcome back," he said to the rest of the class with a smile. "Today I'll give you the assignment that will torture you for the rest of the semester." He pointed at the map. "Welcome to Montana!"

He passed around a handout. "This is a quick and dirty first look at the great state of Montana. By the end of the semester, I expect you to be able to bore the crap out of anyone who brings up Billings in your hearing. Because you will be writing the campaign plans for the three candidates running for Senate in Montana in 2006: Conrad Montgomery Burns, the three-term Republican incumbent, and his two Democratic challengers, John Jim Morrison and Jon Bob Tester.

He walked over to his desk and pulled up a list of names. "Okay, on the Burns campaign, we have Parker, Callisto and Donna,"--he pointed at Jake--"On the Morrison campaign, we have Rory, Alanna and Donna,"--he pointed at Angel--"and on the the Tester campaign we have Logan, Jessica, Elizabeth and no Donnas."

On the board, he scrawled "Elements of a Campaign Plan," then turned around to face the students. "First thing to remember in a campaign plan: if it's not in writing, it doesn't exist. I don't care if you've had the greatest epiphany in the history of politics since 'hey, why don't we let all of the grown-ups vote?' If it's not somewhere the rest of the campaign can see it, it never happened."

He turned and wrote Political Environment down. "This is what we were talking about last class. It provides the background for your strategy. It's what changes and why a campaign plan that was successful in one year might not work in another year. Ask the first President Bush about this--he ran the same campaign in 1992 and 1996. One year it worked. The other it really, really didn't."

He scrawled Strategy on the board. "In this political environment, who'll be persuaded to vote for your guy, and why?" He then added Tactics underneath. "And how, specifically, will you implement that strategy?"

Josh ran a hand through his hair and laughed. "This is covering everything you'll be doing over the semester, so don't think this is going to be your homework for next class or anything. Okay. Moving on." Critical Decisions was written onto the board. "Most critical decisions will come up as the campaign progresses, but there are a few questions you need to decide early: how many debates do you want? Will you run with or away from the national ticket? Or anyone who might be running in Montana? Who else is running in Montana?"

RESEARCH was printed in huge block letters. Josh tapped it. "This is the biggie. Information is power. You need to know your guy backwards, forwards and inside out. His family. The opponent. Their family. Voting records. School records. Personal history. Stuff you'd rather not know about. Stuff they'd rather not think about. Because believe me, there's someone out there who knows it all, and will use the exactly wrong moment to spring it on you."

He added Organization to the list. "Who works for who, where the consultants come in and who they answer to." Josh rolled his eyes. "Consultants are a pain in the ass." Media (Earned and Paid) was added to the increasingly crowded blackboard. "You'll need a separate plan for each--how will you get the media to care about your candidate is a completely different strategy than how much money you'll be shelling out for TV ads. Related to them both, though, is scheduling." He wrote that on the board, too. "Where the candidate will be, when, and most importantly, why. If the schedule isn't tied to the overall strategy, you have a candidate who is wasting his time. And as I mentioned last class and will continue to mention until you want to beat me to death with sticks, time is the one thing you don't get more of."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. The only things left are about money, which is the lifeblood of a campaign. You'll need a budget and a finance plan. How much money you'll need to run your campaign--campaign staff salaries, media buys, those stupid buttons the candidate will insist everyone has--all of it. And the finance plan should mirror the budget--if you need a million bucks for TV ads in September and the fundraiser people hadn't planned on having a big donor event for until a few weeks after that you are, in a word, screwed."

"Enough of me talking. Break into your groups. Based on the very, very limited information I've given you about Montana and the discussion we had last class about the national mood, come up with three things that you think your candidate will have to address in this election."

"Your homework, due in my inbox by next class, is to learn about your candidate. I want to know their personal background, their political history, their wives' names, how much money they have in their campaign coffers. Information, folks. Give me some."

Josh waved his hand. "You may now commence in your whining about what a horrible, evil person I am."

[OOC: Yep. This semester we will actually be looking into the RL Montana 2006 Senate race. I've changed the first names of the candidates, but a Google search of the oh-so-stealthily slashed out real first names will bring up the actual candidates. And with time zones being what they are, group conversations in this and all other classes will be open until the next class goes up.]

Comments

Sign in (January 12)

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

...

Re: Sign in (January 12)

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel signed in.

Re: Sign in (January 12)

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory signed in.

Re: Sign in (January 12)

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker signed in, better since ACJ, since she'd had a nap.

Re: Sign in (January 12)

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth signed in.

Re: Sign in (January 12)

[fh_jackass]

Logan signed in.

Re: Sign in (January 12)

[psycho-barbie.livejournal.com]

Callisto signed in.

Re: Sign in (January 12)

[lady-jessica-bg.livejournal.com]

Jessica signed in.

Re: Sign in (January 12)

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna signed in.

Re: Sign in (January 12)

[courier-gavin.livejournal.com]

Jake signed in.

General class discussion

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

...

Re: General class discussion

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

During Josh's talk, Angel's shoulders got more and more hunched. Anyone who had noticed him at other times of the day might pick up on how his doodles in his notebook, which previously had been free and easy and even made him snicker from time to time, were now replaced with tight, sharp movements that drew nothing at all.

Re: General class discussion

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"293," Parker said promptly. She grinned. "Good afternoon, Mr. Lyman."

Group discussion: Parker, Callisto, Jake

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

...

Re: Group discussion: Parker, Callisto, Jake

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker was relieved not to be on any kind of team with Logan again; that kind of agita, her ulcer didn't need.

Reading the handout, she did the math: 6.3 people per square mile. "Really, really low population density. And probably a split between urban and rural issues, if Billings has 10% of the population in one place."

She sighed, then looked at the other two. "Anything else jump out at you guys?"

Group discussion: Angel, Rory, Alanna

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

...

Re: Group discussion: Angel, Rory, Alanna

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel sat so he could be with his group. He didn't look like he wanted to talk much.

More than he usually did, anyway.

Group discussion: Logan, Jessica, Elizabeth

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

...

Re: Group discussion: Logan, Jessica, Elizabeth

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth moved to the corner of the room, and opened up her laptop.

Montana huh? Guess Connecticut would have been far too much to hope for.

Homework (Political Campaigning, Jan 12)

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

What I know about my Candidate so far...

Re: Homework (Political Campaigning, Jan 12)

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

[ooc: Is the homework to be handed in as a group, or an individual?]

Re: Homework (Political Campaigning, Jan 12)

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth had doodled her own notes on her homework.

----

Jon Bob Tester

Born: August, 21st 1956 in Havre, Montana

Raised near the town of Big Sandy, Montana, (population: 710) on the same family land that his grandfather homesteaded in 1916. Local guy, local family

Wife: Sharla, grew up north-central Montana. Have daughter (married), son and granddaughter

Continues the Tester family dry-land farming operations. Was also a custom butcher operator. Believes in Montana industry? Alienate vegetarians. Are there that many vegetarians in Montana?

Former music teacher in the Big Sandy School District and holds BSc music from the University of Great Falls. Local school; former teacher - good for promoting eductation issues?

Recently completed his fourth regular session in the Montana Senate. After election as the minority whip for the 2001 session, and minority leader for the 2003 session, Tester was selected in 2005 by his colleagues to lead as President of the Montana Senate, serving as the chief presiding officer of the Montana Legislature’s upper chamber. During his time as president, Montana Democrats moved into Senate majority for first time in decade.

Focused on health care, education and jobs in the state Senate.

Among national issues, Social Security and Medicare are Tester's biggest concerns.

Tester raised over $300k in the 3rd quarter and has over $140k on hand.

Re: Homework (Political Campaigning, Jan 12)

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna's homework seems to have quite a bit of effort put into it, but it's a bit ... confused. And messy. And her comments are written on it.

Candidate: Jim Morrison

*Appears to be religious. - Is this good or bad for Montana?
*Family lived there since before the Civil War. - Is this a long time?
*Father was a lawyer and mother was a teacher and psychologist.
*John worked during college as a construction laborer and radio announcer and had his own landscaping business.
*From 1987-1988, John worked in Washington, D.C. as a legislative aide and legal counsel to Montana's Senator John Melcher and the Senate Agriculture Committee, helping write the Farm Credit Act of 1987, signed into law by President Ronald Reagan - Look into this act. Did Montana support Reagan? Has previous experience, but won't that one be a given?
*Spent thirteen years practicing law in Helena.
*He served the taxpayers of Montana in the state's landmark case against tobacco companies, represented the New York Times, NBC and other media organizations in the famous "Unabomber" case, and handled dozens of complex insurance cases in both state and federal trial and appellate courts on behalf of everyday Montanans. - Look up all these cases. Work off of his previous publicity.
*He taught widely at legal seminars and as a guest lecturer at the University of Montana Law School. - Good teachers are always popular.
*In his first ever run for public office, John was elected Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Insurance and Securities in November 2000. He was handily reelected to a second tern in November 2004. As State Auditor, John's priorities have been affordable and available health insurance, consumer protection and economic development through capital formation. - All very good, make him seem dependable, responsible, and he got re-elected so he must have been doing something right.
*Has two young daughters and wrote a book with his wife
*"The people of the West are independent. They believe in personal responsibility. We have a very strong connection to the land, believing in responsible stewardship and conservation. And the people of the West take their religion seriously; it's an important part of most folks lives.

"But they also believe in fairness - that government has a role in creating opportunities. As a public leader, I always try to respond to those values."
*Big thing for him: Health Insurance.

Re: Homework (Political Campaigning, Jan 12)

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Senator Conrad Montgomery Burns, Republican

Burns was born January 25, 1935 on a farm near Gallatin, Missouri to Russell and Mary Frances (Knight) Burns. Graduating from Gallatin High School in 1952, Senator Burns enrolled in the College of Agriculture at the University of Missouri. Two years later Burns enlisted in the Marine Corps and was posted in East Asia.

Following his military service Burns began working for TWA and Ozark airlines until 1962, when he became a field representative for Polled Hereford World magazine in Billings, Montana. Named the first manager of the Northern International Livestock Expo in 1968, Burns began his career in radio and television broadcasting, reporting on agricultural market news and establishing his reputation as the voice of Montana agriculture.

In 1975, Burns founded four radio stations known as the Northern Ag Network, which grew to serve 31 radio and TV stations across Montana and Wyoming when he sold it in 1986.

Burns began his career in politics when he was elected to the Yellowstone County Commission, serving for two years before deciding to run for the U.S. Senate.

Term of office: 1989-Present (17 years) (Is the longest-serving Republican Senator in Montana history.)

With a seat on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Burns has been able to bring in over $1 billion in federal funds to the state since he took office.

Serving as Chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee for the 109th Congress, Senator Burns has jurisdiction over all the country's federal lands and the National Park Service.

In 1997, Senator Burns became Chairman of the Communications Subcommittee, one of the major regulatory posts in Congress. Since then he has been praised as "one of the fathers of the modern Internet," standing for deregulation, the roll-out of broadband in rural areas, and pushing for new Internet and mobile phone technologies.

Accused of: racial slurs; sexism; legislative history of supporting measures and bills which would reduce (American) Indian tribal sovereignty; campaigned on promises to be a two-term senator and reneged; little grasp of domestic security after remarks made post-9/11; alleged recipient of illegal favors and $136,000 in campaign contributions

Burns has been singled out as one of the most vulnerable Senators facing re-election in 2006, since his win in 2000 was by a narrow 51%-48% margin.

In September, 2005, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Burns one of the thirteen most corrupt members of Congress.

After Class...

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Professor Lyman? A question." Parker looks less worried, now that Professor Tick, at least, has acquiesced to her demands agreed to help her out.

Re: After Class...

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

"Shoot," Josh said.