"You do know that grassroots work is more effective than media?"
-- Brendan Steinhauser, author of Conservative Revolution and College Republican grassroots organizer for Freedom Works think tank.
I live almost next door to this guy and in a weak moment this morning on the subway, Brendan confessed his concern that Republicans need to be scared back on track to good government. He then posed the question above and I told him, I knew it but many in my Party don't. Grassroots voter engagement is more effective than TV ads and direct mail.
Campaign consultants make bonuses based on the amount of media they buy and that naturally puts money for grassroots efforts in direct competition with the people who control the campaigns. Because grassroots activities are at the bottom of the totem pole in most campaigns they are starved out and that is one of the biggest reasons why Democrats lose.
While TV ads evaporate in thin air, grassroots organizing has an aggregate effect that helps future elections and party building as well as the present campaign. Setting up tables at community events to raise visibility and talk to voters, face-to-face is a more personal way for volunteers to campaign. You are talking to people on their terms, without interrupting them at home and pissing them off. You can also register new volunteers, register new voters and raise money with small donations.
People who get off their couch to go to County fairs, festivals, parades, celebrations, farmers markets, etc. will also get out to vote. We have to meet them there and make sure they vote for the right people.
The Dems in N Virginia were quite well organized, especially in Arllington and Fairfax, and used grassroots efforts, phone banking (surprisingly we were never called by the Miller campaign), working public events and greeting people at Metro stops -- and Webb won the race in N Virginia.
It might be worth remembering as we move into the general election. But that level of grassroots organization dos not material support from the headquarters, and the web of Webb volunteers needs to spread across the state.
My dad spent a lot of time going to county fairs around the state. He would have a booth and he would talk to people and hand out literature. He did run a few TV ads here and there however, but I don't think it was the main focus of his campaign. I don't remember how much radio they did - I should ask next time I talk to my folks.
As a kid I was too young to be interested in politics, and it was a bit of a bore sitting around the booth. All in all, it was still a pretty sweet deal to get to go around the district multiple county fairs as at each one we would get to go on the rides.
It sounds so old fashioned today, but the 'new fashioned' way of campaigning seems to only be effective at spending a lot of money. That isn't to say that there is no place for TV, but just throwing a lot of bucks at consultant to run some ads over and over seems to me to be a waste. Think about it - what do you do when a commercial comes on? Go into the kitchen, take a bathroom break, or make a phone call.
I wish I could say that it worked for my dad, but it didn't. He was campaigning against against a war.... You know how it goes. Sigh.