Hyperspeed Campaigns
March 7, 2012 - by
In a hyper-speed, short-attention-span world, North Carolina Democrats are having a hyper-speed, short-attention-span race for Governor.
The campaigns have to do in two months what you normally do over many months and even years: hire staff, find office space, recruit consultants, do benchmark polls, conduct oppo research, prep on issues, collect endorsements, make ads, buy TV time, build a social-media presence and raise money, raise money, raise money.
This is an advantage for Bill Faison and Walter Dalton. Faison had been running for months. But the way he ran – attacking Governor Perdue – apparently hurt him with Democrats. Dalton had a team and plan in place for his reelection campaign, so he just had to retool it for governor. He also had money in the bank.
Bob Etheridge has the steepest hill to climb. He wasn’t planning to run statewide until Perdue announced her decision.
So what does it mean? My guess: less money spent and fewer ads aired. Endorsements carry more weight. Debates count more. And candidates and campaigns make more mistakes.
Of course, as one staffer told me, campaigns have a great excuse when asked to do something they don’t want to do: “We don’t have enough time.”
Posted in General, North Carolina - Democrats
Hyperspeed Campaigns
March 7, 2012/
In a hyper-speed, short-attention-span world, North Carolina Democrats are having a hyper-speed, short-attention-span race for Governor.
The campaigns have to do in two months what you normally do over many months and even years: hire staff, find office space, recruit consultants, do benchmark polls, conduct oppo research, prep on issues, collect endorsements, make ads, buy TV time, build a social-media presence and raise money, raise money, raise money.
This is an advantage for Bill Faison and Walter Dalton. Faison had been running for months. But the way he ran – attacking Governor Perdue – apparently hurt him with Democrats. Dalton had a team and plan in place for his reelection campaign, so he just had to retool it for governor. He also had money in the bank.
Bob Etheridge has the steepest hill to climb. He wasn’t planning to run statewide until Perdue announced her decision.
So what does it mean? My guess: less money spent and fewer ads aired. Endorsements carry more weight. Debates count more. And candidates and campaigns make more mistakes.
Of course, as one staffer told me, campaigns have a great excuse when asked to do something they don’t want to do: “We don’t have enough time.”
Posted in General, North Carolina - Democrats