Déjà vu All Over Again?

The 2010 off-year elections are hard upon us, and the there are many hopeful signs for Republicans: the base is energized, the opposition continues to flounder, younger voters (who tend to vote more liberal) may well stay home, and the Obama tidal wave is spent and receding.

This all bodes well for Republican challenger candidates, but if you are running, plan to run, helping a candidate, or plan to help a candidate you must learn from our past successes. Keep in mind the entire campaign cycle and preserve resources for the end when voters are finally focusing intently on the election. You need to finish strong: your message needs to penetrate for maximum impact at the very end. Repeated, repeated, repeated, often enough so that voters are truly familiar with it and feel that it is important enough to vote for

Candidate just starting out usually have three basic questions:

1. What do I say?

2. What do I do?

3. How do I pay for it?

Here are (hold your hat) thirty pieces of advice for a challenger candidate's first thirty days. The first thirty days in a new candidate's first campaign can be crucial to the last thirty days of the campaign. Let’s return to the three crucial questions: 1)What do I say?, 2)What do I do?, 3)How do I pay for it?

This all bodes well for Republican challenger candidates, but if you are running, plan to run, helping a candidate, or plan to help a candidate you must learn from our past successes. Keep in mind the entire campaign cycle and preserve resources for the end when voters are finally focusing intently on the election. You need to finish strong: your message needs to penetrate for maximum impact at the very end. Repeated, repeated, repeated, often enough so that voters are truly familiar with it and feel that it is important enough to vote for.

Part 1:

What do I say?

Candidates must be very careful in thinking through why they are running in the first place.

Start with some basic self examination. Why am I doing this? And what do I want to accomplish? You have to be very careful when running for public office. You want to be perceived as somebody who wants to DO something, not someone who wants to BE something. You are not running so you can be a congressman. You are running because you want to help change things. The "Why You Are Running" requires some careful thought, because you are going to be required to answer that question over and over again. Do you want to be able to look the questioner in the eye and honestly explain that "why?" It's an important part of your message. It establishes the credibility of the messenger.

# 1. Examine thyself before preparing to answer the "why," as in why you are running.

How do I talk about my candidacy to friends and associates?

Keep in mind a couple of things when approaching friends and associates about your desire to run for public office. You want to demonstrate the genuineness of your feelings and the commitment that you're making. But they already know you. They have some knowledge of the inner workings in your heart and mind, of what motivates you and what you care about. Let them know that you want their advice as well as their support. You respect them, you value them. So this is not a one-sided conversation:

· You want their candid analysis of your strengths and weaknesses as a candidate.

· You want their advice for campaigning and their help with the campaign itself.

· Know what you want to ask them as well as what you want to tell them.

· Above all, listen and ­hear them.

Your close friends may be critical of your decision to run, but keep in mind if you're going to be a candidate you need to have confidence in your own ability. Some of the barriers your friends might raise are things you must overcome with the electorate as well, so it's good to start with friends.

#2. Ask friends and associate why a particular negative is true and make them a part of the solution if you can.

How do I talk to party leaders?

How do they view you and what do they need to hear?" First understand this: party leaders are not the end all and be all in campaigns. Their influence is continuing to decline because of the power of old and new media. Still they can have influence. They probably can't help as much as you'd like - but they can hurt you. You definitely want to give them the courtesy of letting them know that you are running and ask for their support. Even if they say they cannot give it because there is a primary contest, or whatever, they will certainly respect you for asking them.

Many of them have worked in the political vineyards for the Republican Party for a long, long time. They don't ask for much, but like anyone, they appreciate being appreciated. So don't be shy about letting them know that you value what they do and what they've accomplished. The greatest praise you can give someone is to ask for advice. Party leaders want to know what you're planning to do and how you hope to win. They won't think much of your chances if you don't have enough sense to ask for advice from experts - namely party leaders like themselves.

Party leaders are looking for a winner. They judge you, even if they're not judgmental, on that issue. Above all, are you a winner? You need to be able to speak confidentially about your credentials without seeming like a braggart. You need to be able to talk about the differences between your opponent and yourself without seeming overly negative.

Now if you were in a party primary, most party leaders are trying to stay neutral. Don't despair. Party primaries should not discourage you. Not at all. Generally speaking primaries are a positive thing. They usually get more people involved, create excitement, and as a result of more controversy, there's more media coverage ­free advertising in effect. Naturally you don't want a primary to become nasty and ugly and personal - but there are usually positive results of a primary that offset the negative. The party is often better for it - and so might you be.

#3. Give party leaders the courtesy of letting them know that you are running and ask for their support

What do you say to reporters in the early stages of the campaign?

First you need to have your initial answer ready. It doesn't have to be scripted word-for-word, but you should have the idea in mind. "Yes, I'm seriously considering running" or "Yes, I've formed an exploratory committee." "The reason I'm interested is ... " - whatever that might be. And stating the contrast between you and your opponent - how you would frame that for the voters - is important in the early interviews with reporters.

If you are not prepared to speak with reporters, then you shouldn't. You don't want to be caught in the position where you haven't thought through the answers to obvious questions. You don't want to sound foolish in early statements because that can demoralize your supporters and would-be supporters. Plus you don't want to make a poor impression on reporters.

The key thing is to anticipate the obvious questions and prepare good answers. Have someone play "twenty questions" with you ­or fifty questions - and have your answers tape recorded. Play it all back and get someone politically astute to critique your responses. Was your answer persuasive? Accurate? The right tone? What follow-up questions might your answer generate in a smart reporter? Then prepare those follow-up questions, too.

#4. Anticipate obvious question, prepare good answers, and practice answering them.

What do you say to community leaders?

In the early days especially, you want to meet with as many community leaders as possible, one-on-one. Again it's important to exude confidence.

It's also important to let them know you're there to learn, to benefit from what they've learned. Leaders in the community, whether they're elected officials or leaders of community organizations and charities, want to know about people who are running for public office.and the issues they're raising. They are genuinely interested in what motivates you and what influence you might have through the coverage you draw, the people you get involved, the ideas you raise.

You want to win their support, of course, but there are a variety of ways people can help you. In many cases, community leaders can help you simply by drawing your attention to issues, making suggestions, introducing you to other people. I like the term movers-and-shakers when I think of community leaders. They can be city counselors, business executives, chamber of commerce leaders, school committee members, principals, clergymen

#5. Contact the movers-and-shakers: talk, listen and learn. Ask for their support ­and for their advice.

What issues should I talk about?

Instead of polling, try "trolling" to discover the right issues. This is especially useful in the beginning of a campaign. Practice the art of active listening - not listening in the superficial way we often do, with eyes glazing over while we're trying to think of a way to steer the conversation back to what we want to talk about.

If you ask sincere questions of voters, and if you really seem interested in the responses, you'd be amazed at how much people will open up to you. You'll hear some very personal heart-felt stories. The most important thing in listening is to remember that everyone is an expert on their own life and experience.

You want to master the art of asking: "And then what happened?" and "And then what did you do?" In that way you'll learn some very useful things for your new job ­the job of representing them. You'll learn about people's problems and new solutions. You'll learn about what voters fear, what they respect, what gives them hope - and often you'll hear the very words you need to express what you believe. Words that touched you and may touch others.

#6. Ask your potential voters what issues are important to them, then actually listen!

How do I speak on TV?

Practice a simulated interview on videotape. Have someone play Larry King or Ted Koppel and then have someone else give you an honest critique. They key is not to lose confidence from a bad performance, but to learn from it.

#7. Practice the taped interview.

This is the second part of our series of recommendations for a challenger candidate’s first 30 days. The first part of Preparing for Take-Off, What Do I Say?, included the first 7 of our 30 recommendations, this part proposes the next 17.

What Do I Do?

#8. Understand the responsibilities of being a candidate to know your real place and function. 

Campaigns are candidate-driven - and the candidate is the highest power in the campaign. The candidate is the chief fundraiser, vote­ getter and focal point. With all of that comes enormous responsibility. Not only do you have to go out and campaign, but you have to be able to provide leadership for the rest of the team.

You're going to be picking and choosing people for the campaign even as you are asking to be chosen by voters. You are sometimes directing while being directed. All the while you are aware, or should be, that it is your name alone on the ballot. So you want to make sure that what is going on in your name is good.

All of this sounds confusing - and the truth is, campaigns are often in a seemingly confusing state of creative chaos. Call it what you will, but there are a few clarifying points.

Getting the right people on your campaign team is essential.

Not only people who are competent, but people you can trust. You want people who have good judgment, who can motivate others and who have political know-how. Next you want to make sure that you're not micro-managing. If you try to micro manage things as a candidate, you won't have time to win support and raise money and all of the things the candidate must do. So understand that of all the responsibilities of the candidate, the greatest is to be the candidate ­not to be the campaign manager, or advertising expert - be the candidate.

#9. Do your homework on the basic issues.

What do I do for preparation?

Understanding the issues is not the same as simply reading the newspaper and forming your own opinions. It is one thing to have an opinion - it is another thing to have an informed, credible opinion that you can defend under fire. And you should also learn the other side of the debate. Don't think you're prepared just by picking up a few facts that support your own view. You must understand the arguments and facts marshaled by the opponent. You don't have to agree with any of it, of course, but you should understand it for argument's sake.

Moreover, you should understand the emotional and personal dimensions to these issues. For example, the issue of healthcare. In many cases people aren't interested in hearing you detail a complex detailed policy filled with fiscal projections. What they really want to know is where is your heart on this issue? Do you care about them? Do you share their fear of rising health costs, of people uninsured?

If you do, then they are ready emotionally to hear your facts and figures and logic. If you don't care; if it's all academic; then maybe they've got better things to do than to listen to you. That's politics. It's not always about philosophy; it's not always about things fiscal and rational. It's not the business world. It's about ideas, yes, but also emotion - like fear, like vision.

#10. Analyze your district.

It doesn't hurt to start with maps - unless you happen to be one of those people who prefer the three dimensional, in which case just do windshield research. Drive around the district, look and see, take it in, understand the nature of the district first hand, learn about the communities, learn the population.

What are the main industries, businesses, churches and social groups, sports and entertainment? The people who make up the district cannot be understood in purely political terms, but learn that too. Study past election results, polling, party registration. Read the local news weeklies, listen to talk radio. The district you want to represent must first be understood by you.

#11. Evaluate the incumbent.

This is a huge job - and you need to find a capable researcher who can help you. You want to look at their voting record - and there are plenty of sources in Washington D.C. who keep tabs on that.

You will want to analyze whether the incumbent has been effective or not. Has he missed key votes? Taken controversial junkets? Did he break past campaign promises? Does he routinely vote for higher taxes while voting for congressional pay hikes? Has he been involved in any scandal? Is he influenced by special interest campaign money? Has he failed to meet the needs of the district? Does his past rhetoric match up with his actual record?

Research can give you the arguments and evidence you need to make the case for change. But beware. Triple-check your facts before going public. As a friend of mine is fond of saying, the saddest words in politics are not "What might have been," but rather, "Oops, I guess I should have checked that again."

Small errors can croak you because the opponent will use your false accusations as proof you should not be trusted. Research the opponent early, thoroughly and accurately.

#12. Figure out the best initial message of contrast.

If a challenger does not frame what the choice is all about - the contrast between candidates - voters are not likely to reject the better known, experienced incumbent. As with our system of justice, most voters presume an incumbent is not guilty unless proven guilty - so they re-elect him.

Your challenge is to offer a strong contrast: watch-dog for the tax payer versus wasteful spender, new energy versus tired status quo, new ideas versus failed liberalism, underdog citizen versus entrenched establishment. .. whatever.

Despite the need for the challenger to be aggressive in drawing a contrast, it's amazing how many fail to do that. Many Republican challengers are uncomfortable with controversy and criticism. They eagerly believe naive friends who tell them, "Just be positive. Don't mention the incumbent. People just want to hear about what you would do."

Too bad that isn't true. The bottom line is this: Contrast is vital. Otherwise voters see no reason to fire the incumbent and hire someone new.

#13. Write, or ask someone to write, a one-page biography or biographical sketch about you.

You want it to demonstrate that you are capable - that you have met problems and dealt with them successfully. You want it to reveal that you are very much a part of the community you aspire to represent. Places and people; organizations and causes; significant awards and achievements should be mentioned. And certainly you want to include your family.

Every phase of this bio should be 100% accurate. You can bet it will be analyzed with great scrutiny by the opposition. And if there is anything inflated or misstated or misleading, you can have real trouble with reporters. Many campaigns have self-destructed this way. When in doubt about the accuracy of your bio, be modest, be cautious.

#14. When you're looking for a campaign manager, understand that the job description is not the same as for a corporate manager.

Indeed, running a campaign is more of an entrepreneurial job than a management job. You need the instincts of an entrepreneur - creating something out of nothing, rather than simply managing resources that already exist.

Like an entrepreneur you will probably be operating on a shoe-string, making decisions by the seat of your pants. Management is about control. The directing of a challenger campaign is about motivation, judgment, creativity. Can this would-be campaign director motivate people? Can he or she make the campaign interesting, fun? Can this person create a spirit of team work? These are the kinds of questions that should guide you.

#15. Talk to political consultants - but don't feel pressured to hire immediately.

Again, let's start with some basic premises. First you hire political consultants to do the things you can't do yourself. Second, with consultants you get professional, outside advise and council. It may be good, it may be bad, but it's usually more objective. Third, you should understand what you want before you hire.

There are different kinds of political consultants. There are general consultants who help determine overall strategy and plan the campaign. Sometimes they help find a campaign manager and put together the staff. With a general consultant, it's particularly important to find out exactly what you will get. Who in the consulting firm will actually be assigned to the race? Is it the major partner who is selling you - or once the contract is signed will it be a junior associate? Will the consultant be an active, involved strategist, available for day-to-day advice?

The general consultant is usually the principle strategist; someone you have trust and confidence in; someone you will listen to during the course of the campaign, in bad times as well as good. The general consultant usually coordinates with other consultants, sometimes bringing them in.

They are going to arrange for you to meet with various advertising firms or media consultants so that you can see an array of talent available within your price range. There are a host of specialist consultants ­from research to finance to direct mail. Before a race begins, you don't need a whole flock of consultants. You don't want to kill your campaign with high consultant costs right off the bat. Proceed as your own budget, timing and common sense dictate.

#16. Consider whether you want a so ­called "kitchen cabinet" - a group of unpaid, unofficial advisors to help keep the campaign on course.

Campaign directors and political consultants usually don't want the candidate influenced on strategy or tactics by non­professionals.

But sometimes a candidate benefits from listening to old friends and trusted colleagues )non-political or not) people who know you; people who can say "no" to your face without you trying to wrestle them to the ground; allies who would cut off their right arm for you during the campaign. Candidates often use such a group - three, four, five trusted people - to help make major decisions ­about the use of time, money and talent.

If the people are chosen properly and if they are fulfilling their responsibility, they can be very useful to the campaign director, too. Sometimes they can help the campaign director convince the candidate to do something unpleasant but necessary (like spend more time fundraising or dismissing someone on the staff).

Sometimes they are just an advisory board with no real decision-making involved; a sounding board from the community to provide good, solid advice and then to help implement it if asked. There are usually three levels of organization to a campaign ­consciously or not: deciders, doers and hangers-on.

#17. Figure out your scheduling operation.

If you can find the right scheduler early, it certainly makes it a lot easier to plot the first phase of the campaign. In the early days of the campaign, one of the resources that is free is time. How you utilize your time is critical.

Previously mentioned are any number of things needing to be scheduled already - talking to your friends or associates, party leaders, researching the district first hand, trolling for issues by talking to people throughout the district, etc.

But what about the things not mentioned? When are your local fairs, parades, festivals? Where are the media outlets? Which are the targeted precincts where the swing voters will decide the election outcome? What about fundraising calls and fundraising events? All of that requires a good time-management operation and you want to have somebody help you in all of that. Someone who will read the local newspapers to see what events you should attend. Someone who will call community and party leaders to see what events are scheduled.

And you, you need to sit back and honestly figure out how much time you have available to campaign. Sort it through with your family and associates at work. Are you going to be able to clear your schedule for full-time campaigning, weekends, evenings?

One of the bigger problems in a campaign is deciding where to go and where not to go. The where to go becomes a major migraine when supporters are calling to complain that you missed some event they recommended. There are few easy answers in scheduling. It depends on your situation and your strategy. I

If you're involved in a Republican primary, then you'll want to spend your time where Republicans go: if you don't get through the primary, you don't have to worry about the general election. On the other hand, if you are not in a primary, you need to have a much higher general visibility in the early stages. You need to go where people generally go.

As you search for a scheduler, look for:

· Someone who is wonderful on the phone - because it is a lot of phone work.

· Someone who can be insistent when they have to be, but gentle at the same time so they don't offend unnecessarily; people who can say "no" nicely.

· Someone who is meticulous about details - writing down directions on how to get to a location, the exact times, who will be at the event, who will meet you there, who will introduce you?

· Someone who finds out exactly what is expected of you when you arrive - do you speak? If so, for how long; on what?

18.) Start the search process for a press secretary (but first make sure that you have the right view of the news media).

You shouldn't be paranoid - but neither should you be naive. Just keep in mind that, yes, reporters are biased - and their bias is for news ... news from whatever source, even a conservative Republican.

Reporters tend to be more liberal than the general electorate, and tend to be more cynical and distrusting of politicians. But they would prefer to have a lively race to cover - and that favors the challenger! The vast majority of them sincerely want to be fair, so don't lose an advantage by assuming that a reporter is the enemy. If you believe the latter, your belief will be self-fulfilling. Reporters will pick up on your attitude.

Follow Ronald Reagan's example. He got his message through the media much better than Carter and Mondale - despite his conservatism. He understood the importance of remaining upbeat and winning at public relations. So, in talking with would-be press secretaries, make sure of one thing: that they respect reporters and would work hard to win the respect of reporters for you and your campaign.

#19. Prepare a list of media outlets in the district and get an idea of advertising costs so you can be realistic in estimating your budget for media.

This is where an advertising agency or media placement firm can easily help you. What you spend on advertising will likely be the largest item in your campaign budget. To understand your district, and to understand what the budget should be, you need to understand the media make-up of your area.

#20. Develop a list of people who might volunteer to work for you on the campaign.

Look for effective field organizers - but be wary of boastful claims. It is harder these days to get people to donate their time to a campaign - people are busier or more stressed out or watching more TV.

The reasons are somewhat obscure, but it is not easy to mobilize large numbers of people to canvass every voter household in the district. It's rarer and rarer that campaigns are successful that way. However, don't give up on utilizing volunteers. They are especially important to challenger campaigns to make up for the money advantage the incumbent usually enjoys.

#21. Even though it's early in the campaign, begin to jot down any ideas you have or hear on strategy.

Even if the ideas aren't on target, you at least begin the process of elimination- ideas that don't work, assumptions that are rejected.

Hopefully you'll have one principle strategist (perhaps it's your general consultant or campaign manager, or campaign chairman or whomever) but at some point it's best to have one mind synthesizing the ideas of many different people, from many different sources ­polling, research, media coverage, the press secretary, your field organizers and so on. A good strategist will feel accountable. He or she will be able to realize that the strategy must be clear and explainable and not some mish-mash of compromise and half-baked ideas. There is no set formula for winning.

Each campaign is different - the opponent is unique, the district is unique, you are unique, the election climate is unique, the people in your campaign are unique. The strategy must be tailored to fit your unique condition.

A good strategy always evolves - the winning strategy is not apparent right from the start, and it's going to have to be flexible enough to adjust for the unexpected changes in your opponent's strategy, the media coverage and new issues that suddenly emerge nationally and locally. But it's not too early to jot down some of the assumptions that consciously or unconsciously are shaping your decisions about hiring, spending and scheduling.

A cautionary note about strategy. Beware the Washington D.C. syndrome. Don't look to the national party for your strategy and reality. Your district looks a lot different 600 or 900 miles away from inside a party committee, by someone who might not have ever set foot in your district. So when you are discussing your race with D.C. operatives, be confident in your own grounding - and of course know what you're talking about. But don't be discouraged if they are not encouraging, they probably don't know as much as you presume they know.

#22. Have good photographs taken of you and your family.

You want some black and white glossies for the newspaper and for a brochure of your own. The picture of you with your family might also be used, of course, for the campaign brochure. You'll also probably want to have a horizontal color slide done at the same time so that you can give them to local television stations for possible use in news stories.

#23. Talk to political media consultants and/or advertising agencies about your advertising needs.

You might not be advertising for many months, but you'll want the firm responsible for your message and image to be thinking and planning well in advance. You don't want them doing catch up research on you and the campaign right before they're to come up with a TV spot. You want them involved early.

A couple of things to keep in mind about your advertising. Experts in corporate advertising are NOT necessarily experts in political advertising. Selling and positioning a candy bar is not the same thing as introducing a new candidate or communicating issues.

Also, keep in mind the difference between production value and persuasive value. Candidates are often impressed by slick commercials. Let's face it, no one wants his or her image conveyed in a lack­luster or amateurish way. But what impresses voters more is sincerity. If your advertising is too cute, or contrived, or too fake, voters are quickly turned off. Above all, they want candidates they can trust. So don't rush into hiring an ad agency or a media consultant. Make sure they have the values you want, respect for you and your ideas, and respect for the voters.

#24. Poll several pollsters before hiring.

Talking to pollsters about polling can be very useful. Don't be shy about admitting what you don't know. They are happy to explain the so-called science of survey research and what it can and can't do.

At the same time realize that these people are in business. They need customers to exist, so they want you to do as much polling as practical. Yet, to be fair, they're quite sincere in urging you to poll early and often for reasons other than their making money.

They want you to take an early poll, for example, before you announce so that if there is a clearer message that you should be driving home, you can do it right off. I have to admit, I'm very skeptical of early polling for challenger candidates in districts where incumbents are well known and fairly popular because, number one, the poll is going to say that the incumbent is well ­known and popular (and that you aren't). That could be demoralizing to a candidate and campaign. Candidates and their supporters invariably hope that their numbers are going to be surprisingly good. Rarely does that ever happen.

It may well be better to use polling in the later stages of the campaign, when in fact it's going to have an impact on how you spend your money and how you craft your advertise message. Talk to more than one pollster before hiring.

#25. Raise money immediately, waiting is a mistake.

First set a specific dollar target: “In the next sixty days I want to get X number of dollars deposited in the account.” This kind of thinking is setting yourself up for failure.

Make a list of those folks you could approach for a sizeable contribution. Start with friends, family, business associates ­and ask for as much as they're capable of giving. And you want to ask for a check, not a pledge. You don't want to be chasing people for checks they would have given you in the first place if only you'd asked.

Don't make fundraising more complicated than it has to be. That can be a way of procrastinating. Just get started. Figure out who you need to contact, one-on­-one - in person or on the phone - and schedule the time to make the calls. In the early stages of a campaign, you can spend as much as 75% of your time raising money ­and that probably goes to 50% in the closing days.

#26. Ask a trusted accountant to be your campaign treasurer.

Make sure they get the FEC start-up kit immediately. Some legal questions have to be settled in the early stages of a campaign for Congress. When you've raised or spent more than $5,000 you have to be filed with the FEC - the Federal Elections Commission. You have to have a campaign treasurer and you need to name the committee,something that sounds good as a disclaimer on radio. "Paid for by Joe Smith for Congress" as opposed to "Paid for by proud citizens united to elect Joe Wilbur Smith to the United States Congress." That would be half of your commercial.

#27. Find the right finance chairman and/or finance director.

Easier said than done usually, but don't despair. Someone usually pops up at some point, if not necessarily at the very beginning. Sometimes you have to prove your credibility publicly before a person of great reputation and fundraising ability is willing to sign on.

You want to find someone who knows the movers and shakers - and more importantly, the givers. Someone who's not afraid to ask for money, perhaps even enjoys twisting an arm to get a contribution. I know that might sound odd, but some people have a very upbeat attitude about fundraising. They enjoy the challenge of convincing a reluctant citizen to join up and contribute.

You certainly don't want someone shy to lead fundraising. You want someone who is aggressive, who knows how to ask, who understands rejection and will ask again and again. Someone who can organize and motivate other people. Fundraising is really an organizing effort. You want to figure out how to organize fund-raising by profession, or by community, or whatever makes sense in your district.

28. List prospective members of a Finance Committee: fundraising is all about prospecting.

In the process of prospecting for a Finance Chairman, you will probably enlist members of the Finance Committee ­people who say, "No, I don't want to be chairman, but I will help." Then you say, "Great, you're going to be on the Finance committee." You want to think through all the people you know who are capable of raising money for you and determine who is the best person to approach these people. Who can reach these people and persuade them to join up?

When you think of a Finance Committee, think in terms of people who can raise money within their own professions. The doctor who can raise money from doctors. The lawyer who can do the same with lawyers, and so on. And then include people from all the geographic units of the district, someone from city A and city B.

If you’re going to have major events to raise money, the person chairing the events needs to serve on the committee. Try to establish a broad based Finance Committee, and if there's a way to get the maximum contribution, then somebody should be able to ask for $1,000. But if there's a way to get $5.00, there ought to be a program for that as well.

Give people titles. Let them know they have accepted a serious responsibility. And if they don't work out, replace them.

#29. Make a decision about whether to accept PAC money.

This is a serious question. Challengers don't generally raise very much from PACs. You can begin by trying to determine whether you think you're going to be able to raise much PAC money. The second question is how you feel about it. This is a political issue more than a financial issue. Think through the advantages and disadvantages of taking PAC money.

Be vary cautious about is hiring a Washington, D.C. PAC fundraiser (or one in your state capital) who says they will raise PAC money for you. It usually doesn't work well that way. The way you raise PAC money (if, in fact, you're going to take it) is to campaign for it as you do for votes. You need to search out the PAC representatives.

Most of the associations, for example ­whether realtor, dentists or home-builders ­have local chapters and you need to talk with someone in those local chapters. You should also see who heads the state chapter. You don't start out in Washington D.C. asking for help without even knowing the local people. You need to build locally before going nationally.

The same is true about national businesses and associations generally. They all rely on recommendations from those who are local. If you contact them and get the interested, the first thing they're going to do is call the folks back home and ask, "What about this candidate?" And if they haven't heard anything about you, guess what?

Those national people aren't going to feel too good about saying, "Oh, well, we hoped to contribute to that campaign."

#30. Draw up a budget that is ambitious but realistic.

What makes it realistic is to keep the overhead to a minimum and plan on spending money like it's your own. You also have to be realistic in estimating what your campaign will need to win. It doesn't do you any good to raise a lot of money but lose. So get those advertising costs figured out, the cost of staff and consultants, and don't forget the cost of fundraising. It takes some money to raise money.

As you consider all that you would like to do, you'll get a better sense of the size and scope of your campaign and what it's going to take to win. You need to think carefully about the things you actually have to pay for. This is where some campaigns go awry, because they want to pay for everything up front. If you do that, you get enormous overhead built in, and you never get ahead of the process.

Remember a big lesson learned from past successful campaigns: make sure you have the media dollars needed for advertising in the end when voters are most interested and persuadable. Think of your campaign as a small communications company. Question each dollar. Is it being spent to help communicate the winning message, directly or indirectly? Could I use this dollar more wisely doing something else?

Final Thoughts

You are not only embarking on an investment of money, but an investment of yourself. Elections are a very tough, demanding business. You're going to have highs and lows, and you need the stamina to get through it. You need to pace yourself to achieve victory.

In the very final analysis, what's most important is just do the very best you can: you have to live with yourself afterwards. Win or lose, you return to your family and friends who respect you for having had the courage to enter the arena and fight for your beliefs.

So enjoy the adventure of it all: the unpredictability, the unexpected excitement, the applause, and the many new friends you will make.