The late Congressman Donald Pease, who was a very good politician as well as a very good congressman, once said that candidates run two campaigns. One is the visible campaign and the other is the invisible campaign. While the visible campaign is important, the invisible campaign wins elections.
The visible campaign includes yardsigns, bumper stickers, billboards, and other visible media. The invisibile campaign includes things like door to door canvassing, telephone calls to voters, and direct mail. The visible campaign reassures your supporters that you are actively campaigning, the invisible campaign persuades voters to vote for you and not for your opponent.
Lately we have been receiving emails from Democrats concerned that there are not enough yard signs for Obama in Medina County. There is also a comment on this blog to that effect. Ironically, one of these messages came the same day as the largest meeting ever held in Medina County for a get out the vote effort was underway. That meeting was held by the Barack Obama Campaign for Change.
The Obama campaign has four full time staffers in Medina County. Just to give you an idea of how impressive that is, in 2004, Medina County shared one staffer with Wayne County.
The Obama campaign is not focused on yard signs, it is focused on persuading voters to vote for Obama. If you are concerned about this campaign, then sign up to work on the Obama campaign's get out the vote effort.
All this is not to say that in this election, yard signs aren't important. Voting for Barack Obama is a big step for a lot of voters, especially in a county like Medina County, which has about a 2-3% minority community. Showing your neighbors that you support Obama gives them the courage to also support Obama.
Having said that, however, putting up a yard sign is not as important as talking to your neighbors, your family members, your co-workers, and your friends about this election. It is not as important as canvassing a neighborhood, or making phone calls. Remember Congressman Pease's advice and get involved in the invisible campaign.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
What about the County races? We hear nothing on the Medina County Democratic blog about the great Democrats running countywide this year.
We have the strongest ticket ever Prosecutor Dean Holman is popular and active. Larry Courtney and Brian Feron are well known, popular leaders. Mike Todd has hit thousands of doors and taken the fight right at his corrupt opponent. And so many other County, legislative and other candidates have put up a great performance, yet MCDAC hardly ever has anything about them.
We all know about the federal races. How about a bone for the candidates working hard here in Medina County?
I agree and I am so pleased that someone spoke up on this. I have wondered the very same thing. I for one have stopped #6 times (in the rain)on my way to work from Brunswick to Copley picking up Dean Holman's signs (and others within the close vicinity, such as Mike Todd's too lol)sings that had fallen due to the wind and rain this last Weds. They align my route all the way to and from work taking the back roads on my way home as if to circle the county. They worked VERY hard to put them up. Lets all help our candidates when we see their signs down o.k.? As for the rest of our great candidates, heck..it seems my yard has more signs of our candidates this year than the entire block put together. O.K. I'll admit...I'm a sign junkie every election but for those I believe in. I have seen Dean Holman's recent slot with Newsnet-5 under the Democracy section, on line and have attempted to put it on here side by side with Mario Russica's. Geesh. Please put them up...This Mario Russica mentions approx. #21 times in his less than 3-5 min. slot how he is a Marine? Who cares, big deal. No dis-respect to our Marines mind you (I have 2 son's in the military STILL and in their 30's, lifer's they are mind you) but military/war crimes is a whole lot different than the street crimes that Dean has a daily hold on like making breakfast each morning. He IS made for this...Mario Russica completely lacks the experience. He is completely green/wet behind the ears in comparison to that of Dean Holman HAS by record after record. Yes...I believe #21 times the word Marine comes up ONLY he takes away from IT in how he is going to be fair and respectful to the defendant/criminals? NEVER once mentions once what he wants to do as prosecutor to "protect" Medina County to KEEP the criminals off the streets? For me, it was as if he was soliciting the criminals for votes vs. the actual citizens of Medina County. Dean Holman has had a 98% conviction ratio and spoke of the drug dealings he has stopped in his segmant on Newsnet-5(even showing a massive amt. of these drugs confiscated in our great county.) He spoke of how he has a harness or heads up to KEEP up on the growing crime rate due to the economy/population. It flowed from Dean Holman as "everyday" work for him and it IS! He wasn't even really campaigning but just speaking of HIS everyday life as our Prosecutor. This Mario sounded more like he wants to "defend" these criminals. Our county is not the military. I am uncertain he knows which table to sit/stand at in the court room or which side he is on. Heck...if he were to win, it would be like living in S.F. CA. again. Car jackings, must lock doors and windows at night again...take it from me living from another part of the country where you don't dare drive your car with the window down and doors unlocked. We aren't Marines. We are citizens and the public. This Mario Russica, he actually sounds like he is promoting this county to choose to live in if you wanted to be a criminal. He never says what he would do in prosecuting them or in protecting our great county that incidentally,IS just fine as is. This county for me, (not from this state) is the safest place I've ever known. Short of visiting family on the west coast for instance...Heck...I can leave my car running while snowing to dash into a quick stop store, drive with my windows down in the summer and in the summer I can sleep with the windows open. Where else can you do this beside Kauaii maybe? To not live in fear all of the time is a great thing for your quality of life.
Brunswick (Medina County) is named in the top 10 list for a family to live in the U.S. in a major magazine? A sence of feeling safe is very important. There is NO question who should REMAIN our Prosecutor.
WHY FIX SOMETHING (NOT ONLY NOT BROKEN) BUT IS GREAT AS IT STANDS? Who needs a brain washed, green or wet behind the ears Marine that speaks of what he is going to do FOR the criminals anyway?
We probably ALL have something to say about the candidates we rally for so lets say it...
P.S. Mario Russica...if you think speaking of being so "FAIR" to the criminals vs. justice for the victims is going to win the votes of the "families" of the criminals, Think again. Most families that aren't also criminals themselves and ARE upstanding citizens, that are actually registered voters DO know when they have a fallen family member in need of discipline. They may whine and cry but heck...this is just common sense (sp?)...You see...in the public/real life and not the military Mario (that is ALL you know)There is a thing called tough love.
Families of a fallen criminal minded person WANT to help them, not encourage them and continually defend them. I think you ought to re-think your attempted position here Mario.
As for those that see the signs down of our great candidates in the yards and the side of the road, put them back up where they fell...I think those driving by see MORE from this (that you are willing to stop for the "sign" than the sign itself). It shows how you really feel about the matter. If in the yards then speak to the home owner/tenant first, of course. I found one neighbor had actually left a candidates fallen sign (in fact 2 of them) on purpose and was agitated they were put there without consulting her. I changed her mind though,. One sign stands anyway. The other I placed elsewhere.
Talk to people and get out the vote. Our children and our grand children are counting on us.
Post a Comment