Senator John Kerry, of Massachusetts, (left) makes a point during a town meeting in Philadelphia in August. With him were candidates Rep. Richard Gephardt, of Missouri (center), and Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. By November 2004, the Democratic candidates will have been whittled down to one. (Photo: Chris Gardner/AP Wide World)

The Post-Convention Push

Your party’s convention should provide you with at least a week’s worth of positive, national media attention.  A top priority is to keep that positive momentum going as long after the convention as possible.

President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore understood this during their first campaign in 1992.  At the Democratic National Convention, Clinton and Gore presented a youthful and energetic image.  Once the Convention wrapped up, the two hopped on a bus and took an unprecedented cross-country trip through small-town America.  The Clinton-Gore Bus Tour kept the post-convention energy going and dominated the headlines for the entire trip. Clinton rode that publicity straight into the White House.

Campaign Stops

You’ll want to visit all the key states in the two to three months leading up to the election.  But do you give priority to the states where the race is tight, or pay special attention to the states with the most electoral votes?  In the 2000 election, President Bush and Vice President Gore visited key swing states like Florida and Illinois up until the final day of the election. A swing state is one that could go to either party in an election. California, which usually votes Democratic in presidential elections, didn’t need as much attention. Texas, which usually votes Republican, would have been a waste of time and money.

But don’t forget about your strongest supporters, either.  Al Gore spent very little time campaigning in his home state of Tennessee. He ended up losing it to Bush.  Had he won his home state, he would be President today.

Advertising Adds Up

Consider a state’s importance and your popularity there when you plan where to spend your advertising dollars.  Advertising will eat up the biggest part of your campaign budget.  You  better make sure that your ads appeal to the right people at the right time in the campaign. Don’t advertise so much in the beginning that you have no money left for the final push. But you have to make sure that you don’t save too much. You want your name out there early to gain momentum (known as The Big Mo’).  

You can show off your personality and save advertising dollars at the same time. Bill Clinton was one of the first candidates to hit the talk show circuit in a big way.  An appearance on a major talk show ends up as news on other channels, spreading your face, your name, and your message. You become more than a talking head when you can lighten up. Clinton played the saxophone on one show. Candidate George W. Bush played up his down-home personal style to woo talk-show hosts and voters.

Different talk shows appeal to different voting groups. Bob Dole went on MTV to reach young voters. Al Gore and George Bush sought out the female vote with dueling appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The countdown to election means time and money are draining quickly. Be sure  to use them wisely!