The Judicial Candidate and the Book of Mormon - Case Study in How to Not Raise Campaign Funds

This lesson in political fund-raising is about what NOT to do when trying to raise funds is not about the Mormons. It's not about this conservative and godly judicial candidate who's not a Mormon.  Instead, this lesson's about what can happen when you accidentally - or, worse, intentionally - mix religion and politics. It's also at least tangentially what else can happen when you're too proud to admit a mistake and dig yourself out of a hole.


This lesson is about the disaster that can occur when you mix piety and precincts, faith and fund-raising.  Even more important, this lesson is about how IMAGE trumps REALITY ... every time.

In fact, if there's one lesson every political candidate should have tattooed onto the inside of his eyelids (so he can't help but see it), it's this: in politics, perception IS reality. If voters believe that something is the case, the "truth" is no defense.

It never has been, and it never will be.

And this political fact-of-life goes all the way back.  When Pontius Pilate decided to execute Jesus, he saw standing before him a man with no fault within him. That was a fact, and Pilate even commented on it.   But he also saw the Jerusalem mob, and the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin.  He could see the impact a riot would have on his governorship and his career - maybe even his life.  He could also see the impact of even a complaint from "peaceful" religious leaders - if that complaint claimed that Pilate supported a heretic and a traitor.  Pilate saw the perception official Rome would have - in the face of that perception, the truth about Jesus was irrelevant.  Jesus the innocent man was also irrelevant, when pitted against the likely perception of the Emperor and his Empire.

Though Pilate knew him to be innocent, Jesus never stood a chance.  Perception became reality.

Of course, I just mixed religion and politics - which I'm warning against in this blog - but then again, I'm not running for anything.  This is an object lesson, not a fund-raising campaign. Considering the subject matter, I could think of no better example to make my point about perception and reality.

Here's the reality.  Note that no names are mentioned here, because this isn't about names, or people, but instead it's about bad choices made with good intentions, then clung to in the face of Cassandra-like warnings from experts - and not just me.

A conservative candidate for Judge in Clark County Nevada – a good man (and not a Mormon) has made a potentially election-killing decision.  He’s tied a major campaign fund-raiser to the Book of Mormon, widely known as the premiere sacred text of the group known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

More on that in a minute.

But this isn't really about Mormons, members of that faith - and the perception about them - is indeed front-and-center in this issue.

There are more Mormons in Clark County Nevada (home to Las Vegas) than you can shake a stick at.  For a century and more, local casino owners have been glad to hire Mormons and Jack Mormons as dealers – they’re honest with their employers, and (the word is) they have no compunction about cheating the heathens.  That may be apocryphal or real - but it's the perception that matters.  The perception is that casinos are Mormon-friendly employers.

However, even without casinos, Clark County would be Mormon Central. Located just down I-15 from Utah, Clark County was first settled (other than by the native Paiutes) by Mormon settlers who built the Old Mormon Fort.  It still stands today, not a half-mile from what is now Las Vegas’s Fremont Street Experience.

However, for every Mormon in Clark County, you’ll find at least one non-Mormon who’s all but fed up with some aspect of that faith.  Some resent their door-to-door evangelism – not to mention the arrogance of mere children who actually seem to believe that they can teach their elders something about life - a life they have not yet begun to live. 

Some honestly live in fear of Mormon bosses – one of my closest friends has a Mormon boss, and he lives in fear of - he's the only executive in his department who isn’t at least nominally a Mormon.  Harassment isn’t too strong a word, and while I doubt if this is “official” LDS policy, it happens.

Some have experienced - as I have done - “shunning.” This is what can happen to non-Mormons  in heavily-Mormon communities.  As I said, that I can speak to from personal experience, from my time living in Southern Utah.

But that’s not really the point.  In fact, the Mormon faith isn’t even the point.

The point is that politics and religion don’t mix – they never have. 

This unhappy mixture only gets worse when the religion is controversial.

Any religious faith, if pushed hard in a political campaign, can become polarizing.  Even a fairly neutral belief -  such as conservative or reformed Judaism, or mainstream protestant Christianity - can become polarizing in a political campaign.  Add in a controversial faith – be it the late Jerry Falwell’s “Moral Majority,” or pretty much anything having to do with Islam, the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses (to name a few), and you’re going to seriously polarize at least one segment of the political electorate.

Polarizing the political electorate means driving potential voters away – and driving them away for reasons having nothing to do with the qualification of the candidate.   

• Jack Kennedy lost votes because he was a public and believing Catholic. 

• Mitt Romney lost votes because he was so closely identified with his Mormon faith.   

• Joe Lieberman, a great and good man (for a liberal), lost votes because he was well-known to be a faithful Orthodox Jew.  In an election that close, his faith might have been the difference between President Bush and President Gore.

Is any of that right?  Of course not.  Even, “Hell, no!” 

But it is very much an aspect of human nature, which is why every savvy politician who wants to win tries to avoid “taking sides” in a religious debate. They recognize that any such debate will only hurt them, at least with some voters. 

Of course, if it’s the candidate’s own faith, most candidates actually do better by embracing their faith than to being seen running from it.  Integrity does matter, at least some of the time.

But when a candidate makes religion an issue – and especially when the faith at issue isn’t his own – that’s just a bad political choice.

Now, let's consider what's going on, right now, right here in Clark County Nevada.

And for this morality tale, enter a strong conservative candidate for judge, a good man who’s not even a Mormon.

Today (April 30, 2014) he posted on a Clark County politics Facebook discussion group the following fund-raising promotion.  It reads:

“Donate to ____ 4 Judge between now and May 15, 2014, and WIN 2 BOX SEAT TICKETS FOR THE PRIMARY ELECTION NIGHT SHOWING OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.  Support ____4Judge and win a chance to see the most popular show of the year with him on Primary Election night.”

Ignoring the poor grammar and punctuation - then also ignore the implied promise that every donor wins - and here’s the kicker.  Apparently, THE BOOK OF MORMON this candidate is referring to is not a religious tract. No, it's a Broadway stage show, and a touring company of the play will be in Las Vegas on primary election night.   

Not being a fan of Broadway shows, this was all news to me, and I never even considered it when I saw the fund-raising pitch on the Facebook group's page.  But if I’d known that it was a play and not a religious tract, that mere fact wouldn’t change my negative reaction to this.  My perception had already been formed, and truth wasn't about to change it.

Not just me, but everybody who saw or sees this promotion is likely to come away with a perception at odds with this judicial candidate's hope.  Some will see it as I did, and turn away in disgust or frustration or just disbelief. 

Others, Mormons for instance, who then gave to this candidate thinking they're supporting a fellow Mormon - they will be outraged to find that, instead of a religious book, they'd be getting seats to a play that apparently mocks their faith.  With the play being written by the creators of South Park, could it be anything else?  Were I a Mormon who won these seats and attended the play, not knowing what was coming, I'd be furious.

Then there are those who believe that The Book of Mormon is a play written by liberals to make it harder for Mitt Romney to win in 2012.  A conservative candidate for office here in Nevada saw the same Facebook group link I did, and immediately (and publicly) drew that conclusion.

The only people who might be happy to win are unlikely to give, because they're not conservatives. Liberals - who don't routinely donate to conservative candidates - would love to attend a play that mocks both religion and the Republican's Presidential candidate.

However, when I first saw this, all I knew was when I saw the promotion on the website. There, I saw title: THE BOOK OF MORMON along with a photo of one of the Mormon teen-boy missionaries. You could tell what he was - he had the nametag, the short-sleeved white shirt, white socks and black tie – book in hand. All that was missing was the bicycle and the other Mormon teen-aged boy.  They always come in pairs.  

That was what I saw. That was the perception that became my reality.  Of course, not caring about getting a copy of The Book of Mormon for my very own, I didn’t read the fine print about it actually being a Broadway show, not a book.

When I saw this message, my reaction was immediate and visceral. Seeing the promotion but not really reading it (yet), the “incentive” offered nothing to me - but it did turn me off as being bone-deep stupid.

 I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what a non-Mormon and otherwise reasonable and conservative candidate for judge was doing pushing a minority and clearly controversial faith – let alone doing so in the midst of a purely secular election.

So I asked him.  Very civilly, he explained that THIS Book of Mormon was a popular Broadway show, and - in his mind - a good fund-raising incentive.   

But this good and decent man is a political novice, and frankly, I wasn’t buying his explanation or justification.

Then, as noted above, another conservative climbed into the conversation, noting that (quote) “this big hit Broadway play was prepared by liberal play producers in anticipation of Mitt Romney’s presidential run in 2012 – I’m surprised that you are not sensitive to the derogatory impact …” 

I know know that the creators of South Park came up with this play - but as for their real reason don’t know if that’s true.  But the perception of a liberal elite media mogul creating a put-down of Mormons as a take-down for Romney is at least plausible. 

Imagine – liberals wanting to mock a Republican presidential candidate – hard to believe, isn’t it? 

However, whatever the play is supposed to do or say or be, I do know this.  If two conservatives – well-known local activists who both were prepared to support this candidate’s run for judge reacted this badly, and for completely different reasons – then this has to be a bad idea.

But for you, who may have never been to Las Vegas nor heard of the play The Book of Mormon, there is still a lesson to be learned.  Some controversy is good.  For instance, taking on John Kerry for calling Israel an apartheid state is "good controversy," even if it drags religions (two of them) into a political debate.

But dragging Mormons into a campaign because of the name of a play - or for any non-political reason - that's just a bad idea.

If you're running for office, planning on running for office, or helping someone who's running for office, beware.

Your Campaign's Selling Message

Making the Most Of Your Website And Literature

By Ned Barnett

Missed Messages:  Recently, I had the opportunity to review the websites of every Republican Party candidate registered to run for political office in Clark County, Nevada – that’s Las Vegas to the rest of the world.  In doing so, I noticed that far too many of these candidates traded the opportunity for actually moving and motivating voters, replacing those compelling messages with worthy platitudes that no voter really cares about. 

On a good day, someone who clicks through to your website will stay 10 seconds – or less – before deciding to either stay and read, or move on.  By offering platitudes instead of compelling messages, the website was all but asking potential voters to – as the police say at crime scenes – “move along, there’s nothing to see here.”

Missing out on that kind of opportunity to present your “selling message” is tantamount to missing out on perhaps his one opportunity to deliver a dynamic message that will persuade voters to support you, with their ballots, their time and their contributions.

In explaining this to one candidate for a judicial seat, I realized that most candidates need the same guidance I gave this potential judge. This is particularly important in Nevada, because people can’t vote “straight party” when they cast their ballots. In Nevada, as in many other states, judicial candidates appear on the ballot without partisan reference, making it even more important for them to generate favorable name recognition.

His platform – which, unfortunately, could be any judicial candidate’s platform – makes what would seem to be a strong case for his candidacy.  However, because any judicial candidate could say (and probably would say) the same thing, these messages do not generate voter interest. 

Paraphrasing, these were:

·      Ensure timely justice by avoiding unnecessary delays by attorneys – or by the judge himself

·      Demand civility and respect in the courtroom

·      Promote fair advocacy, ensuring each person receives his or her day in court

·      Enforce decorum and the rules of the court

·      Uphold the Nevada and US Constitutions

These are certainly all worthy goals, but as noted, any judicial candidate would, if asked, affirm these same goals, despite his or her track record on the bench.

The Right Messages:  Instead, I advised this judicial candidate to do something radically different – and this advice should apply to all candidates for every position:

“Voters do not expect to be in your court – ever.  In fact, they pray that they won’t wind up in any court for any reason.  However, they still want assurances that “their judge” will be a person who represents their own personal and political values. In this way, they can be sure that they will be “heard” in court, and on every decision.  These values are about you as a person, not you as a judge.  They are human values.  Many of these values transcend your role as a judge, or perhaps even have nothing to do with what you can, or can’t do, as a judge.

“Tell voters about your family values, or about how you’re a native of Nevada, or about things you believe in.  Give them a reason to respect you – perhaps even to like you – but most of all, give them a reason why they should feel well-represented when they have you on the bench, acting in their stead and on their behalf.”

This basic philosophy, obviously, also applies to representatives going into the executive or legislative branch.  Voters seldom have a reason to go to Washington, or to the state capital, or even to go before the city or county commission, the Mayor’s office, the school board or any other elective government body.  Yet those voters still want to know that the men and women who represent them share their core values – that they will do a good job of representing their interests as citizens, taxpayers and voters.

This is done with the “selling message,” which is – basically – a written form of the candidate’s elevator pitch or stump speech.

Selling Messages:  Sometimes this message revolves around a piece of legislation – amnesty for illegal aliens, or a pipeline running from Canada to Texas.  However, at other times, this selling message represents more of a candidate’s personal beliefs.  The personal issues could be big or small, but they should be ones that matter to voters in a way that transcends the candidate’s office, and its role in society.

That personal belief could touch on a candidate’s support for Israel, the rights of citizens vs. the powers of Homeland Security, the Ten Commandments in a courthouse, a crèche in a public park over Christmas, or even abortion rights. 

For instance, right now (as I write this), a “flavor of the month” candidate for the Governor in Texas is in that position only because, as a state legislator, she filibustered – unsuccessfully – to block a bill that would have made illegal late-term abortions – which many consider virtual infanticide, and for good reason. 

While that extreme view of abortion is not a particularly popular position in Texas, her radically pro-abortion position is widely popular among hard-core feminists, as well as Hollywood’s liberal elite.  Together, those two groups have together raised millions of dollars for her campaign to unseat Governor Perry.  That issue likely won’t get her elected in Texas – which is neither a hotbed of pro-abortion feminism nor of Hollywood liberal elitism – but it did a great job of raising money and catapulting her onto the national stage.

Pros and Cons:  Any strongly held position will attract some voters, while pushing away others.   There is always a risk when taking a stance that it may be more unpopular than it is popular.  However, conservative values continue to remain majority values in America today, despite the outcome of the past several presidential elections.

Many conservative candidates believe that they will do better by not polarizing voters by taking strong positions. However, the lessons of Reagan in 1980, the “Republican Revolution” of 1994 and the Tea Party revolt of 2010, all suggest that when conservatives take bold stands, they do better than when – like McCain and Romney – they try to straddle the fence.

Especially for off-the-front page elective positions, to stand out is to win. 

Examples of these positions where, almost literally, nobody knows who you really are – and which, therefore, requires you to really stand out - include judicial elections, county and state representatives, school board and constable or sheriff elections. 

To stand out, you’ve got to give your core potential voters a reason to first remember you, then support you – with their ballots, their time and their financial support.

Sample Conservative Selling Messages:  What does a strong conservative selling message look like?  It could be as simple as these:

·      I believe that Israel is perhaps America’s most important ally, and I stand foursquare in support of that embattled nation.

·      I oppose open borders and amnesty for illegal aliens – not because I have anything against them, but because this is gaping open door to sexual trafficking and sexual slavery.

·      I have nothing against green energy – when it works – but I recognize that our country’s economy and wealth have been built on abundant access to low-cost energy.   I support government efforts to keep energy abundant and affordable.

·      Global Warming is not a scientific fact – for the past fifteen years, global temperatures have not gone up even a fraction – and I oppose regulations that restrict our use of energy in the name of a scientific mistake.

·      I see late term abortion as tantamount to infanticide; while I recognize a woman’s right to abortion, I support limiting it, and when an unborn child becomes viable, the right to an abortion ends, except only to save the life of the mother.

·      As a father (or mother), I see the evil of human trafficking as one of the most horrific crimes that can be perpetrated – especially since those most at-risk and most victimized are little more than children themselves.  I support all reasonable efforts to end human trafficking and sexual slavery in our city, our state and our nation.

·      I see an increase in the minimum wage at a time when unemployment is still at levels twice what it was during the last Republican Administration to be a mistaken policy.  It will raise costs on all retail goods, leading to further unemployment, especially among those it’s “supposed” to help, people at the low-end of the economic and wage scale, who desperately need to keep their jobs to make ends meet.

Make Them Your Own:  These are, of course, just examples of possible “selling messages,” and should not be taken for your own campaign unless you really believe in them.  Instead, formulate what you believe, and make those issues your own.

These messages should be boiled down to “bumper sticker” length to be used as bullet points on your website, with a link to a fuller presentation on the issue.  Those fuller presentations should also be rewritten as blogs, and posted on blog-sites supporting the campaign, as well as separately on the website. Repetition is not a problem, as long as you re-state the positions each time you present them.

They do not have to be long messages, but they must be powerful.

Examples I’ve Created:  For one candidate, who represented a conservative constituency in the Deep South’s “bible belt,” we knew that voters did not want “leaders.”  They were proudly independent cusses who truly wanted representatives, people who would both serve them and reflect their views.  In addition, they wanted someone who was a man or woman of faith.  

Putting across that message in a succinct slogan was a challenge, but here’s what we came up with:  “Stewardship, not Leadership.” 

Obviously, the slogan played to their feeling that they needed no “leaders.”  In addition, in “church-speak,” the word “stewardship” means someone who is in a position to serve.  It reflects the commandment of Jesus:  “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant to all” (Mark 9:35).

Being a steward is an honorable role in the church, and the use of this term sent a powerful subliminal message to the faithful among the electorate.

Another example comes from the time when the Federal Election Commission mandated that all paid political ads had to include naming both the campaign committee and its treasurer.  Typically, this means an ad ends with, “This ad was paid for the Committee to Re-Elect Bob Tyler, Frank Smith, Treasurer.”  That does no harm, but it does no good (beyond following the law), and it takes up six seconds in a 15- or 30-second ad.  At my recommendation, the candidate’s committee legally changed its name to – and ended each of their ads with – the following: “Ten Thousand Lexington County Homeowners Who What to Return Bob Tyler to Congress, Frank Smith, Treasurer.” 

In this way, the required disclaimer also became a part of the selling message.  The contest may not have been in doubt – the candidate I’m calling Bob Tyler was a popular Congressman – but it certainly didn’t hurt his re-election chances.

Humanizing the Candidate:  Even before they cast their ballots, or volunteer, or open up their wallets – today’s voter first wants to be persuaded that this candidate will effectively represent them.  To do this, you must put a human face on the candidate – make him or her a real person, with real and compelling beliefs and values.  Accomplishing this through a brief and effective selling message puts candidates on the fast track to electoral success.

Be Careful What You Say ...

There are NO Truly Private Meetings 

Ned Barnett

Politicians must be careful what they say - even in a "private meeting," you never really know who is listening, or recording, and who might have an agenda that would cause an off-the-cuff comment to be leaked, to the detriment of the speaker.

I was reminded of this the other day,  when I saw a very impressive candidate for office giving a talk to a Republican's Men's Club. This was a reasonably conservative audience, a presumably "safe" audience.  The candidate is a popular black conservative and life-long Republican - and I mention his race only because it's part of my cautionary tale here - but I'm not going to mention his name, as that's not relevant to the story.

In his warm-up, and reflecting on the shots that a black Republican has to take from the liberal media which sees blacks as being required to toe the party line.  He admitted that, while he didn't support the President's policies, he'd been initially glad to see Obama elected because of the symbolism of having a black president.  Then, joking, he said,"or at least a beige President ... I can say that," he concluded, indicating that, as a black man, he was free from charges of racism for making light of the President's mixed-race heritage. 

The joke got polite, if somewhat shocked, laughter, and there it should rest.  Unless, of course, there was a liberal in the room intent on leaking this, or - worse - a reporter. Time will tell.

However the media relations and campaign strategist in me shuddered, and I predicted to the group member sitting next to me this off-the-cuff joke could wind up being the next day's headlines - the press being eager to take down a conservative black man, ignoring his very interesting positions on critical issues for the chance to blow something out of proportion.

Couldn't happen?  Tell that to President Obama, who made his ill-famed "clinging to their guns and their bibles" comment to a private audience of supporters who'd paid big bucks to hear him.  Yet one of those contributors - or a wait-staff member, or someone else - recorded that comment and leaked it, and it still comes back to haunt him.

Couldn't happen?  Tell that to Howard Dean, whose "screech heard round the world" cost him his candidacy, even though - in the context of rallying campaign workers and volunteers after an early but not necessarily fatal defeat in Iowa - the screech, and the whole brief pep-rally, was both reasonable and appropriate.  But in the hands of conservative opponents and late-night talk show hosts, it quickly made Dr. Dean a laughing-stock, and a "former candidate."  His only sin was performing in front of a camera that he knew was there, but ignored in favor of boosting morale.

Candidates must assume the following:

1.  Operatives from opposing candidates (even some in their own party, if a primary is on the horizon) will be in the room, recording and looking for a faux-pau they can blow out of proportion.

2.  The media will be there - if only in the form of a stringer with no media credentials - and they'll be looking for the ideal clip or sound bite for the Six O'Clock news.

To do otherwise is to court disaster.  While now-President Obama could survive his leaked comment, Howard Dean could not.  Frankly, the Deans of the world are more common than the survivors.

Things to look out for:

a.  Criticism of opponents or supporters of issues that could be construed as racist, sexist or offensive in some way - especially by "professional victims" who are always looking for the next Conservative they can take down

b.  Jokes - these can almost always be taken out of context

c.  "Insider" comments that make sense to the party faithful, but not to others, especially those who are eager to misconstrue what you've said

d.  Any words-in-a-row that can be taken out of context

e.  Uncomfortable truths

This latter includes Romney's ill-famed "47%" comment. It is arguably true, but look what the media and the President did to twist that around.

While this is the subject for another blog, don't give in to those "gotcha" folks who keep score by demanding (and getting) apologies.  Those politicians who stand up to such pressure groups - the current governors of Wisconsin, New Jersey and especially Maine are great examples of this - usually ride it out. Those who cave in and apologize where no apology is necessary - think Ross Perot after his perfectly candid NAACP speech - often become marginalized, especially if they have a reputation as an outsider. 

But better to avoid the problem than to have to deal with the leak, the explanation or the apology.

Sample Stump Speech - Making the Sale Fast

One Way of Winning an Election in Three to Five Minutes  
Ned Barnett

In an earlier blog, I suggested that there are four key elements to a successful stump speech.  In this blog, I provided detailed explanations of why these were important, then I provide you with a sample stump speech you can model or adapt for your own purpose.

Every successful stump speech (and in much briefer form, every elevator pitch) should have these four key points:

1.  A statement of "why" - Why YOU want to be an elected official ... 

2.  A statement of "who" - Who YOU are and why being you qualifies you for the job ... 

3.  A statement of "what" - What YOU want to accomplish when you are elected ...

4.  A statement of "why me" - This is your wrap-up, your close ...

A standard short stump speech really doesn't need any more.  

But there's a world of difference between knowing these four guidelines, and crafting an effective standard stump speech.  What I hope to do here (below) is create a sample stump speech, assuming the following six factors are true ...

Of coures, they're not true - believe me, this is purely hypothetical

The hypothetical background points that guided the development of this speech are:

*  I'm the candidate 

*  I'm running for a state senate office

*  This is a contested primary

*  My opponent, a Republican, currently holds the office as incumbent

*  My opponent is an old war-horse, in office for 22 years now 

*  My opponent is widely regarded as something of a RINO, at least among some conservative, libertarian and Tea Party Republicans

PS - as I said above, I am not now running for office - I will never run for office - this is not a Shermanesque Statement!  I mean it!

Disclaimer: The key elements of this mock-speech here can apply to any candidate, for any position (again, see my earlier blog for the reasons why).  This stump speech is not only for Tea Party Republicans, and by setting up this sample, I'm not "officially" encouraging anyone to oppose RINOs or to support Tea Partiers.  

It is just a demonstration.

Warning and Permission: Every candidate's stump speech should be personalized to the speaker and the audience.  Frankly, it would probably not be very smart to think that you (the reader) can just take my speech, plug in your name and go with it - though, of course, you're free to do so, and with my blessing.   If you do decide to borrow-with-permission my speech, please personalize it, following the four keys noted above.

So, here goes - a five-minute mock-stump speech:

Good Afternoon, fellow conservatives, and thank you for joining us today at our Tea Party Meet the Candidate Event.  I am Ned Barnett, tea party activist since 2009, and I'm here today to ask for your support in the upcoming primary.  I am running for the Senate Seat in District 12, and I am running to fulfill a lifelong dream.  My father served in combat in World War II, and his service has inspired my entire career, and my entire life.  

That dream began in college with ROTC service, and with elected leadership at the Methodist Student Center at my university.  This was during the civil rights era, and I am proud to have worked as one small cog in the wheel of freedom for all Americans.  Since then, I've worked for both government agencies - including hospitals and colleges - as well as some of the largest Fortune 500 companies, and some of the smallest and most boot strap start-up companies you can imagine.

I tended to work behind the scenes, letting others take the public credit.  I started that by being an economic development speechwriter in South Carolina for two Governors, including one who later became a Reagan cabinet secretary.  I worked at the state level, handling strategy and media for the Ford for President campaign - and I worked at the top of the team on two other Presidential campaigns, along with a dozen or so congressional, senatorial and state-level campaigns.

I also represented hospitals, back when we still had some freedom in America. I even testified, twice, before Congress - speaking against the kind of healthcare mess our President has given us.  I was able to help stop the Carter plan and Hillarycare, but when it came to Obamacare, the deck was stacked, and no Republican could stop it.

In Nevada, I was both the state party's and the Clark County party's communications director during 2009-2010 - the peak of Tea Party activism in the state - and I had as a client the Tea Party Express.  I've paid my Tea Party dues, and continue to hold its values close to my heart.

My wife, when she lived in Arkansas, was a personal friend and political supporter of Governor Huckabee's - she, like me, is a devoted Constitutional Conservative.  However, I'm not running on my family portrait or how wonderful my kids and grandkids are - they are, but that's beside the point.  We also share a strong faith, but again, I'm not running on my belief in God.

That's about it when it comes to who I am and why I'd like to be your next Senator.  Now I'd like to briefly explain what I plan to do when I represent you in Carson City.  As a truly constitutionally-conservative Republican, I have three goals I will accomplish.

First, I plan to replace our current State Senator.  He's been in office for 22 years - by now, he believes that seat is his by divine right.  In his 22 years, though he still claims to be a Republican, he's made it a point to go along with the Democrats - so much so that he might as well change his affiliation from "R" to "D", from Red to Blue.  

There's a word for for that - RINO - Republican in Name Only.  If you look that up in your Webster's Dictionary, you'll  see his photo next to the definition.

But that's not all I intend to do.  I will propose and push a law by which Nevada can take back from the Federal government all land claimed by the Bureau of Land Management that is not currently being actively used by the government.  I'm not talking about the Nellis Air Force Base bombing range, or the Nevada Test Site. But the Feds hold title to 84.5 percent of Nevada land - more than in any other state, with no justification, no reason, no excuse.

When this law passes, the Federal Government will challenge it. This law will go to the courts.  We cannot expect equity from Congress or the Administration, but we do have a fighting chance for equity coming from the courts.  This is a fight worth making, a fight worth winning.

Finally, I will push legislation to fully fund the State/Federal Matching Grant program for funding Nevada's skilled nursing facilities - what used to be called "nursing homes."  Nevada has the sickest group of seniors in nursing homes of any state in America, but we pay less to support them than we do to house prisoners.  

For our seniors to receive the respect they deserve, we must sufficiently fund their care.  The Federal government - which has a printing press for money - will match whatever we put into the program.  If we truly care about our seniors, we will give them a "living wage" just as we give our state's employees a living wage.  We'll all be older some day - look at this as an investment in each of our futures.

Now let's talk "bottom line."  Why should you vote for me in the primary?  First, I've worked both for and with the Tea Party - I'm not a RINO, I'm one of you.  More important, I've owned businesses, I've met payrolls and I've paid personal and business taxes. I've worked for and with non-profits and government agencies, along with the world's largest hospital company and some truly remarkable small start-ups.  From this experience, I know that the engine of commerce is what makes America run - and I know that freedom and a government policy of "hands off" is what lubricates that engine of commerce.

When I represent you in the next legislative assembly, I will be a strong voice for limited government and APPROPRIATE expenditures - no waste, no boondoggles, no back-room deals.  I will first represent our interests here in the 12th District - I will then represent Nevada's interests, and - whenever the occasion arises, I'll represent America's interests.

Vote for me and you will put that 22-year-old RINO out to pasture, and bring in a young bull, ready to charge into that china shop of Nevada's "business as usual" legislature.

Thank you - and remember, Ned Barnett, Senate, District 12.

That's all it takes to give a stump speech. For some venues, you'll have to shorten it from five minutes to three, and you do that by trimming the hyperbole, not the solid meat on the bone.  In the best of circumstances, you have just a few minutes to explain who you are, why you're right for the job, what you'll do, and why they should vote for you. 

Anything else is superfluous.

Good luck, and if you  need help with your campaign's speechwriting, position papers, website copy or political campaign strategy, contact me at ned@barnettmarcom.com or 702-561-1167.  Thanks!

Introduction to Barnett On Political Campaign Success

Welcome to Barnett on Political Campaign Success

A Blog About How Political Candidates and Political Causes Can Win

I'm Ned Barnett, and I've been active in politics since I was a kid - going on 50 years now - and I've been a professional in politics (speechwriter, strategist, media coordinator) off and on since the early 70s.   It's my hope to use that experience  to offer guidance and support to those who are interested in politics, including:

* political candidates
* those considering becoming political candidates
* those seeking to advocate on behalf of issues impacting society

My experiences have been primarily on the conservative side of the ledger, though by no means only in the Republican Party.  However, if I do this right, my experiences and advice will help any candidate of any stripe, or any cause-advocate, to better get his or her message across, move voters and make things happen.

In this ongoing blog, I intend to supply readers with "insider" information that represents a combination of practical tips and illustrative "war stories" about political campaigns and political issues management.  Since 1968 (when I served as President of the Georgia Federation of Teen Aged Republicans) to today - from there to Nixon and Ford, to Reagan and Bush (with a side-trip to Perot) - I have delivered campaign strategy and media success for state and federal candidates, as well as helped successfully manage divisive political issues.  I've even testified twice before Congress, which sounds more impressive than it actually is, and I've worked for several years with the Drug Czar in the White House, which is actually more impressive than it sounds.

I continue to be active in the political realm, and it is on this experience that I hope to offer advice.  However, to understand that advice, and the activity on which that advice is based, here is a snapshot of my political background and experience.

As you can see, there's been a lot of experience, so it's a big snapshot - however, a quick review of my track record and timeline will help you decide if I actually have any advice worth listening to.

Caveat Lector - let the reader beware!  Or, as my old man (a passionate life-long conservative) told me when teaching me how to play poker, "Trust your old man, son ... but cut the cards!"

Here it is, nut and nutshell.

*  1964 - "Mascot" for the local Young Republicans, did rally and door-to-door work on behalf of Barry Goldwater and independent conservative causes - distributed Phyllis Schlafly produced and anti-LBJ material in on-the-fence Republican district
*  1966 - Fund-Raiser - I held my first fundraiser, for a local Republican Congressman, in my parent's basement - it was a success in financial and vote-generating terms.
*  1968 - Teen-Aged Republicans - I was president of the Georgia Federation of Teen Aged Republicans; in this role I met both John Wayne and Richard M. Nixon (and Pat)
*  1968 - Attended my first National Convention, in Miami
*  1974-5 - Speechwriter for two sitting South Carolina governors, on economic development - one later became Reagan's Secretary of Energy
*  1976 - Presidential - I managed strategy and media for the Ford For President/South Carolina, working with the brilliant 23-year-old Lee Atwater (who was not the person his detractors claimed - you'd never find a more honorable man in politics) - this was a campaign doomed from the start because our opponent was from Georgia, just next door, and was wrongly presumed to be conservative.
*  1977 - Offered a spot on the White House communications team - not because I'd supported Carter (I didn't) but because I'd gone to college with Jody Powell, Ham Jordan and others, who knew of my ability, and knew that ability counted more than political leaning.  I declined, as political leaning mattered to me.
*  1977-80 - Working for a SC county hospital created by the state legislature, I became a registered lobbyist to support our hospital's interest.  Began a 12-year career as part-time lobbyist and 'grass-roots lobbyist' for the healthcare industry, including frequent trips to DC to see how politics "is made"
*  1978 - Speechwriter for SC Lt. Governor in his bid to become Governor - lost to a Carter Surrogate who later went to DC with Clinton
*  1978 - campaign manager for state assembly; worked strategy and media for successful Re-Elect Representative Floyd Spence (R-SC) Campaign
*  1979 - Led a study group to Canada to take an under-the-hood look at Canadian Healthcare; wrote this up, got it published in industry trade journals, and later testified twice (1979 and 1982) before Congress
*  1980-84 - Worked with Tennessee Hospital Association, providing PR/media/strategy support for lobbying and leading successful annual grass-roots lobbying trips to DC, where I'd write position papers then lead group of constituent hospital executives in meetings with each TN Congressman and Senator
*  1980-84 - I created a national award-winning grass-roots anti-regulation PR/issues-management program that was licensed, ultimately, by 19 other states (it worked in 18 - New Jersey was already regulated beyond hope)
*  1980-84 - Worked closely with Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-TN) on a variety of healthcare-related issues - worked with him not as Tennessee's senator, but as Majority Leader with access to the White House
*  1982-3 - Adjunct Professor, Advanced PR (with focus on issues management), Middle Tennessee State University
*  1982-4 - Wrote and published first two of ten books I've ultimately written and had published on hospital PR, each with strong grass-roots lobbying support elements - one published by the American Hospital Association (AHA)
*  1984 - Named first-ever "Fellow" in PR and Marketing (grass-roots lobbying support) by the American Hospital Association
*  1984-8 - Supported efforts of Florida League of Hospitals and Federation of American Hospitals in their grass-roots lobbying efforts in Florida
*  1990-91 - As first VP Marketing & Fund-Raising for City Hospital in Flint MI, "lobbied" for the hospital locally and in Lansing
*  1992 - Nevada State Media/Strategy Director for Perot For President (I'd read Bush's lips) - stayed with the campaign until he bailed, then joined the other campaign in the same role
*  1992-1994 - Served as Director of Communications for Citizens for Health, and eventually pushed through a bill stripping the FDA of predatory regulatory control of natural herbs and supplements - the "Health Freedom Act" - did this by putting 2,000,000 letters (not emails or faxes, those techs didn't exist widely) on desks of Congressmen within a two-week period.
*  1992-95 - Adjunct Professor of Marketing, Business & Marketing Communications, University of Nevada-Las Vegas - included "reverse-engineering" a presidential speech on campus (or, for those who preferred another candidate, one they watched on TV) to discern the underlying campaign strategy - in essence, taught students how to understand political campaigns
*  1996-2000 - Consultant and grass-roots lobbyist for a 34-group coalition of anti-drug-abuse organizations - met several times with Drug Czar and staff on fighting teen drug abuse - also worked individually with several of those groups - National Families in Action, American Foundation for Drug Prevention, National Drug Prevention League - had on my staff for this effort Reagan's Deputy Drug Czar
* 1996-2008 - On-Call grass roots lobbyist for conservative national causes, such as Citizens for a Sound Economy - in this role, lobbied economic issues before Nevada Congressional Delegation
* 1998 - Managed long-shot campaign for US Senate from Nevada - in this, as other campaigns, I go for the causes and candidates I believe in - winning is important, but there are more important things (to me) than just winning
*  2008 - Using social media and public relations, I successfully positioned myself as a national political commentator for varied media, including Fox (Neil Cavuto x5), Imus, 56 other Radio stations (multiple interviews), and 100-plus print/Internet issues - using my experience and marketing skills, I 'reverse-engineered' political positions, speeches and events, and exposed Obama's real plans (such as his real position on abortion-on-demand as birth control, which Fox later took national)
*  2008-2010 - co-founder and publicity/fund-raising coordinator of a Nevada PAC aimed at unseating Harry Reid
*  2009-2010 - Communications Director, Nevada Republican Party (came in with the Tea Party)
*  2009-2010 - Communications Director, Clark County (Las Vegas) Republican Party - also came in with the Tea Party
*  2009 - 2010 - Consultant for Tea Party Express - created their publication and Internet TV network
*  2006-present - Active political blogger, responsible for "breaking" a number of hidden political stories, which were later picked up by the mainstream media

As I said, that's a lot of nutshell, but if you even skimmed it, you'll know if my advise is worth anything to you.  If it is, c'mon along.