Roger Ailes on Political Media
A 1988 C&E interview with the one-time master of political media.
Campaign Insider
You’ve been tagged
by Aaron Puebla / Feb 21 2012
Tired of having supporters click through a photo gallery unimpeded by campaign messaging? ThingLink, an interactive image provider, has a tool that gets around that.
The company, which has been around since 2008, announced Tuesday it’s now possible to include its interactive images on a Facebook page.
A picture says a thousand words and ThingLink’s features allow you to have up to 1,500 per image. Here’s how it works: You
President Obama's two-sentence litmus test
by Jennie Blackton / Feb 21 2012
It’s interesting that pundits talk about how President Obama is above the fray, as it were, and like to portray him as the professor he once was. That could be a dangerous comparison on a long-term basis. Not many adults want to be lectured at—let alone made to feel as though we’re not smart enough to understand what he’s talking about.
It’s not that Obama pontificates, it’s simply that he can’t help who
Why newspaper advertising still matters
by Tom Edmonds / Feb 20 2012
Just as soon as you're sure about a new trend, a survey comes out and says, "Not so fast. That's not exactly true."
For instance, take a look at the "givens" in this year's political landscape. Young voters are increasingly turning to the Internet for campaign news, right? Wrong. But at least Twittter and Facebook play big roles when it comes to getting campaign information, right? Wrong. And nobody but senior citizens gets
Data firm announces Defense Department contract
by Sean J. Miller / Feb 18 2012
Voting absentee is never easy, but for military personnel on long-term overseas deployments it can be particularly difficult -- especially after redistricting. But for those military men and women wondering which congressional district they now fall into, there's help. The Defense Department has contracted Aristotle International, a political data firm, to help assist service members vote absentee.
The Pentagon's Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) has an automated platform for those unsure about their
Preventing the next crash
by Amelia Chassé / Feb 17 2012
There’s nothing more annoying than hecklers or protestors disrupting a campaign event except, maybe, when those hecklers are high-profile surrogates for your opponent. It was a strategy Mitt Romney recently deployed in Florida, dispatching big-name backers – including Reps. Connie Mack (Fla.), Mary Bono Mack (Ca.) and Jason Chaffetz (Utah) – to attend rival Newt Gingrich’s campaign events.
Even Sen. John McCain and former Sen. George LeMieux (Fla.) considered the
Kaine campaign using Rootsquare fundraising app
by Alex Stambaugh / Feb 15 2012
Former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine’s Senate campaign has started using Rootsquare—a fundraising app that runs through Facebook—to engage online supporters and donors.
The app lets friends measure their campaign and fundraising efforts against those of other users. They can then use the app to boast their support for the candidate on their Facebook news feed and encourage Facebook friends to engage with the campaign.
For now, the Kaine campaign is using
Study: Number of mobile devices will soon exceed earth’s population
by Aaron Puebla / Feb 15 2012
Here’s a datapoint that underscores the importance of getting comfortable with integrating mobile into your campaign plans: The number of mobile-connected devices will easily top the number of people on the planet by the end of 2016. That’s according to a new study from Cisco Systems.
The study estimates that by the end of 2016, the planet will contain some 10 billion mobile devices. The world’s population that year is projected
Time for QR codes on campaign signs?
by Ben Donahower / Feb 15 2012
The most common mistake campaigns make when designing a yard sign is adding too much stuff. Your average voter doesn’t spend more than a few seconds looking over a direct mail piece, so imagine how little time that same voter spends on reading a campaign sign.
We typically don’t expect folks to get much out of a yard sign except for some increased name identification for the candidate, which brings us to the
Photos from the 2012 Reed Awards
by Megan Simpson / Feb 13 2012
Photos from The 2012 Reeds Awards Seminar & Dinner - February 3, 2012
Romney takes CPAC straw poll
by Shane D'Aprile / Feb 11 2012
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney edged rival Rick Santorum to notch a win in the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday.
Romney took the straw poll with 38 percent of the vote to Santorum’s 31 percent. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was third with 15 percent, followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 12 percent.
It’s a notable victory for the Romney camp and one that comes after
Can the GOP win over young voters frustrated with Washington?
by Katie LaPotin / Feb 11 2012
Young voters took to the streets to vent their frustration with Washington heading into 2012, but there is little chance the GOP can capitalize on their mood. That’s because the Republican presidential candidate best positioned to capture the youth vote is one of the least likely to win the nomination.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul has consistently won the youth vote in the early nominating contests. In Nevada, for instance, one survey
Did Romney win over conservative skeptics at CPAC?
by Alex Stambaugh & Aaron Puebla / Feb 10 2012
Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney focused on shoring up his right flank when he took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, hitting social conservative themes he rarely mentions on the campaign trail.
With plenty of skeptical conservatives in the CPAC crowd, Romney described his record as governor of Massachusetts as “severely conservative,” highlighting his opposition to same-sex marriage during his one term.
Romney also labeled his GOP rivals
