The Scarlet Letter
Campaign Insider
Utah governor poised to sign poll disclosure bill
by Sean J. Miller / Mar 25 2013
A mailer attacking former Utah state Rep. Brad Daw (R) and circulated among the state’s lawmakers last election cycle started a battle between the legislature and Utah’s political consultants. The consultants now appear to have lost—at least round one.
Two bills, HB 44 and HB 43, which require poll sponsorship disclosure and donor disclosure by 501(c)(4)s making at least $750 in political expenditures, are set to be signed by Utah Gov.
Ex-Romney manager lauches oppo research firm
by Sean J. Miller / Mar 22 2013
The word research appears 17 times in the new RNC campaign strategy reform blueprint and consultants have taken note. Matt Rhoades and two former RNC staffers are teaming up to launch a new opposition research firm, according to reports. The details of the new shop are still hazy -- a website isn't up yet -- but its timing coincides with the upper echelons of the party issuing a clarion call for more research, particularly
Democratic mail firm Mack Crounse to close shop
by Geordy Boveroux / Mar 20 2013
Mail consultants Kevin Mack and Jim Crounse are going their separate ways after seven years as partners at Mack Crounse Group, one of the industry’s top Democratic mail shops.
The Virginia-based firm did mail for both of President Obama’s campaigns, and counts dozens of Democratic members of Congress among its clients. Both Mack and Crounse plan on setting up new firms in the wake of their business split.
“I have great respect
RNC: data, media buying operations need overhaul
by Geordy Boveroux / Mar 18 2013
Despite the best efforts of its campaign tech consultants, the Republican Party remains in the proverbial Stone Age. Or at least that’s according to the Republican National Committee, which says the party’s data, media buying and voter contact operations are in need of a complete overhaul in the wake of the 2012 election cycle.
The RNC’s new Growth & Opportunity Project report, which pooled the knowledge of some 200 GOP consultants and managers,
Caddell unleashes on GOP consultants at CPAC
by Geordy Boveroux / Mar 14 2013
Former Democratic pollster Pat Caddell ripped into Republican consultants Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Caddell, who these days is known more for his frequent cable news rants, called the Romney campaign a joke and criticized chief strategist Stuart Stevens.
“2012 was a failure of strategy, it was a failure of tactics, it was a massive failure of messaging,” Caddell said. “Most of all it was a total failure
Pollster to GOP base: Republicans must aggressively reach out to Hispanics
by Geordy Boveroux / Mar 14 2013
Speaking on a panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, Republican pollster Whit Ayres warned his party’s conservative base that it must push candidates and campaigns to “reach out aggressively” to Hispanic voters.
“Don’t you think that a group of incredibly hard working, family oriented, church-going, entrepreneurial, spirited people might be a good place to look for some more allies?” he asked those in attendance. “I think
Omaha mayor cuts 21 versions of same TV ad
by Sean J. Miller / Mar 13 2013
Media consultant Mark Putnam says he can't remember ever cutting 21 versions of the same TV ad, but that's what his firm did recently for Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle.
The Nebraska Democrat, who's running for his second term, released a TV spot yesterday that has a voiceover which changes every 24 hours to reflect the number of days since the shooting massacres at Newtown, Conn., Aurora, Colo. and Westroads Mall
GOP firms partner to offer data services
by Sean J. Miller / Mar 08 2013
Cold Spark Media and Magellan Strategies have partnered to offer a new product they believe will help the GOP close the data-gap with Democrats.
Using data modeling, the firms say they can now tell candidates -- its price point is congressional or Senate campaigns -- the likelihood someone will vote Democratic or Republican when they get into the ballot booth.
"It's kind of like a Nate Silver approach,"
L.A. race heads to runoff in lucrative contest for consultants
by Sean J. Miller / Mar 06 2013
The race to lead America's second largest city was narrowed to Councilmember Eric Garcetti and City Controller Wendy Greuel in a low-turnout affair Tuesday. The two frontrunners finished with about 32 and 30 percent of the vote respectively and now advance to a May 21 runoff.
The Los Angeles mayoral race has been lucrative for consultants— Greuel and Garcetti have spent about $9.5 million between them, according to their city Ethics
Report: Sanford wanted ex-wife to run congressional campaign
by Geordy Boveroux / Mar 04 2013
Mark Sanford, the former South Carolina governor whose political career was derailed by an extra-marital affair in 2009, reportedly asked ex-wife Jenny Sanford to run his comeback campaign.
According to a report in New York Magazine, Sanford asked his ex to run his current campaign for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District after she informed him that she wouldn’t run for the seat herself:
According to Jenny, she had already told
McCutcheon decision unlikely to aid candidates
by Sean J. Miller / Feb 28 2013
The outcome of the pending Supreme Court case McCutcheon v. FEC could help federal party committees raise thousands more in contributions, but it's unlikely the court will lift individual contribution limits for candidates, experts say.
Many consultants are growing increasingly frustrated with the campaign finance environment borne from Citizens United. And with Congress unable to move any legislation related to campaign finance, the Supreme Court appears likely to make the next
Using neuroscience to improve your fundraising
by Erik Nilsson / Feb 27 2013
A number of studies have identified a biological difference between Republican and Democratic brain structures and how they respond to different stimuli. So how can we leverage these findings to improve your fundraising messaging? Let’s start by looking at the science.
Since I’m a Republican working for a Republican data and fundraising technology platform, these takeaways are geared toward my side of the aisle. Democrats will have to figure out their own
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