{news} How Challengers Can Beat Incumbents

[ralph ferrucci]

This is from a magazine called winning campaigns. I have been focusing 
my campaign on the outsider but think this is a great opportunity for 
all candidates to do the same and help move the party forward.
Ralp

Many Advantages for Challengers in Campaigns Against Incumbents
Sunday, June 04, 2006
By Holly Robichaud
 
Most political experts strongly believe that 2006 is not the year of the 
incumbent and that voters are going to demand change.
 
However, we will still see an overwhelming majority of incumbents being 
re-elected.  No matter how many so-called campaign finance reform laws 
are passed, elected officials still have the power of incumbency to 
raise money for their campaigns.
 
This does not mean challengers lack an edge over incumbents in some 
areas and even in finances.  The key for challengers is to maximize 
their advantages especially this year when we will see a higher 
percentage of incumbents being defeated.
 
Whether you are a Republican or Democrat,  this year appears to be 
turning into an anti-incumbent year, so challengers should run a 
distinctive outsider campaign that emphasizes their independence from 
the status quo.  Campaign messages should include the buzz word – 
change - rather than leadership.  Moreover, challengers should not use 
pictures or images with the Capitol in the background -- this only 
relates a message of incumbency.
 
Probably the biggest advantage for challengers is their lack of record.  
They have a clean slate and have only to take positions on issues that 
can help their candidacy.  For the most part they have no record for the 
incumbent to contrast or attack.   Incumbents, on the other hand,  have 
accumulated a political track record to analyze and to criticize.  For 
example, any incumbent who has voted for a gas tax or to give drivers 
licenses to illegal immigrants will be extremely vulnerable this year.
 
Incumbents are at a disadvantage when it comes to the cost of running a 
campaign.  Their campaigns are usually far more expensive.  Everyone 
assumes that they are flush with cash to pay for every type of service.  
Their campaign staff wants all the perks including blackberries and 
quality office space. 
 
Incumbents are expected to donate to every cause and to pay whether it 
is having their own booth at a fair, sponsoring the local school year 
book ad or buying all the various trinkets offered by non-profits for 
various causes..  All of these giving efforts can really drain from the 
bottom-line and rarely translates into votes.  Re-election campaigns can 
cost any where from 10 to 35% more due to all the expectations.
 
Good challengers watch every penny and put their money into strictly 
voter contact programs which generate support.  Most volunteers 
understand that they will be outspent, so they will put up with cramped 
office, sharing a fair booth with the party’s local organization, having 
to pay for their own t-shirts, and the like. They don’t spend money on 
frivolities..
 
With incumbency comes responsibility.  Most elected officials feel a 
sense of ownership on the policies implemented. This is  especially true 
when they are in the majority party.  This sense of ownership causes 
them to speak in technical terms on policies and issues.  Voters do not 
relate well to this. 
 
On the other hand, challengers speak in plain, understandable and common 
sense terms which is a huge advantage when giving sound bites to the 
media or debating the incumbent.
 
For those challengers who want to sound more knowledgeable -- avoid 
talking about HR.123, the alphabet soup government agencies or any other 
legislative jargon.  Normal people don’t speak like that outside of 
politics.  They don’t know what the FEC is – and, for the most part, 
don’t care.
 
Debating is always to the advantage of the challenger.  An incumbent 
never wants to be on the same stage as their opponent, because it gives 
them instant credibility.  However, voters and the media do expect 
candidates to debate, so challengers should call for a series of debates 
early in the campaign. However, the challenger must be aware of the 
differences between debating and giving a campaign speech.
 
Incumbent campaigns are often overrun with bureaucracy.  There often is 
no clear-cut decision- making process and every staff member believes 
that they are a political expert.  This can make incumbents slow to 
react and very inflexible.  Challengers do not have a large bureaucracy 
and can strike quickly on an issue.  For example, when providing a press 
release or a draft fundraising letter for an incumbent, I can wait weeks 
or even months for an approval.  Most of my challenger candidates 
respond within 24 hours.
 
In this day and age of cell phones, the internet, blackberries, and 
blogging, speed is ever so important.
 
Probably the most important advantage of challenger campaigns that 
delivers victories is that not only the candidate, but the campaign team 
is hungry for a victory.  They are the campaigns overflowing with energy 
and enthusiasm.  Challengers are willing to expend shoe leather by door 
knocking and that can make all the difference in the world.  Once 
elected, many officials will not door knock for their re-election 
effort, preferring to reaxch the voters with slick mail pieces and other 
non-contact efforts.
 
Despite incumbents having all the re-election perks of incumbency such 
as media attention, money, name recognition, and the power of the 
office, challengers do have some advantages that can help to level the 
playing field.  If you are a challenger embrace your advantages.
 
Holly Robichaud has 17 years experience in managing campaigns at the 
local, state, and federal levels.  As a fund-raiser Holly has set 
records for statewide and local campaigns, and Political Action 
Committees.  Her grassroots fundraising and direct mail campaigns have 
received national recognition.
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