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Printer-Friendly ModeFirst in symposium series investigates running for public office, campaigning
April 10, 2006 —
Deciding to run for public office and candidate interaction with the media were the topics discussed at the Center for Politics and Public Service's symposium, "Organizing and Winning Campaigns for State and Local Office."
The symposium, the first of three to be held in consecutive weeks, was held on Wednesday night in Curtiss Hall room 130.
"Representative democracy only works the way it is supposed to when there is involvement," said the Center's director, James Randall Johnson.
Johnson, also an adjunct faculty member in the political science department, said that while the lack of voter participation in the United States is well known, the lack of participation from the public office side - uncontested and unopposed races, specifically - would be examined through the symposiums.
The guests for Wednesday's symposium were Brian Elder, a commissioner on the Bay County Board of Commissioners, and Stuart Frohm, the wire editor and political reporter for the Midland Daily News.
Frohm was the first to speak, giving advice to potential candidates on handling the media and getting their message out there as well as outlining his approach to political writing.
"I like candidates that are running for public office generally," he said, "and I want to know what they have to say."
Frohm passed out a guide on working with the news media, and Johnson asked him several questions pertaining to the tips. Frohm especially touched on the interview process and the concepts behind news releases and media advisories.
"You have to assume your interview is on the record," Frohm said. He added that if a candidate wishes to go "off the record," then he or she must first make the definition of "off the record" clear. Additionally, he touched on such tactics as "background," or giving a reporter anonymous information from which to work and "deep background," giving a reporter information from which to work that cannot be attributed whatsoever.
In discussing the difference between news releases - commonly referred to as press releases - and media advisories, Frohm stressed that the two serve completely different purposes.
A news release, Frohm said, is "the news the way the campaign sees it," while a media release is sent out to inform the press of candidate appearances. When considering whether a news release is actually newsworthy, Frohm said he considers his readers. He explained that he looks at a release and determines whether his readers will care about the issue or event before reporting on it.
Finally, Frohm discussed what he looks for in candidates' and politicians' speeches. He pointed to Governor Jennifer Granholm as an example, saying that instead of simply reporting what she said at an event, he takes an interest in what she might say differently or leave out of a speech.
Elder, a Democrat who was first elected in 2002, was asked how he got involved in the political arena at a young age. Now 33, Elder was elected when he was a 29-year-old lawyer.
"I kind of backed into running for office," Elder said. He added that because district lines were redrawn in Bay County before the 2002 elections, "I woke up one day and realized I was sitting in an open seat."
Elder added that dealing with the media was not as much of a problem for a 29 year old as one would think.
"I got a lot of good press," he said. "They were inclined to favor someone who wasn't one of the good ol' boys. It wasn't inconceivable that I'd do a decent job."
He was quick to add, however, that the job is much tougher than he imagined four years ago.
"I was young enough to be naive about the job," he said. "But I figured that if I didn't do the job, someone else would, and they may not have the same views on it as I do."
Elder also had advice for potential candidates that are harshly criticized in articles.
"Say nothing and take the beating," said Elder, who was coincidentally in a controversial article on the front page of The Bay City Times on Wednesday. He added that responding to the criticism is an option, but that will bring a response that may not be worth the initial response.
Several members of the community attended the event along with students, and one in particular asked Elder for advice on running for a spot on a school board without spending much money.
The commissioner responded by saying that each election brings different tasks, such as figuring out how big the candidate's district is. He added that expenses for a school board race - signs, mailings, etc. - would be too much for someone wishing to spend under $1,000 and that running for the Bay County Commission would in fact be easier than running for the school board. He cited the fact that his district, entirely within Bay City, is smaller than that of the Bay City School District.
Elder concluded that a campaign "is nothing more than advertising." He pointed to several tactics to gain "voter contacts," including door-to-door visits followed by mailings and phone calls. Getting three voter contacts is a "good campaign," he said; anything less will most likely not result in a win.
This week's symposium will again be held in C130 from 7 to 9 p.m. Any questions should be directed to Johnson at (989) 964-7044.