Political Trivia
Here’s another “rather difficult” (but fun) presidential trivia quiz from James Taranto at OpinionJournal.com.
Washington Watch
House GOP Watching Cannon/Jacob Race
House Republicans are monitoring how Rep. Chris Cannon fares against John Jacob in Utah's 3rd District race as they weigh whether or not to move forward on immigration reform legislation this year (Houston Chronicle and CNN).
Blog Watch
Rep. Steve Urquhart has a follow-up post on Medicaid and tort reform... MangledCat says of the 3rd District race between Rep. Chris Cannon and John Jacob: "In my opinion, Cannon needs to go for no other reason than that he thinks we're stupid. He is an amnesty guy, pure and simple. When you look at his report card, it's obvious, but you wouldn't know it from his campign commercials, which is why he needs to go. He wants to go to Washington and do what he wants and then come back to Utah and attempt to preach to the (deeply) Republican choir as if we wouldn't check" (see also here)... Rural Blogging says "the State of Utah has focused its resources almost exclusively on promoting its tourism product without working to develop the quality of the businesses and infrastructure that supports the overall tourism experience"... At New West, Jonathan Weber says: "Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean has taken some heat for his '50-state strategy,' which some Dems see as diverting resources away from competitive races to places where blue pols have no chance. And yes, Utah would be right at the top of the list of Democratic lost causes. But Dean isn't backing down, as evidenced by [yesterday's] email to the party faithful with the subject line 'Utah? Yes, Utah.' The missive includes a letter from Utah state party chair Wayne Holland, Jr., who, not surprisingly, is more than a little excited about the 50-state strategy"... Also at New West, Tracy Medley discusses Mitt Romney's Mormonism... SLCSpin explains why the special legislative session requested yesterday by the 2015 Transportation Alliance "will not happen"... At Out of Context, Rebecca Walsh notes: "According to Wikipedia, the authority on all things, Utah's gay community enjoys unusual success. And Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. gets some of the credit"... Jen's Green Journal says: "Even with all its good points, Salt Lake City could be a lot more walkable and livable. I like to think of myself as an amateur urban planner, and as I walk around the city I imagine what wonderful things I could do to make the city better if I had the backing and know-how" (see also here)... LocalCommentary says of BYU's decision to fire philosophy instructor Jeffrey Nielsen: "Why should any employer continue to employ someone who publicly and fundamentally opposes the employer's mission? [Friday's] Tribune editorial conveniently misrepresents [Nielsen's gay marriage op-ed] as simply 'criticizing a political stand taken by his church.' If that were all he had done, he'd probably still be making lesson plans for next semester in Provo, instead of entertaining job offers from other area institutions of higher learning, where 'fired from BYU' is a positive qualification, rather like 'banned in Boston' used to be."
-- Compiled by Golden Webb
Campaign Tip
10 Steps to a Successful Fundraising Event
By Joe Garecht
(From LocalVictory.com, an on-line guide to winning local elections.)
Fundraising events are key components of every political campaign. Like the campaign itself, though, the success of these events depends on careful planning. To help you ensure that your political fundraising event is a winner, here are the first five of 10 major components that you must incorporate into your event plan. To read the entire article, click here.
1. Purpose. Before doing anything else, you must decide what the purpose of your event is. Is this truly a fundraising event? Or does it have other goals? Perhaps your campaign may be hoping to raise money at the event, but the main function of the event is to gain publicity, or reach out to a new coalition. Many political events have more than one goal. Figuring out the details for your event will depend on knowing what goals you are trying to achieve.
2. Fundraising Goal. In conjunction with the candidate, campaign manager, or other key members of the campaign, you must decide what amount of money you plan to raise at the event. If this is truly a fundraising event, then everything in the event plan will be geared to raising this specific amount of money. The amount you choose should be what you hope to net, that is, the amount you plan to raise after expenses are deducted.
3. Budget. Every fundraising event plan should contain a complete budget listing all of the expenses that will be required to hold the event. Your budget should include staff, invitations, space rental, catering, entertainment, transportation, security, utilities, and anything else that will be required to make the event a success. Your budget should take into account your fundraising goal, ensuring that you raise that amount above and beyond all expenses. Be sure to leave a little extra room in your budget for unforeseen costs.
4. Leadership. As part of your fundraising efforts, your event will most likely have a “host committee” and one or more “host committee chairmen.” These people are responsible for contributing substantial amounts to the event and encouraging others to do the same. The host committee is generally composed of wealthy donors, business leaders, or local political celebrities. The host committee and chairmen are not responsible for actually running the event, but are integral to ensuring that you reach your fundraising goals. Your campaign should designate an event director and event staff / volunteers to organize the event.
5. Target Audience. Who is the target audience for your event? Is this a general fundraiser where everyone will be invited? Or is this event geared towards a specific group like business people, parents, or pro-lifers? In short, you must decide whom you will invite to your event. |
