[Lnc-business] Various Comments

Norm Olsen region1rep at doneDad.com
Wed Feb 17 15:34:04 EST 2016


Hello All . . .

 

Comments on the hot topics of the last weeks in one e-mail.

 

Ballot Access (OK, SD, others?)

 

Our overriding primary objective, judging from the allocation of
discretionary funds, is obtaining ballot access with an ultimate goal of
50+.  This being the case, we should be very good, if not the absolute best,
at managing ballot access petitioning drives.  To me, this means that our
staff should be the tops in managing petitioning drives.  A Libertarian with
the knowledge and experience of Andy Jacobs should be on staff, or at least
a retainer of some sort.  If that means we give up other things, like
hawking tee shirts and coffee cups, so be it.

 

The problem is that we rely on a volunteer to achieve this objective.  The
problem is not with THE volunteer, but that we rely on A volunteer.  Keep in
mind that volunteer implies an individual who is unpaid, has a day job, a
significant other, a family, perhaps a house, perhaps a church, and all the
other personal demands/obligations we all have.  Expecting an unpaid
volunteer to do the job of professionally managing projects in the $250,000
per annum ball park is asinine.  Especially true when several petitioning
drives are active simultaneously.  The lesson to be learned from all this is
that having a paid ballot petitioning expert on staff (or under a retainer
of some sort) would have actually been more efficient economically than
relying an unpaid volunteer.

 

Web Site

 

We now live in a Google world.  Whenever a question arises, the immediate
response for most is to "Google It".  The first impression (see below) is
generated by the web site.  Our many years of hard work have earned us the
number two slot on the Google result list when "libertarian" is the search
word.  A click through gets you to the web site and five seconds later, the
surfer has established their first impression.  Currently, the first
impression is more than likely to be that of a dry goods store hawking Tee
shirts marked down from $39 to $20.

 

We all appreciate that fund raising is our top goal as without funds we
can't do anything.  However, surfers who Google "Libertarian" do not do so
with the intent of spending money or making a donation.  Our "first
impression" must consist of the thought: "Hey! This is might be what I was
looking for."  The web site must then draw the surfer in and, hopefully,
immediately connect them to an equally attractive and effective affiliate
web site.  (Affiliate web sites being yet another challenge which we must
address if either the national or the affiliate is grow in numbers and
influence; but that is another issue.)

 

Presidential Candidates

 

All parties with any kind of ballot access have a large number of
presidential candidates, most of which are not serious candidates.  Since we
try to be like the major political parties, we should not consider this
aspect of doing so a burden.  What we can do is:

1>     List all candidates who have announced and meet the basic
qualifications on our web site.

2>     For those that submit a decent photograph (the Executive Director can
decide what is, or is not, decent), we'll post the photograph.

3>     For those who have a website, we include a link to the web site
providing that the APRC deems the web site to be largely consistent with our
platform.

4>     Candidates with decent pictures and acceptable web sites get listed
first with appropriate emphasis.

5>     Candidates without pictures and/or acceptable web sites get listed
last with diminished emphasis.

As far as publicity is concerned, candidates must do their own heavy
lifting.   The marketplace will separate the wheat from the chaff.

 

Dress Codes

 

It's still true: "You don't get a second chance to make a first impression".
This is especially true in politics since for a politician, most everyone
you get to meet is a one-time shot; you are not likely to ever see that
individual again.  Also, your appearance is also a matter of respect.
Showing up at an event inappropriately attired is an act of disrespect to
the folks who taken the time to attend your event, or who have invited you
to their event.  If you want to earn respect, you must first give respect.
A three piece suit is not always appropriate; a tee shirt, shorts, and
sandals is almost always inappropriate.

 

Norm 

--

Norman T Olsen

Regional Representative, Region 1

Libertarian National Committee

7931 South Broadway, PMB 102

Littleton, CO  80122-2710

303-263-4995

 

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