1. Political Consultants

2. What do you think of, when you think of a political consultant?

3. Types of consultants Strategists Strategic advice, message development, party-specific Campaign manager, polling firm, media firm, direct mail firm Specialists Essential non-strategic services, partisan providers Research, phone banks, fund raising, media buying, speechwriting Vendors Provide non-strategic services, Work for anyone Website development, printing, voter files, campaign software

4. Types of consultants Strategists Strategic advice, message development, partisan providers Campaign manager, polling firm, media firm, direct mail firm Specialists Essential non-strategic services, partisan providers Research, phone banks, fund raising, media buying, speechwriting Vendors Provide non-strategic services, Work for anyone Website development, printing, voter files, campaign software

5. Types of consultants Strategists Campaign coordination, strategic advice, message development Campaign manager, polling firm, media firm, direct mail firm Specialists Essential non-strategic services, partisan providers Research, phone banks, fund raising, media buying, speechwriting Vendors Provide non-strategic services, Work for anyone Website development, printing, voter files, campaign software

6. Key professional campaign posts Polling Fundraising Media buying/advertising Direct mail

7. Have consultants replaced parties?

8. The rise of consultants Parties slow to adapt to changes in campaigns –TV, polling, direct mail –Finance and expertise, not manpower Candidates went elsewhere for services to compete

9. Symbiosis Parties Opposition research Fundraising GOTV Hiring and referring consultants! Consultants Strategic advice Campaign management Survey research TV ads

10. Consultants’ Effects on Elections “Assume a candidate has deeply held opinions about issues such as the environment, taxes, Social Security reform, Homeland security, the war on terror, and abortion. Assume that, through polling, it is learned that the public cares or is interested mainly in homeland security, social security reform, and taxes. The electorate would not be well served if the candidate spent a large amount of time talking about abortion and the environment.”

11. Consultants’ Effects on Elections Professionally run campaigns raise more money and get more votes than amateur campaigns Consultants give voters what they are looking for (is this pandering??)

12. Elements of campaign strategy Deliberate issue priming Micro-targeting New media?