The Electrifying Campaign
It's time to throw out the rule books and campaign like insurgents!
What do Zohran Mamdani, AOC and Bernie Sanders have in common other than being democratic socialists? They use non-traditional campaign methods to engage and excite voters. They can do this because they are not confined by the technocratic restrictions that stifle Democratic campaigns.
Dearest Readers,
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According to today’s New York Times:
“Zohran Mamdani, a little-known state lawmaker whose progressive platform and campaign trail charisma electrified younger voters, stunned former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City on Tuesday night, building a lead so commanding that Mr. Cuomo conceded.”
How to Electrify Voters and Stun Opponents
I was very excited to hear the results of Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory in New York City this morning. I had an inkling that this might happen.
People called this election a referendum on the Democratic Party, given that so many old guard Democrats lined up behind Andrew Cuomo, an old-guard but seriously defective candidate. Plus, tons of money was spent by outside groups on Cuomo’s behalf.
Zohran Mamdani was a different sort of character altogether: young, progressive, Muslim, democratic socialist.
To me, though, this was a referendum on how we campaign. After years of study of how persuasion works, I have long since come to the conclusion that the key to a successful campaign is to get people excited about you and your candidacy and motivate them to spread the word about you to their friends and neighbors.
When was the last time a Democratic candidate “electrified” anybody?
The reason these democratic socialist candidates are able to excite voters is not (necessarily) because they are democratic socialists. It’s because, not actually being Democrats, they are not “required” to run overly technocratic, conventional-wisdom-bound political campaigns that actual Democrats seem to be “required” to run.
That, and they are not afraid to stand up for workers and speak out against the escalating exploitation of workers that is driving discontent across our country.
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Be Yourself
It is pretty clear that Zohran Mamdani threw out the rulebook and ran the campaign he wanted to run. You too can set aside the poll-tested language, speak from your heart and say what you actually believe.
The policies being espoused by AOC, Bernie and Mamdani might speak to a lot of people in this country, but I don't think that their success in campaigns is necessarily dependent on their being democratic socialists. I believe that the broad appeal is due to the economic populist part of their policy positions, with the social justice part playing a supporting role.
Mamdani spoke to what New Yorkers fear the most: having to move out of New York. Rising rents can cost you your community and your identity. It matters to understand the issues that are visceral to your community.
Even if you are a ‘moderate,’ you can be a moderate with guts and authenticity. You just have to speak from the perspective of your values. Do not take positions or even distance yourself from positions based on where you perceive voters to be. Say what you really believe and why.
Be Strong
Mamdani said what he believed. He stood on principle. He took a few unpopular positions. Most importantly, he didn't back down when people yelled at him for having those unpopular positions. He showed people that he is capable of moral conviction and strength.
People want to know that, behind closed doors, you will fight for them, even in the face of enormous pressure. They won’t believe that you are capable of that unless you show them that you will stand up and fight for them in the face of pressure in public.
If you want people to see that you are capable of strength and moral conviction, you have to show them that you can take a hit and stand your ground.
Be Positive
Being relentlessly positive and having a vision for the future is what inspires people.
The New York City mayor’s race has public financing that provides matching funds and limits campaigns to 8 million dollars. Cuomo's campaign had outside spending over 30 million, most of which was spent on attack ads against Mamdani. Needless to say those attack ads did not work.
Contrary to popular belief, decades of scientific evidence show that attack ads not only do not work, they backfire. In a massive study, researchers showed that even if you can afford to outspend your opponent 2 to 1, spending that money on attack ads does you more harm than good, both in terms of vote share and turnout.
Tell voters what you are for, what kind of future that you would build if you could. They know you can’t wave a magic wand and make everything happen. They would rather fight beside you and fail than have you not even put up a fight.
Be Present
Candidates need to be out there campaigning, not spending all their time on the phone raising money. Evidence shows that being asked for their vote by the candidate themselves is the single most effective way to win someone’s vote.
When voters complain about candidates and Democrats in particular, you often hear that “they only come around when they want something.” The most important thing you can do is to show up. Be present. Get out there in your community on the street and talk to people.
Everybody is always talking about social media, but social media works best when it is amplifying the things that work, like being authentic, being positive and showing up. Mamdani’s campaign went viral on social media and earned media coverage by getting out in the street and talking to people.
Because he raised the maximum donations well in advance of the election day, he was then freed up to spend all of his time reaching out to voters and actually campaigning.
Be Creative
If you want your campaign to excite people, you have to be creative. I don't know when we squeezed all the creativity, and quite frankly the fun, out of political campaigns. Do not underestimate the role of creativity and aesthetics in exciting making a campaign exciting.
In the photo above, the banner behind Mamdani looks like it was painted by those sign painters who make the sale signs for bodegas and grocery stores, and I absolutely love it. The colors are bold and non-traditional and the style is great.
Visibility matters. Design matters. Art matters.
Be Different
What wins and loses campaigns is not all that tested stuff that everybody knows about. What wins or loses campaigns is that which is different. Elections really hinge on what makes this candidate different from other candidates. What makes this community different from other communities. What makes this time different from other times.
For years and years, people have been afraid to take risks. They only fund or support or try that which somebody somewhere says they can “prove” works, even if their proof is that it works in a very tiny way.
If we're going to figure out how to run electrifying campaigns we have to get comfortable with the idea of chaos. If there was ever a year to take chances this is it. We cannot afford more of the same. Our country and our future depends on it
Conclusion
Virtually everyone is sick to death of this uninspiring, money grubbing, poll tested, inauthentic, technocratic way of campaigning that seems to be required now for all Democratic candidates. We really do need to find a better way to do this. So when I make recommendations, I'm talking about putting together a campaign that will catch on fire.
You don't have to be a democratic socialist to campaign like a democratic socialist. All you have to do is be yourself. Talk about what you care about. Embrace your community. Get off the phone and out of the fundraiser and get out there and be with people. Show up. Speak your mind. Be authentic. And if somebody attacks you stand there and take the hit. Take risks. Unleash the creativity of your own supporters. Give them a reason to be excited about you and then empower them to campaign on your behalf in every way that you or they can think of.
If you want to inspire other people, you have to be inspired yourself. Go for it.
Thank you so much for reading this. I hope it is of use to you in your work and activism!
In solidarity, always,
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P.S.
Ironically, current New York Mayor, Eric Adams, had this to say about competing with Mamdani in the general election this Fall:
Mr. Adams said on Tuesday night that he was ready to fight Mr. Mamdani in November, arguing that Mr. Mamdani ‘has no record.’
Trump aside, there’s something to be said for NOT having a criminal record.
All you said was correct but when Harris -Walz tried to do those things, they were told to turn it down. I was electrified by Harris but there was so much nay saying that the message didn’t get through. Best wishes to Mr Mamdani and his campaign! I hope he can accomplish what he wants to do.
This analysis nails it.
I've voted in every election, and I mean EVERY election local and national, since 1976.
I think the Dems, certainly at the national level, are stuck in 1976.
They've failed to grasp the changes in their base and clearly do not know how to respond to tactics of MAGA.
Even labor leaders are abandoning the party because it's afraid to stand up for labor. If the party doesn't stand up for labor, what DO they stand for?
It's the likes of AOC and David Hogg who will lead the party into the future, if there is going to be one.
The part needs to contest every election at all level ALL of the time, evben in rural red states and areas.
See the work of Jess Piper who is trying to free Missouri from a 22-year long MAGA fascist strangle hold.