Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Early Bird gets the Worm?
Just Wednesday of this week, Annie McLane Kuster, the spitfire Democratic Congressional candidate for the NH House District 2 announced to her more dedicated followers of her intentions of running again for the position in 2012. Now, this might not surprise most people, we've become more accustomed to hearing about early candidacies here in New Hampshire. To me, her announcement is incredibly bold. When I received an e-mail from her blast with this announcement, I read the entire thing with excitement, and I also followed her Twitter account which now posts updates about what she plans on doing with her time before she really starts campaigning. However, this early announcement caught ears of local news sources such as WMUR and The Union Leader. In a place like NH, it could make or break her. Sometimes if candidates get too early of a start, they are more prone to exhaustive criticism and intense scrutiny. It also allows for more time for the candidate to slip up, say something they might regret, or do something that the media might take the wrong way. Sometimes, getting an early start for a candidate could be postitive. For Annie, I'm sure she is using this tactic to raise a ton of money, and also get a really large, dedicated, and excited base. If you look at the comments under each news article from the links above, most are not in support of her campaign. Actually, most are filled with direct criticisms to her as well as the democratic party as a whole. With everything going on in Washington and even here in Concord, bi-partisanship I don't think has ever been in a worse condition. It seems like with every or any policy that comes through, especially with the state and national budget feuds, it is nearly impossible for anyone to find common ground. So, Annie...bold move, you are very brave to put yourself out there so early in a climate like this. I think her announcement drew a lot of her voters from the 2010 election right back in immediately. If she does follow through with the work that she promises to do in the next year or so right here in NH, there will be an even larger group behind her as she campaigns her way through the state. Those people will only want to give more to her if she is successful in her work. She only lost by 4,000 votes to Charlie Bass the first time around. I'm not going to be surprised if she goes out and finds those 4,000 or more.
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3 comments:
Emelia, excellent post! I agree with you that Annie Kuster’s early campaign launch is brave and smart. In fundraising, they teach you to stay in front of your donors’ eyes – don’t fall off their radar. I believe Annie is capitalizing on this strategy. Not only will she pick-up previous supporters (many of whom were senior women voters, self-identifying as Independent or Republican), but I think she’ll also woo those who are a bit shocked by how far the conservative right is pushing things at the moment. Annie also makes a good point on her announcement page (which you linked us to) – that public service is about the long haul for those who are really committed to their communities. The fact that Annie’s family is from here, really gives her credibility in terms of not just using public office to advance – she has a stake in what happens here, well into the future. Personally, what I like about Annie is her willingness to take a stand on a subject as controversial as abortion (though I noticed the Planned Parenthood reference was oddly edited). It will be interesting to see if those conservatives who find choice abhorrent will overlook this one issue area in exchange for a candidate who might improve conditions for everyone across the board. I think Annie is one of those policy entrepreneurs Dr. Fistek talks about in our Public Policy class – someone who can talk about uncomfortable subjects and be strong in promoting her agenda, but also negotiate and be open to bipartisan compromise.
I agree with you Kuster's early start of campaigning will help to gain donations early on in the race, and this may lead to later sucuess.
Prior to reading this post I never had thought twice about the consequences that a candidate might risk if they announce their campaign so early. It makes sense that too early of a time might put that individual in the line of extensive criticism and scrutiny, as well as allowing time for mishaps. I think that Annie Kuster has proven to be quite brave by taking such actions so early.
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