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Social and New Media Listening and Engagement as a Form of Political Advocacy

9/17/2014

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by Jason Langsner, Director, New Media and Communications
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As a new media professional I spend a good part of my day listening to the conversation online about politics and about BIPAC.   I can't read everything written about the candidates that the BIPAC Action Fund has endorsed or those running against them, but I do read every single tweet, Facebook post, media hit, and website reference that includes "BIPAC" and/or the "Business-Industry Political Action Committee" in it.  I choose some to engage with.  I choose some to share to our broader audience.  Others I choose to do nothing with besides read or skim.

Offline, I received a card in the mail today from a friend and partner of BIPAC's - the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF).  The consumption of content in this medium is a bit different than how I review content online, but in the end content-is-content, period.  I was expecting the card to be a thank you for our recent work collaborating with them on a number of new media initiatives to recognize and improve how Congress conducts constituent communications in the 21st century.  By working with partners such as CMF, BIPAC can help our members in a number of ways; but this card was not a thank you card.  It was something entirely different.  I opened up the card and it read:
We in America do not have government by the majority.  We have government by the majority who participate." - Thomas Jefferson
"We in America do not have government by the majority.  We have government by the majority who participate." - Thomas Jefferson
On September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was ratified by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention.
This was my first Constitution Day Card.
I use this, not as a large public commercial for CMF or about how I spend my day-to-day, but as a means to pivot to BIPAC and the business-industry's efforts to increase employer and employee participation in the government process.  A process that begins with the identification of candidates' who share our values of free enterprise and a process that continues after the polls have closed with a conversation between those who we send to represent us in the U.S. House and Senate and our employees.  This conversation exists both offline and online.
At a functional level, CMF's card worked.  They had a message.  They choose a tool and channel to deliver that message.  And that message was received by its target audience (me) when I opened up the envelope and read the card.  It was brand exposure for CMF and brand association for CMF with Constitution Day.
Across social media, I have to be a bit more active in how I listen to the conversation about BIPAC's brand than opening up an envelope.  For one, I have to go to the content rather than have the content come to me.  And I know that the first rule of social media is that you can't control it, but the second is that you do your best to manage it.  Without knowing what is out there about BIPAC, I can't manage it.

I have tools that scour the Internet and all social media networks that can find such references to our brand name in real-time.  And I choose to engage in some of those references to foster and promote the conversation about the work that BIPAC is doing on behalf of our community of members and partners.  If a tweet or FB post that you've shared about BIPAC has been RTed, replied, or liked - that was more than likely from me.
In today's interconnected and fast paced world of Web 2.0, we have more tools at our disposal to get our message across.  This complicates the listening component for brand managers, campaign directors, and GR professionals; but it also provides us with far more intelligence than what was available to use in the days of Web 1.0 and before.

It is no longer just about what candidate makes the best TV ad or who has the most to spend.  It isn't about whose direct mail list is better and/or if the photos and message on it resonated more with the audience.
Today those tried and true methods of political advocacy are still in high-demand and still play an important role in the relationship between candidates and the voting population, but they're not the only arrows in the quivers of political strategists and campaign communication directors.  New and social media, SMS, and big data driven email campaigns lead to an ever-increasing personalized and localized approach to political and election advocacy.  These tools are offering direct access to the voter and far greater access to reporting and intelligence.   
The same way that I listen to "BIPAC," any smart digital campaign director is listening to the brand of his/her candidate.  Any smart digital campaign director should be able to report to the candidate what the online sentiment is of their brand, such as - are more people speaking positively or negatively about it (or are comments neutral).  Any smart digital campaign director should also know how influential his/her brand is online as compared to that of their competition.
A few years ago some of these channels and listening tools existed.  Some did not.  Some were being misused by campaigns, such as just using Twitter and Facebook as a secondary channel to distribute press releases, but not as a tool to listen and engage in conversation.  
Well ran campaigns are listening as much as talking to potential voters today.  They are engaging with potential voters.  Employers and employee voters should be a part of that conversation and should consider actively engaging online regarding the election or at the least listening to what the candidates are saying across social and new media.
I am a strong believer in multi-channel communication.  Every single day over 100 billion emails are sent and received around the world.  On average that comes down to about 125 emails being read and/or sent per online individual.  We can all empathize with this as Radicati data shows that about 28% of a business person's day is spent answering or reading emails.  So it is easy for a single email to fall through the cracks, get caught in a junk folder, or bounce because of a typo in the name.  Or some are simply ignored because many of us have more work in a given day than hours available to complete our given tasks.  But I'd suspect each and every one of us starts their morning or their work day by skimming their emails in their inboxes and prioritizing to open those coming from their boss or their CEO.  We've been conditioned to do such.  Same is true for a text message.  You may open an unread text from your kids or from your spouse before you open one from your dog walker.  Same would be true from a text from your supervisor.  Those emails and texts from individuals we unconsciously consider to be marked with a red exclamation point of importance are read and they're not falling through the cracks.  
It is about the messenger today, more so than the message.  And it is also about the channel(s) of communication and your content strategy to communicate that message.

In a soon-to-be-released white paper that is being co-written by BIPAC and CMF, based on survey data from Hill staffers, we are able to show that 64% of Congressional office social media managers and communications professionals recognize Facebook as being a "somewhat or very important tool for understanding constituents' views and opinions" while "another 42% said the same for Twitter."  I don't know or have the data of how this same paradigm relates on the campaign trail, but as many of these staffers come from volunteering or working for a candidate's campaign - we could assume that they're just as equally important.
Every single day 4.75 billion pieces of content are shared on Facebook.  
Every single day 500 million tweets are shared on Twitter.
How are you and your business engaging in political advocacy in the 21st century?  Are you engaged in the conversation?  Are your competitors?  Are you listening to the real-time business and political intelligence being shared online?  Are you a part of those 4.75 billion Facebook updates, pictures, comments, etc and/or 500 million tweets shared?
I do not have an Ice Bucket Challenge idea for you, but I do have a political advocacy challenge for you...
Start to listen to the Members of Congress, the U.S. Senators, the state reps, and candidates for office from where you do business.  Follow their campaign and official accounts.  A follow doesn't equal an endorsement, but a follow allows you to learn from what is being said and make you more informed.
Have a conversation with your boss or the social media department of your company to better understand your business or association's new media rules.  It doesn't cost you a thing to listen and you can always create a pseudonym account for you to do so.  If you are allowed, try to engage with these individuals and campaigns online as either individuals or GR representatives of your business.
When candidates and Hill offices start to see comments from names they recognize through the work you do with them offline and/or directly coming from the brand and messenger of your company or association, you get additional brand exposure.  And if you're creative, your message may get through some of the traps to get to the candidate.  The to-be-released BIPAC/CMF white paper will have some tips for how you can do this and how your added political advocacy efforts can make a difference.
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Primary Recap & BIPAC Action Fund Endorsements 

9/10/2014

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by Briana Huxley, Political Affairs

Senate:

NH: Former MA Senator Scott Brown won the Republican nomination with 50% of the vote.  He is challenging Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) in November.

House:
 
MA-06: Rep. John Tierney was defeated by Iraq War veteran and political newcomer Seth Moulton in Tuesday's primary. Moulton received 51% of the vote, Tierney, 40%.  Scandal plagued Tierney, who faced his most competitive primary yet, barely won his 2012 re-election, winning by one point when President Obama carried the district by 11.  Moulton now faces 2012 Republican nominee and BIPAC Action Fund endorsed former state Sen. Richard Tisei (R), one of the two openly gay Republicans running in 2014, who is known for his bipartisanship and working across the aisle.   

NH-01: Former Mayor of Manchester and Rep. Frank Guinta won the Republican primary with 49% of the vote, with former UNH Business School Dean Dan Innis receiving 41%.  Guinta previously won the seat in 2010 and was defeated in 2012 by Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D).  They will face off again in November, in what is expected to be another competitive year for the district.
 
NH-02: State Rep. Marilinda Garcia won the Republican nomination with 50% of the vote.  Garcia, who gained the support of the more conservative wing of the party, defeated former state Senator Gary Lambert. Republicans are excited about Marilinda, a 31 year old Hispanic woman, who has gained support across the Republican spectrum.  While she has Tea Party support, she is also appealing to the business community.  Rep. Ann Kuster (D) has the advantage in this race, but it is not one to count out.

BIPAC Action Fund Endorsements

Primary season is in the rearview and we are now only 55 days away from the general election.  This next round of candidate endorsements, one Senate race and six House races, focus on key races that we expect to be competitive in November where one candidate is the preferred choice of the business community. If your PAC and senior leadership has not taken a side in these races, we would strongly encourage you to do so.
 
U.S. Senate

Mike McFadden (R- Minnesota): 
Businessman Mike McFadden is running to unseat Sen. Al Franken (D).  Franken who has developed a workmanlike approach to service in the Senate, has not been particularly friendly to business, scoring only 20% on BIPAC's 112th Voting Record.  First elected in 2008 by only a few hundred votes, Franken has often even voted against home state employer interests but has proven to be a prolific fundraiser and is running an aggressive campaign.  Mike McFadden's background is largely financial services and he is currently on a leave of absence from his role of co-CEO at Lazard Middle Market and has the support of the local Minnesota business community.  A Tim Pawlenty style campaigner, McFadden has also been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  Average polling has Franken leading by about 8 points but Obama is surprisingly unpopular in the state and Franken has continued to remain below 50% in his reelection numbers, a dangerous place for an incumbent with less than two months to go.  www.mikemcfadden.com
 
U.S. House

Chris Gibson (R- NY 19):  Congressman Gibson faces a general election challenge from investor Sean Eldridge (D). Gibson scored a 91% on BIPAC's 112th Congress scorecard and has been a reliable vote for the business community.  A pragmatic Congressman and combat veteran, Gibson focuses primarily on fiscal and national security issues. This is a crossover district won by Obama in 2012.  Eldridge, whose husband was a co-founder of Facebook, has generally self-funded his campaign and while he talks about working across the aisle, advocates issues that are among the most partisan and divisive and consistently opposed to business priorities. www.chrisgibsonforcongress.com
 
Dan Logue (R-CA 3): Assemblyman Dan Logue is running against Congressman John Garamendi (D) in the 3rd district.  Logue was previously a county supervisor and business owner and one of the most intriguing candidates of the cycle.  He has a perfect rating from NFIB and the California Chamber of Commerce, and is an active advocate for solutions oriented government.  Garamendi, conversely, scored 4% on BIPAC's in the 112th Congress voting record and has demonstrated little interest in creating consensus solutions.  Logue is a reformer at heart and has a history of very strong constituent advocacy and building bipartisan coalitions to battle corruption, incompetence and waste.  President Obama won the 3rd district in 2008 and 2012, but in a midterm election this district has been known to be competitive. www.danlogue.com
 
Tom MacArthur (R- NJ 3): Businessman Tom MacArthur is running in the open seat to succeed retirement Rep. Jon Runyan (R).  He faces Democratic nominee, Aimee Belgard (D) in the general election.   This is another crossover district won by President Obama in 2012. MacArthur comes from a career in the insurance industry where he built and grew a small brokerage into a large multi-disciplinary company.   He has been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, NFIB, and the almost the entire local business community.  www.tmac4congress.com
 
Dan Newhouse (R - WA 4): This is a top two primary state and two Republicans, Dan Newhouse and Clint Didier, advanced in the WA 4 open seat to replace retiring Rep. Doc Hastings (R).  Newhouse is a farmer, former state representative, former state agriculture commissioner and has a demonstrated history of working with the business community in a bipartisan manner.  Clint Didier is a former NFL lineman for the Washington Redskins and is endorsed by FreedomWorks and Ron Paul.  When the retiring Doc Hastings announced his endorsement of Newhouse, Didier responded by saying he didn't want DC insider support and preferred "liberty loving patriots" to support his campaign.  Much of the business community is rallying around Newhouse, especially due to his agriculture background.  www.dannewhouse.com
 
Elise Stefanik (R - NY 21):  Elise Stefanik is running to succeed Rep. Bill Owens (D).  She faces Democratic candidate, Brooklyn-based grocer and filmmaker Aaron Woolf (D) who moved to the district for the campaign.   29 years old, Stefanik has an extensive small business and policy background, previously serving in the Bush administration and at the Foreign Policy Initiative.  Stefanik is wrapping up the support of the local business community, including the New York State Builders Association and the New York State Automobile Dealers Association.  She is also a member of the NRCC's Young Gun program.  www.Eliseforcongress.com
 
David Young (R - IA 3):  After a somewhat surprising convention win, Young faces Democrat Staci Appel in the race to replace retiring Congressman Tom Latham (R).  Young was formerly the Chief of Staff to Senator Chuck Grassley (R) and is expected to operate in a similar manner. Young was one of the more business-oriented, mainstream candidates running in the GOP primary and his nomination certainly made this race more competitive.  This district was carried narrowly by Obama in 2012.  Young is gaining the support of the local business community, including the Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Farm Bureau.  www.youngforiowa.com
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September 03rd, 2014

9/3/2014

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by Mary Beth Hart, Director, Grassroots Services

There are two forces in play which should ignite voter attention and participation in this year's mid-term election:

First, our nation currently finds itself overwhelmingly unsatisfied with its government. According to Gallup's most recent Congressional Job Approval Rating, 83 percent of those polled disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job while only 13 percent approve and 4 percent have no opinion. Down Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House approval ratings also show the public's displeasure. President Obama's most recent weekly job approval rating is 53 percent disapprove, 41 percent approve, and 7 percent of respondents have no opinion.

The second force of 2014 is that this year is a mid-term, non-presidential election. History has shown that voter turnout drops during mid-term elections. You'd have to go back to the 1820s to identify an election where mid-term Congressional voter turnout out-numbered Presidential election turnout.

The combination of these two factors makes it increasingly important for the electorate to become educated on candidate platforms and to participate in the election on November 4th-a mere 61 days away.

In 49 states, voter registration is the required first step the voting public must take in order to participate in the election. Voters must register to vote if they are unregistered or, update their contact information if it is inaccurate or has changed. A 2012 study commissioned by the Pew Center on the States found that an estimated 51 million U.S. citizens are unregistered; which is more than 24 percent of the eligible population. In other words, just two years ago, nearly 1 in 4 eligible citizens were not registered to vote. The report goes on to explain, "approximately 24 million-one of every eight-voter registrations in the United States are no longer valid or are significantly inaccurate". Although concerning, what is even more alarming is the fact that registering to vote is easy and still, the eligible population, remains unregistered and/or does not participate in the election by casting a ballot.

Each state determines voter registration eligibility and the mechanism used to register. Many states have adopted new regulations to ease the voter registration process. Paper registration by mail or in-person, online registration, and registration at the Department of Motor Vehicles are some of the most prevalent voter registration options. Many have noticed the lack of voter registration. Communities around the United States have begun to mobilize voter registration efforts through various drives and initiatives. Employee Voter Registration Week is one such endeavor. Focused on increasing voter registration among private-sector employees, eligible voters can find state-specific information on registering to vote in the upcoming election. By centralizing voter registration logistics and information, voters will be able to complete simple steps to register to vote, learn about voting early, and find their polling place.

Increasing voter registration is only the beginning. During this mid-term election, voters will elect 435 members of Congress, 36 Senators, 36 Governors and countless state and local officials. One could hope that, if more voters showed up and were knowledgeable on each candidate's platform, approval ratings to increase. In 2010, the last mid-term general election, only 41 percent of the voting-eligible population voted in the election for their state's highest office (Governor, U.S. Senator, U.S. House of Representative). An increase in voter registrations in 2014 and subsequent increases in voter participation will ensure that more of the electorate has a say in which elected officials make it to the winner's circle on November 4th.
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