Organizing is, at its core, about people. Yet I often see campaign websites and emails from advocacy organizations that lack any kind of human connection. Thankfully, it’s a problem that can be easily fixed with one simple element: Photos of people.

• Use lots of photos of real people. You don’t want to come across as a ghost town. You want to show that your website and online community is a living, dynamic community full of people just like the ones you’re trying to organize.

• Have photos everywhere. Obviously you don’t want to make your site cluttered or have visual pollution, but if there’s a spot where you could have a photo, take advantage.

• Represent your community. Make sure the photos reflect the sort of users you want to attract. They’ll send a message about who your site is geared towards. If you want to attract young people…have photos of young people!

• Be authentic. Don’t fall into tokenism or forced diversity. Represent your real community. The best way: use photos from real events you’ve put together. Which leads to the last point…

• Take lots of photos at your events. Sure, you can use Creative Commons or stock photo sites, but isn’t it better to have pictures of real people at your own actions?

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Carlos Odio is Managing Director of the Florida Alliance, and previously served as Candidate Project Director at NOI (New Organizing Institute)

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As Media Coverage Of A Female Candidate’s Appearance Go Up, Her Chances Of Winning Go Down 

When President Obama elicited outrage for saying that Attorney General Kamala Harris was “by far the best-looking attorney general in the country,” his defenders jumped to say that people offended by the comment should “lighten up,” or focus on more serious threats to women’s rights.

But just days after that comment, a brand new study shows there’s definitive evidence to back up what the detractors were saying all along: It might seem small, but pointing out the physical attributes of a woman in the political arena can have a big effect.

The study, released Monday by the Name It, Change Itproject, reveals that mentions of a woman’s appearance when she is running for political office — whether those mentions are flattering, unflattering, or neutral — has a negative impact on her electability. That includes “the horserace, her favorability, her likelihood to be seen as possessing positive traits, and how likely voters are to vote for her.”

The survey was conducted by asking 1,500 likely voters to read about two candidates, one male (Dan Jones) and one female (Jane Smith). Some groups received descriptions of the candidates that did not mention physical attributes. Others received one of three types of descriptions for the woman:

Neutral description: Smith dressed in a brown blouse, black skirt, and modest pumps with a short heel…

Positive description: In person, Smith is fit and atractive and looks even younger than her age. At the press conference, smartly
turned out in a ruffled jacket, pencil skirt, and fashionable high heels….

Negative description: Smith unfortunately sported a heavy layer of foundation and powder that had settled into her forehead lines, creating an unflattering look for an otherwise pretty woman, along with her famous fake, tacky nails.

When respondents hear the negative description of the female candidate’s appearance, she gets only 42 percent of the voters. When they hear the “flattering” description, she gets 43 percent (and there are fewer undecided votes overall, so her opponent gets an even bigger lead). With no physical description, Jane Smith gets 50 percent of the votes.

The same is true for all of her personal attributes; no matter the description, it affects her negatively:

But the real point of the survey — and the most salient fact that came from it — is that pushing back on the comodification of a female candidate’s beauty can be just as impactful as the criticism itself. Some respondents heard a defense from Jane Smith, saying, “My appearance is not news and does not deserve to be covered. Rarely do they cover men in this fashion and by doing so they depict women as less serious and having less to offer voters.” Others heard a similar defense from Name It, Change It. In both cases, when they heard that, their votes flipped back. Indeed, Jane Smith gained her first lead of the entire campaign.

It might seem lighthearted, or fair game, to comment on Hillary Clinton’s headbands, or Sheila Jackson Lee’s colorful suits. But those comments are not without repercussion. Overt, unequal, and pointed criticisms of women’s appearances are hurting them politically. And it might help explain that horrible ambition gap that’s keeping our elected government so heavily male.

Originally posted at ThinkProgress

Annie-Rose Strasser is Deputy Managing Editor for ThinkProgress. Before joining American Progress, she worked for the community organizing non-profit Center for Community Change as a new media specialist. Previously, Annie-Rose served as a press assistant for Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Annie-Rose holds a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from the George Washington University.

Think Progress is a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. The Center for American Progress Action Fund is a nonpartisan organization.  

Hi Nancy! I’m about to start a city commission race, and I’m the campaign manager for a friend of mine. I’ve done some political work, but mostly non-partisan elections and ballot initiatives. What are some of the first steps we should be taking as a team? I’ve figured out our win number, and we’re starting to come up with a list of local folks that we need on our side. Where should we be starting here?

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Congratulations, my darlings! So many of you have been writing in to let me know that they’ve gotten the new jobs that they so richly deserve! (If this doesn’t describe you, take heart, we are in the same boat. Is there anything more annoying than writing cover letters?) I’ve also gotten a number of emails like the one above wondering where to start. Obviously the answer varies widely depending on the scope, the job and the candidate. However, you can’t go wrong by asking yourself and your candidate the following questions…

1)Why are you running? This may sound like a no-brainer or worse yet a poorly regurgitated West Wing episode, but it’s important. Ask your candidate. Write it down. It will help you shape the message of your campaign but just as importantly it’s there for you to come back to when one or both of you start losing focus.

2)Are you willing to do the work? Again, a no-brainer. Your candidate will of course answer “yes” to this question (and if not you should hightail it on the first turnip truck outta there) but that’s not really the point. Before taking on any campaign you need to make sure your candidate understands what will be expected from her: the fundraising, the door-knocking, the lack of sleep, the invasion of privacy…you know, everything you’re going to have to go through right along with her. You all know I’m not a big fan of jumping ship on a candidate, but the one time I really feel it’s warranted is when that candidate is not living up to her commitment. You give up your life to work for her on the understanding that she’s doing the same. It’s very important to have a conversation where you both agree on some ground rules so that you can refer back to that agreement later on. She will undoubtedly break this agreement at some point but all the better reason to have it in place. Make sure your candidate agrees to consistent and quality calltime, to backing up your decisions with her family and kitchen cabinet, to eat and sleep enough to keep herself healthy and to consult with you on all budgeting decisions.

3) Whom do I need to talk to? Talk to you candidate and find out whose ring you (and she) need to kiss in the community. Who will be offended if you don’t consult with them? Who will be a talker and who can you count on to actually get things done? Establish a kitchen a cabinet of activists, friends and advisers who will be on your side and keep you tuned-in to local issues and (lower case p) politics. If possible, set up a weekly conference call with your kitchen cabinet and consultants to keep everyone feeling valued and on the same page.

4) What do I need to know about? When starting a new campaign you need to sit down with your candidate and ask the uncomfortable questions. Every late tax filing, every affair, every unpaid parking ticket in your candidate’s family history is bound to come out. In most cases the answers won’t be deal breakers, but you need to what to be ready for. You need to be able to trust you candidate and she you, so that you can run an effective campaign and know exactly what you’re dealing with, Jerry McGuire style.

5) Tell me everyone you’ve ever met. Seriously. First day, sit down and get your candidate’s life story. Not just for the reason above, but for everyone’s favorite purpose…fundraising! Make a list of everyone she’s ever dated, her Christmas card list, the sisterhood at her synagogue, her high school graduating class, her nursery school class, her professional organizations, her sorority, her extended family, her husband’s extended family, then throw them on a call sheet with appropriate ask amounts ASAP!

6) What’s my win number? This involves some research on your own as well as consulting your candidate and kitchen cabinet. Get as much information as you can from catalist, the VAN, the state party and board of elections. How many people voted in this race in the past? With which former candidates do you have the most in common? How is this year similar to/different from past years? Who is your natural base and who will be in your persuasion universe. Once you come up with a number you can figure out how much voter contact your candidates and volunteers will need to do in order to make that happen.

7)What’s my budget? How much has your candidate raised? What has she committed to before you signed on? Do you receive matching funds and do you have a spending limit? While you never stop raising money, it’s important to have a goal. In fact, you should create two budgets: a Cadillac plan that includes everything you feel you need to confidently take the race and a bare-bones budget which includes just what you need to keep the ship afloat (office, salaries, etc). Ideally you’ll be closer to the former than the latter, but you’ll wind up somewhere between the two.

Good Luck! Keep us updated!

Campaign Love and Mine,

Nancy

Nancy Leeds is a Democratic Campaign Operative and Masters in Public Administration Candidate at Columbia University. After the Iowa primary in 2008, Nancy recruited 100 shifts in 3 days for John Edwards. She is the author of Campaignsick (campaignsick.blogspot.com) a blog about voting rights, electoral politics and best practices in Campaign Management.

campaignsick.blogspot.com    campaignsick@gmail.com