Luke 14:28–30 reads, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won’t you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you. They will say, ‘You started building, but could not finish the job.’” Electioneering campaigns are no different. They need a plan to be successful. Running a political campaign is one of the most challenging and exhausting but rewarding activities possible. No Prizes for Runners-Up will not only guide you and the team through the process of planning the campaign but, more importantly, it will also show you how to successfully implement the plan. No Prizes for Runners-Up is aimed at individuals who are interested in knowing the full cycle of what needs to be done to win an election. The central goal of this book is to address the role of planning in electioneering campaign. No Prizes for Runners-Up details the need for research, goal setting, and crafting a winning message. The book incorporates a greater discussion on communication strategy, budgeting, as well as fund-raising. It covers state-of-the-art tips, strategies, and tactics for winning elections. The book contains how-to guides, step-by-step ideas, and amazing nuggets of information for political campaigns looking for the inside track on how to win. It is best suited for candidates, consultants, and campaign managers to learn the secrets of running a winning campaign. No Prizes for Runners-Up is the campaign book you want in your arsenal and the book you pray your opponent will not have.

"This is the most practical, most detailed handbook ever published on the techniques and approaches you need to run a successful campaign for any local office." "More of a "must-do" book than a how-to book, How to Win a Local Election guides readers through the campaign process detailing what they need to accomplish along the way in order to be victorious."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Over one billion dollars are spent in presidential election years on an expensive art form: political campaigns. Many political observers believe that at least half that amount is wasted. But which half? Edward Schwartzman answers that question based upon experience gained in seventy-five campaigns. Political Campaign Craftsmanship treats both the art and science of campaigning, describing the procedures basic to modern professional campaigning. This practical guide to campaigns covers the entire process and gives specific strategies for every phase.

Political Consultants and Campaigns: One Day to Sell examines the differences between how political science theory suggests campaigns should be run and how political consultants actually run campaigns. In the wake of consultants who effortlessly move from campaigners to policymakers, the dearth of knowledge about the attitudes, beliefs, and strategies of the consultants themselves is still a glaring absence in the analysis of American politics. How can we purport to know what is happening in American political campaigns if we don't know what is on the minds of the men and women who run them? This book provides a clearer understanding of modern-day political campaigns by revealing what is on the minds of the people who run them. With original data from consultants, campaign managers, and professional campaign schools, author Jason Johnson examines consultant behavior on message formation, policy positioning, candidate recruitment, Internet strategy, and negative advertising and compares these practices to existing political science theory. This groundbreaking research makes Political Consultants and Campaigns: One Day to Sell a must-have resource for all students of American politics, campaign managers, or anyone interested in how political campaigns in America are run.