Arts & Entertainment, Business, Community & Government
Parting Words
Lesson time 02:55 min
David and Karl offer a call to action, encouraging you to get involved in politics and start making a difference.
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Topics include: Parting Words
Teach Campaign Strategy and Messaging
Renowned presidential campaign strategists David Axelrod and Karl Rove reveal what goes into effective political strategy and messaging.
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It's been great to spend this time with you, to share the lessons of our careers in politics. Some of the nuances and details of campaigning. Most of all, what I hope is you'll get a sense of how exciting, and energizing, and challenging, and stimulating campaigns can be. You may not want to run one. You may not want to be a candidate. But you should be an engaged citizen. We need you. This project of democracy needs you. And so we hope you'll take the lessons that you've learned here and apply them in coming elections and in your communities. - I'd say two things. One is, don't just take what we've said here today, read. There's so many wonderful books out there about great campaigns in American history that are well worth reading. And not just the campaigns of today, but the campaigns of yesterday. That if you read them and you've got an interest in politics, it might further some of that interest and encourage you even more to be involved as a candidate, a volunteer, or a campaign operative, or a party member. And the second thing I'd say is this. We've talked a lot about change in technology and about ways to go about planning and executing campaigns. But in reality, if you look at it, the more advanced we get with technology, the more we're returning back to the place that we were in the 1840s. When a lanky lawyer from Sangamon County, Illinois, wrote a letter to his campaign committee-- he was chairman of the Whig campaign committee that year in his county. He said make a perfect list of the voters. Ascertain with certainty for whom they will vote. Have the undecideds talked to you by someone they hold in confidence. And on election day, make certain that every Whig is brought to the polls. Now, Abraham Lincoln was a great president. He was also a pretty good practical politician. And all of this technology and all this hubbub about campaigns is bringing us back to the point that he made in his letter-- the third point. Have the undecideds talked to by someone they hold in confidence. And for a lot of people, even if you decide never to be a candidate and never manage a campaign, there are a lot of people who will rely upon your word if they're undecided. So please, regardless of whether you're Republican, Democrat, libertarian, vegetarian, whatever-- our great experiment is one generation away from extinction, as Ronald Reagan said, unless the American people continue to remain involved in our democracy, and our campaigns, and our elections. And in the choice of those people that we have to lead our country and our government. Thanks, again, for having us. - That's fucking fantastic. - Like Carl said.
About the Instructor
David Axelrod and Karl Rove reach across the aisle to offer an inside look at winning campaign strategies. The respective architects of Barack Obama’s and George W. Bush’s historic election victories teach how to develop a campaign platform and reach an audience with consistent messaging. Find the inspiration and tools to get involved at any level, or simply become a more informed, engaged citizen.
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David Axelrod and Karl Rove
Renowned presidential campaign strategists David Axelrod and Karl Rove reveal what goes into effective political strategy and messaging.
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