Yesterday a conservative group hosted a forum for House District 54 hopefuls. They only invited Republicans. When the chairman of the Mesa County Democratic Party objected, one local TV station interviewed her and the forum organizer. One side thought all candidates should be invited; the other side thought only candidates facing opposition in a primary race should be invited.
I thought it might be an opportunity for some “earned” publicity, so my campaign issued a press release that even though I wasn’t invited, I would attend. A flurry of E-mails ensued, with supporters advising me on the appropriate demeanor of an uninvited guest. Some worried about my safety, since the group could include Tea Baggers. Some advised me not to go. Others advised me to take someone with me.
In the end, a member of my campaign team, who has also been a debate coach showed up at the event, and sat next to me. Despite filming me less than a week ago, not one local reporter noticed that I had crashed the party. No cameras were pointed in my direction, nobody asked for a comment.
Yet, I feel that I was the winner of that debate. By excluding me from the conversation, but allowing me to sit unchallenged in the audience, I gained an advantage. I now know what conservatives are thinking about in this race, and I know what my opponent’s positions are. They know nothing about me or my positions, but I have a debate coach to help me develop a message to counter theirs.
I thought they should at least be able to recognize me in a crowd, so at the conclusion of the debate, I shook hands with all three candidates, and congratulated them on their performance. And not one camera was rolling.
Homework:
http://gjsentinel.com/news/articles/candidates_slam_gas_drilling_r
http://www.kjct8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11930087
http://www.krextv.com//index.php/site/article/republican_candidates_grilled_at_forum/rex777235/
I thought it might be an opportunity for some “earned” publicity, so my campaign issued a press release that even though I wasn’t invited, I would attend. A flurry of E-mails ensued, with supporters advising me on the appropriate demeanor of an uninvited guest. Some worried about my safety, since the group could include Tea Baggers. Some advised me not to go. Others advised me to take someone with me.
In the end, a member of my campaign team, who has also been a debate coach showed up at the event, and sat next to me. Despite filming me less than a week ago, not one local reporter noticed that I had crashed the party. No cameras were pointed in my direction, nobody asked for a comment.
Yet, I feel that I was the winner of that debate. By excluding me from the conversation, but allowing me to sit unchallenged in the audience, I gained an advantage. I now know what conservatives are thinking about in this race, and I know what my opponent’s positions are. They know nothing about me or my positions, but I have a debate coach to help me develop a message to counter theirs.
I thought they should at least be able to recognize me in a crowd, so at the conclusion of the debate, I shook hands with all three candidates, and congratulated them on their performance. And not one camera was rolling.
Homework:
http://gjsentinel.com/news/articles/candidates_slam_gas_drilling_r
http://www.kjct8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11930087
http://www.krextv.com//index.php/site/article/republican_candidates_grilled_at_forum/rex777235/
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