The Campaign Manager: Running and Winning Local Elections (Third Edition) [Paperback]

Catherine Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 2004

The Campaign Manager is a clear and concise, must-have handbook that is based on the author's three terms as mayor of Ashland, Oregon, and her numerous successes in managing campaigns. Supportive of both candidates and issues, this handbook gives political novices and veterans alike a comprehensive and detailed plan for organizing, funding, and publicizing local political campaigns. Finding the right message and targeting the right voters with it are clearly explained by means of specific examples, anecdotes, and illustrations. Included is in-depth information on assembling campaign teams, precinct analysis, canvassing, and dealing with the media. The Campaign Manager is an encouraging, lucid presentation of how to win elections at the local level. Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition now covers campaign technology methods in every chapter, and includes expanded material on direct mail, effective yet inexpensive television spots, and how to get the most reach for your campaign dollar. Also included are updates on working vote-by-mail elections for better results, organizing your database for campaign workers and donors, and fighting negative campaigns.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I can't imagine anyone heading into the campaign trenches without a copy of The Campaign Manager!" -- Daniel M. Shea, Director, Center for Political Participation at Allegheny College

"Quite simply the best organizational tool for anyone seeking political office or working on an issue-based campaign." -- Mara Liasson, National Political Correspondent, NPR

About the Author

Catherine Shaw served twelve years (three terms) as Mayor of Ashland, Oregon, and is currently the Chief of Staff for Oregon State Representative Dr. Alan Bates. She has nearly two decades of campaign management experience and has taught campaign courses at Yale University, the University of California, and Southern Oregon University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press; Third Edition edition (May 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813342228
• ISBN-13: 978-0813342221
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More appropriate for first-time candidates and novices, February 17, 2002

By 

James Nail (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Campaign Manager : Running and Winning Local Elections (Paperback)

I bought this book hoping to get some ideas and insights on grassroots organizing, but I was dismayed to find that the book is much more elementary than I anticipated. It seems like a good resource for someone running for school board or a small town's council. However, if you're looking for pointers on running/managing a campaign, you may be better served by another book, perhaps Daniel Shea's "Campaign Craft." The book also fails to address the increasingly important technological aspect of modern campaigning, recommending that you keep track of your supporters via index cards. While reliable, this method is not exactly on the cutting edge of the campaign industry.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catherine Shaw's Campaign Manger: A Blueprint for Success, December 9, 2004

By 

K Charles Dodsonni "DC Born" (VA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Campaign Manager: Running and Winning Local Elections (Third Edition) (Paperback)

I recently finished working on a local State Senate race where we used Shaw's book as a manual for each course of action in our campaign. I was very impressed with the book's clear direction and insightful reasoning. We won our race because each step we took made sense and Shaw's book influenced our decision making process in every way. I highly recommend that anyone who thinks about running or participating in a local election reads and uses Shaw's book. We would not have been so successful without it.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable Advice, April 10, 2000

By 

Barbara Ryberg (Ashland OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Campaign Manager : Running and Winning Local Elections (Paperback)

Catherine Shaw is a professional. She knows how to organize to win an election. Her book is an exhaustive but clear compendium of political organizing at the grassroots level. You will find everything you need to know about phone banks, direct mail, voter registration lists, letters-to-the editor--how each works, how effective each is, and how to trade off if you can't do it all.

The campaign I helped run and used her book in was a $5.96 million bond measure to restore and expand our historic Carnegie library. In Oregon all money measures must turn out 50% of the registered voters. Within that 50% in order to win, you must have a majority of the votes. Not an easy task.

Our campaign not only turned out well over 50% but won by more than 2:1. It couldn't have happened without that book. It's the next best thing to having Catherine Shaw at your elbow.