Today as people are congratulating the winning candidates, I
want to take a moment to appreciate the people behind the scenes who make it
happen.
This may or may not have something to do with the fact that
I am the mom of a campaign manager, 3 times over.
Until this happened, I had very little idea of what goes
into a campaign. Let me tell you, it’s a lot of blood, sweat, tears, anxiety,
strategizing, communicating, organizing, mistakes and triumphs -- over a
multitude of hours.
Because of the work of the managers and their team members,
you get to know the candidate and what he or she believes. They are the ones
who create opportunities for the candidate to communicate the vision and
principles he or she espouses.
The campaign team works to determine which voters know the
candidate, and which don’t, and where to target their communication. They deal
with budgets and must decide how best to spend the money to communicate the
message. They evaluate feedback and refine the message. They coordinate phone
banks and door-belling and write the copy for the ads. They become experts on
the issues that are most important to the voters, and help prepare the
candidate to have an answer for every question that might come up.
They attend a plethora of forums, debates, fund-raisers,
parades and wave signs on the street. For many months, the campaign is the
priority activity of their lives. They make many sacrifices, not so they can be
known, but so their candidate is.
Today, the winning candidates are receiving congratulations –
and rightly so. But I just want to say another congratulations to all those behind
the scenes, whether they work for winners or losers, for their dedication, hard
work and commitment to the election process. You have lived out your conviction
to promote what our country needs to be the best it can be – and I laud you for
that.
I hope today that you are feeling satisfied. Undoubtedly,
you are weary…I hope that you get to put your feet up for just a moment before
the governing begins!
