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This article appeared in the June 12, 2002 issue of the Local Victory Newsletter.

The number one myth in local politics is that fundraising isn’t as important as actually going out and meeting the voters.

It’s a fact – candidates hate making fundraising calls.  Their logic seems reasonable on its face.  “I can’t make calls today because I have to go down to Main Street and shake hands with the voters,” or, “I’ll have someone else make the calls for me – I have to do more important things.”  While these statements may seem to ring with truth, the fact is they are wrong.  Fundraising is vitally important to the success of your campaign, and should be treated as such.

As a general rule of thumb, candidates, even in the most local of races, should spend about 50% of their time at the outset of the campaign fundraising – this means actually making the calls, visiting with donors, and asking for contributions, and does not include any time “strategizing.”  (Candidates love to think about fundraising, but hate actually doing it).

Why is fundraising so important?  Because it is the lifeblood of your campaign.  You can’t do anything with out contributions.  Without a war chest, you can’t send out direct mail, rent space for events, print up brochures, or run a get out the vote effort.  Sure, you can go out and meet the voters without spending a dime, but will you be able to hand them a nice palm card?  Will you be able to call them all the day before the election to remind them to go vote?  Will you have signs up to raise your name ID?  No – not unless you fundraise.

Often, candidates think of fundraising as “dirty work.”  The media, and John McCain, have give fundraising a bad name by making money in politics seem “dirty,” or beneath the real work of statesmen.  Money in politics is not dirty, and fundraising is not dirty work.

Think of the good that you can do if you get elected – saving social security, defending freedom and liberty, making the nation a better place for future generations.  In order to do all of this good, you’re going to have to fundraise.  Would you feel dirty raising money for the United Way to help starving children?  No, probably not.  Why, then, would you feel dirty raising money for a candidate who wants to pass a law to do the same thing?