By Padraic LillisHistory was made November 4th, 2008 and without getting into the politics of it, the aspect Creation in Common finds fascinating is the completion of the most successful Fundraising Campaign ever. President Barack Obama raised almost a billion dollars with an average donation of below $100.00. There are many aspects of the campaign that made this fundraising effort a success. Some of them are the utilization of technology, the opportunity to make history, and the strong desire for change in our political climate. Yes, President-Elect Barack Obama benefited from all of those and more. But what was most successful was the campaign’s discipline and commitment to their message of “Change” with the inclusive use of the word “We.”
The analysis of Senator McCain’s campaign by one of his own advisors was, “Sometimes there is more to learn from a losing effort than a successful one. But it’s pretty clear that we should have solidified our message, stuck to that message, and been in more of a dialogue with our constituents.” The criticism of the McCain campaign has been vast, as it often is with a losing effort. But the main criticism has been the lack of vision and consistent message. Senator McCain began his campaign on the message of experience and national security – then he chose a first term Governor as his running mate. He suspended his campaign to deal with the financial crisis – then kept campaigning before there was a solution to the issue. And in the waning days of the campaign, he introduced the theme (and the person) of “Joe the Plumber” – the one message with staying power. That character continued through Senator McCain’s concession speech.
President Obama’s campaign’s message from the moment of introducing his campaign to his victory speech in Grant Park on Nov. 4th was “Change.” When confronted with past relationships with questionable characters, he responded with “Change.” When his opponents challenged him on experience, his message was “Change.” When the economic crisis began, he consistently sounded the need for “Change.”
Throughout the primaries and even after his victory election night, supporters of President Obama have gone to his website and made contributions. MoveOn.Org continues to hold rallies and parties to encourage people to support the president. People might be supporting history, his speaking ability, or his politics. But the reason they have remained engaged and connected to his campaign for over 22 months is his organization’s commitment to their message. It is through this message that supporters were always aware of what was being promised to them from the candidate.
This is neither to diminish the context of President Obama’s successful campaign, nor the political philosophies that played such a vital role. However, it is important to note the value of a consistent message and acknowledge that the message is where the relationship between organization and community begin. Next time you question your organization’s discipline to remain consistent and on message remember the success of President Obama’s campaign to fundraise – and say to yourself, “Yes We Can.”
