1. How can the U.S. progressive political movement create real social change?
We subscribe to a model of successful social change that has three fronts-community organizing, electoral politics, and progressive public policy. All three components are necessary for lasting political change to happen. The process of campaigning, of running for elected office, is but one side of that triangle, but it is crucial. After we run and win, we have to organize communities behind an agenda and work to pass policies that improve people's lives.
2. What is the most important thing a candidate needs to know before running for office?
You have to know, and be able to articulate, why you want to do this job. The fact that it is the next rung on your career ladder is not enough. Voters need to see that your motivation as a candidate is pure; that you really want to represent them, and voters want to see themselves reflected in their candidate's experiences, ideas, and values.
3. How is this book different from Politics the Wellstone Way?
Our previous book, Politics the Wellstone Way, is a general handbook on the skills of progressive political action for anyone working to elect progressive candidates or win on issues. This book is a comprehensive and up-to-date guide, laser-focused on the skills and tools that campaign workers and candidates need to win elections.
4. What is Wellstone Action?
Wellstone Action is a national center for training and leader development for people and organizations involved in politics and public life. We teach candidates, campaign workers, volunteers, community leaders, and activists across the country on the basics of grassroots political action, drawing from Paul Wellstone's successful approach. We do this work because there is a need for large-scale, broad training that infuses the progressive movement with organizers equipped with the skills to recruit and elect a new wave of progressive candidates so that we can ultimately win on the issues we care about.
5. What is the "Wellstone way" of campaigning to win your election?
Winning your election the "Wellstone way" is all about authentic, real candidates capturing the energy of an excited base of support, and then turning that energy on to engaging voters in direct, repeated conversations about your candidate and asking them for their vote, their money, and their time. We've seen proven over and over again that the most effective methods of persuading voters are also the most personal, and we emphasize tactics like face-to-face door-knocking, volunteer phone-banking, and direct mail targeted based on what issues the voters care about.
Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way is by Jeff Blodgett and Bill Lofy, with Erik Peterson, Sujata Tejwani, and Ben Goldfarb.