Some Suggestions To The Cesnik Campaign

I just got an email from Eric to "grab some beer" later on to talk more about "Dean as Goldwater." I spent a major part of today mulling over his campaign. And now I get to write it up.

Hillary once said her class at Yale Law School was full of people who were going to change the world, but "Bill" was the only one who actually went ahead and ran for public office.

I think Eric has potential. The mere fact that he is running for public office is a big step. I laud him for that. Over time I will get more of a hang over city politics, if only for entrepreneurial reasons - municipality provided citywide wireless broadband is a vision to which the City Hall will be key - and I might as well prepare some ground now.

Education came across as a major personal passion for Eric in my talk last night. And that is something with ramifications much larger than his particular district. Local is global. To run for City Council in a city that is the capital of the world is anything but local.

Eric, I am so impressed with some of the things you have said about the subway. How many New Yorkers actually go to City Hall? How many even go to parks on a regular basis? I like your suggestion that the subway is the most shared public space in the city, and has to be treated as such. A transformation could really strengthen the "we" feeling around here.

And some of your thoughts on public transportation and the city roads as more than "a thoroughfare for traffic" could have wider applications.

But enough rambling. Let me get to the point.

This is the bluest of the blue cities, but this election does not have to feel like it is a choice between Coke and Pepsi. Although it is a choice between Democrats, the differences are quite obvious. As a DFNYC-endorsed candidate Eric is the only one really trying to involve people in a real way. It is an involvement more intimate than that of machine politics. That is a key distinction.

Some Suggestions To The Cesnik Campaign

A typical New Yorker is mostly working. How do you reach them? I think there is face time, and there is screen time, and there is in between. The campaign is doing a great job with all three.

I would like to focus on the screen time part a little. The Cesnik campaign website is a great one. If it can end up in enough inboxes in ways that it will get looked at, that might be an effective way to get a lot of the non-political types to come out for him.

How about visiting all the bloggers in the district listed here, and going to their comments sections and imploring them to come out for Eric? The excited ones will email their personal circles, and that might get a viral campaign started.

Google spread word of mouth. They did not do ads. Not that there is anything wrong with ads.

This is in addition to actually meeting people in person, which has to be centerpiece.

Another suggestion would be to have a more engaging blog. Every event you do, take plenty of digital photos, even video clips. That way those who can not, did not make it to an event can also feel like they were there, almost. An example that could count for a shameless plug: Alliance Gathering At Queens Bridge Park.

An engaging blog also provides space for people to speak out more.

I hope to get involved myself. I think it would be great fun to drop by the office whenever. It would be great to meet and greet people by the roadside.