Spring 2014 Political Campaigning Newsletter UF MA/PC Program Director’s Corner As I wrap up my 35th year at UF, and 29th as (to support more students who otherwise cannot director of the Political Campaigning Program, I afford to pay for graduate school). For as long as I find myself reflecting on how much we have remain at UF, I will continue trying to raise the achieved during that time — and especially on money needed for us to meet these goals. the success of our graduates, so many of whom Dr. Stephen Craig, have embarked on notable careers both in and In addition, we seek support for three projects outside the political arena. that would greatly enhance the reputation and visibility of the Political Campaigning Program: (1) In this issue... With my own career winding down, however, I a research center (to conduct studies and issue can’t help wondering about what the future reports on topics relevant to contemporary politics Lobbying, Demystified might hold. Although the Program remains fairly in Florida and nationwide); (2) a program on eth- Where Are They Now — small in terms of the number of students en- ics in politics and government (for UF students, Class of 2013 rolled, it has earned a national reputation for but also as outreach to elected officials and politi- blending academic and professional training in cal professionals throughout the state); and (3) an Interview with Susan on-line campaigning certificate program (the tar- MacManus a way that is unmatched by any other university in the country. get audience being those who are unable to Political Campaigning spend two years in Gainesville pursuing a full- Conference 2013 The question now is: How do we build upon this blown master’s degree). 2014 Midterm Preview reputation, and grow the program, in years to come under new leadership? At some point, it It obviously will take considerable resources for Campaigning Alumni is imperative that we establish new endowed the Campaigning Program to reach its full poten- Profile professorships (to ensure continuity of instruc- tial. I hope that UF grads, along with anyone else who believes in the importance of a strong and Learning about Politi- tion), lectureships (to bring practitioners to vibrant democratic process, will join with me in cal Polling campus on a regular basis), and scholarships trying to make that potential a reality. Lobbying, Demystified — Kenton Ngo (MA/PC 2014) Both first- and second-year campaigners were enrolled during Fall semester 2013 in the lat- est version of the Lobbying seminar, taught once again by three noted practitioners in the field. This course provided insight into an oft-maligned industry, and allowed students to see lobbying from the perspective of those who practice it every day. Doyle Bartlett is a former Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill who now operates his own lobbying firm in Washington, DC, fo- cusing on the insurance industry. Dave Mica, who began his political career as a campaign aide to Lawton Chiles in the 1970s, is the Executive Director of the Florida Petroleum Council. Campaigners listen to Our third instructor (and one non-lobbyist), Ian Rayder, serves as Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Florida senator Bill Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz. Montford on Lobby Day in Tallahassee. Special First up was Doyle Bartlett, who taught students about federal lobbying in Washington. We thanks to Dave Mica for were divided into teams and told to devise a comprehensive lobbying strategy for reauthoriza- organizing the trip. tion of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, a potentially contentious bill that was then under consideration by Congress. Both teams chose a core message and theme, identified key tar- Continued on Page 2 Political Campaigning Newsletter Where Are They Now? — Class of 2013 The Political Campaigning Program is proud of Jeff Ivey –Representative Steve Crisafulli its strong alumni support network. In seeking Jeff is a travel aide and political assistant to new opportunities for internships and careers State House Speaker-designate Crisafulli. for current students, we often look to our past graduates for guidance. With help from some Brittany Link –Equality Florida of those graduates, members of the Class of Brittany is a new media associate for Equality 2013 have embarked on careers across the Florida, a group that promotes LGBT rights. political spectrum and even beyond. As with all of our alumni, we look forward to seeing what Julia Rowe – Habitat for Humanity the future holds for this outstanding group of Julia is the Director for Volunteer Engagement former Gators. at Habitat for Humanity in West Palm Beach, U.S. Rep Debbie Wasser- Florida. man Shultz and John John Barnes –Optimus Consulting Barnes (MA/PC 2013) do John works for digital and data analytics firm Zach Smith –11th Circuit Court of Appeals the Gator Chomp at the Optimus Consulting (Washington DC), which Zach is a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Republican National Con- counts as clients political candidates across Emmett R. Cox of the United States Court of vention in Tampa, FL, the country. Appeals for the 11th Circuit. August 2012. Christina Barker –Tampa Bay Partnership Samantha Sexton –PACE Center for Girls Christina is the Public Policy Coordinator at Samantha is currently working in Tallahassee Tampa Bay Partnership, which promotes eco- as the Associate Director of Government Af- nomic development in the region. fairs for the PACE Center for Girls. Lobbying, Demystified continued from page 1 gets to lobby for votes, and recommended (in a mock campaigns, this section of the course included practical advice pitch to potential clients) changes that would increase on planning and implementing a fundraising plan. the bill’s chances of being passed. The Campaigning Program stresses the importance of introduc- Next was Dave Mica, who brought us to the State Capi- ing students to practitioners in the various fields of politics and tol in Tallahassee as part of a lesson on state lobbying. government. Lobbying is a core component in the applied sec- Situated in the Governor’s conference room, we heard tion of the graduate degree. We are lucky to be able to compare from several guest speakers with extensive experience and contrast what we learn in academic courses with what we dealing with state legislatures on issues ranging from learn from those who operate on the front lines of politics. gun control to education. With the seal of Florida hang- ing over their heads, the speakers shared stories of leg- islative sausage making in the laboratories of democra- cy. We were also treated to a tour of the historic Capitol, home of the original chambers of the Florida Legislature and Supreme Court, as well as (among other bits of po- litical history) a vintage 2000 punch-card ballot ma- chine from Palm Beach County. Finally, Ian Rayder (a PC alum) introduced us to the ba- sics of political fundraising — from donor research, tar- geting, and management to making call time more effi- cient and writing quality fundraising appeals. Drawing Lobby Day in Tallahassee, Fall 2013 on his experience as a finance consultant on multiple Page 2 Spring 2014 An Interview with Dr. Susan MacManus, University of South Florida Dr. MacManus is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Government and International Affairs at USF. She has written extensively on state politics, serves as a political analyst for WFLA News Channel 8, and is a featured columnist for sayfiereview.com . What’s the state of the Florida governor’s race, as of today? It’s going to be extremely competitive and expensive. Many analysts predict it will be the top race of the 2014 cycle. What will decide the election? Dr. Susan MacManus It’s an old cliché, but the bottom line is that turnout matters. Democratic base turnout drops a lot in midterm elections, primarily young and minority voters. What will be the core themes of the Crist and Scott campaigns? Scott’s campaign will be about economic recovery: “I promised and I did it.” For Crist, it will be bipartisanship and a more inclusive governing approach. Can the Democrats recreate presidential-level turnout? It’s not impossible, but it will be challenging. You can already see that certain issues have the potential to increase minority and youth turnout, particularly felon voting rights, voter suppression, scholarship funding formulas, and the medical marijuana amendment. Educa- tion, the environment, and voting rights are all critical for turning out less likely voters in a midterm year. Are Democrats united behind Crist, or does he have to worry about an enthusiasm gap? It’s too soon to tell. Very few polls have been taken that you can have a lot of faith in. The numbers are all over the map. I don’t think Democrats will gel until after the primary. Some Democrats, particularly older women, are strongly supporting Nan Rich. Will the proposed medical marijuana constitutional amendment affect the race? The UF Political The expectation is that it will boost youth turnout. What happens in the legislature, with the Campaigning Conference “Charlotte’s Web” bill, whether it makes cannabis available for families with cancer-stricken Spring 2013 young children, is an important variable. continued on page 5 UF Political Campaigning Conference 2013 Every two years, the Political Campaigning Program hosts a conference to reflect upon the most recent election, and look ahead to the next. As in the past, the 2013 confer- ence was held at the Gainesville Hilton on February 1st. Current UF campaigners, pro- spective campaigners, doctoral students, and alumni all joined together at the Hilton to welcome a number of guest speakers. These included an interesting mix of aca- demics, political operatives and consultants, journalists, and elected officials — all of whom shared their perspectives on the elections of 2012 and 2014.