Savvy marketing is a key component to thousands of political campaigns in a fierce election year. Generic presentations of scripted performances are often showcased in purchased television and radio ads, not to mention the superfluous amount of campaign literature and signs citizens are bombarded with around election time. Finding the appropriate way to reach your core audience may often be difficult for some candidates and could cost him or her a valuable win in the end.
Several weeks ago I was logging into my MySpace account, ready to delete the latest round of webcam whores attempting to “be my friend,” only to forward me to a website requesting my credit card number. However, among the skank hos was a gentleman with a name that simply said “Joe.” He looked like an average-type (Average Joe?) fella who probably didn’t have anything to sell to me, so I clicked on his profile. I soon learned that this gentleman is Joe Zilcosky and he’s a Democrat primarying in the 4th Representative District on Sept. 12. Yes…THAT 4th District with Gerald Brady and Loretta Walsh attempting to beat the shit out of each other. Poor Joe Zilcosky is stuck in the middle of that shitstorm.
The difference between Walsh and Brady and Zilcosky is that Joe may be on to something. In a little under a month, he’s already made more than 600 “friends,” many of whom, presumably, are in his district. And, because this is a primary election in which no one so few people actually vote, he may have a distinct and canny advantage over his primary opponents.
According to the information provided on Joe’s page, he’s a graduate of Columbia University and he majored in economics. He’s worked for my anti-payola homeboy Eliot Spitzer and has suffered (gladly?) through a volunteering stint on both of Gov. Ruth Ann Minner’s campaigns. He says he’s using MySpace as an inexpensive means to better the representation of in his age group. As well, he says because voter turnout in primary elections tends to be so low, it would be great for as many “twenty-somethings” and “thirty-somethings” to come out and vote.
He specifically outlines some of his ideas on his MySpace page, some of which include:
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
As your Fourth District House Representative, I will lead Delaware into the forefront of the alternative energy issue. This investment in our future will create jobs, lower our electric bills, and help the environment. Alternative energy can no longer be ignored and there is no reason why Delaware should not be a leader in these future technologies. A small example of a technology we could be using: Windmills being set up 10 miles off the coast of Massachusetts (beyond the horizon line and therefore out of view from the beach) will be able to power over 150,000 homes each. An item like this will not only pay for itself overtime and lower our electric bills, but will also add revenue for the state.
SCHOOLS
The state should put together a committee of younger teachers to advise the government on ways to improve Delaware students’ test scores and keep younger teachers in Delaware Public Schools. Also, full-day kindergarten and after-school day care should be provided for working parents who cannot afford alternatives. Not only will this be great for students, but it will allow many struggling families get off welfare.
EXPAND RECYCLING
Make recycling statewide. By expanding recycling, we will be able to put off the much needed and expensive expansion of the current dump near the port of Wilmington. Also, the current pilot program in Wilmington actually pays people to recycle. These two items alone will make the additional costs of recycling help pay for itself. If helping the environment, is not a good enough reason.
Sounds good to me…all except the last part. As a little bit of sidebar commentary, Candidate Zilcosky may want to check up on that whole recycling thing. While he’s correct that the program pays people to recycle, the city has sacrificed bi-weekly regular trash pickups to replace the second pick-up with this recycling program. I’ve heard several complaints this summer from some uppity mofos — many of whom, I suppose, would be in Zilcosky’s district — who are extremely critical of the city’s decision to pick up the shit they throw out once a week. Earlier in the summer, on 4th Street, some irate residents dumped their garbage in a pile and scrawled “Dump City Bitch” (assuming they would have used proper grammar, I bet it should have read “Dump city, bitch!”) on the side of a building. The recycling program is hardly a success when a) too few residents are taking advantage of it and b) the city is only picking up the regular, smelly shit once a week.
Aside from that, I think Zilcosky’s on to something here. MySpace has been written off as not being able to handle serious business (aside from handling the promotional duties for Top 40 recording artists and unsigned indie bands). Perhaps this form of campaigning will be seen as viable source for vote-getting in the future. Political marketing is tough. Getting votes these days is even tougher.
Posted by Mike Matthews in First State Filth