What went right and wrong for 2008

from the American Association of Political Consultants

· Political mail fundraising seemed far outdistanced by online fundraising with several general consultants now wondering if direct mail donors are a dying breed;
· Newspapers felt the bite in advertising money that should have gone their way but did not in any appreciable numbers. Indeed, even banner ads were far less prevalent than expected – despite evidence of the effectiveness of the medium;
· Money spent near the end of the campaign not only broke all records – totals will last for years, and yet, much of the last splurging on traditional GOTV efforts were wasted. Voters were not listening to last minute blasts – be they on the phone, on TV or in your mailbox.
· Investing in people going door to door, having campaigners spend a little time with senior voters on the phone, and having creative online, personalized messages sent to targeted public segments became the winning strategies.