Just got my health insurance premium increase notice – 23%
It’s like clock work right? No matter how little I use my high deductible HSA plan (I buy my own as I’m self-employed), I get a increase every year. This year it’s 23%. That’s an abomination but my gut reaction isn’t to vote for a public option or government intervention. My reaction was to begin finding creative solutions out there in the open market for health care.
Too bad I missed a FREE webinar put on yesterday by our Association of Business and Industry here in Iowa discussing this very topic. That was MY choice to miss due to other commitments. The point is that as we keep getting buried by health care costs, increased competition across borders will provide options that I can live with. And, at the end of the day…if health insurance does cost a bundle, that’s what I’ll have to pay to keep it. If no one an afford health care there will be no payers into the system and it will fail. Market forces must intervene if allowed at some point (remember how we were supposed to have $9/gallon gas by now because of the collusion, cheating, and market manipulation?)
Moving health care into the realm of the government will further exacerbate the issues we’re seeing now on the paper on which the increases come will change. Now it comes from an insurance company. Then it would come on your W-2 and 1040 forms.
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Don’t Let Your Biases and Unwillingness to Change Eliminate Markets
Face it. You have campaign advisers telling you that you must “Be on Twitter” (what does that mean by the way??). You have tweens and teens reminding you daily how Facebook is how they communicate. You have a basic website that does nothing but provide your positions online. You’re missing the boat. Or you have made yourself feel better by delegating (Let’s have Bobby to that tech stuff because he’s young and gets it because I don’t have time for that).
But you’ve just committed a violation that you wouldn’t stand for in your own business. You’ve delegated without setting clear expectations and you don’t know what success looks like. The net is that you’ve probably just eliminate a key voting block that I really hope you care about…the under 40 crowd. I know what you’re thinking…”If I have the tech I can reach them.” Wrong. Authenticity is key and if you merely appear to have the tools but don’t use them/live them/embrace them as a true medium of communication (vs. a vote getter)…you’re cooked.
So when you meet someone under 40 (typically) and start to engage them, think twice before handing them a piece of paper. Perhaps you should hop on your smart phones and become friends on Facebook, maybe follow each other on Twitter, or at ask the person to subscribe to your RSS feed to help them build the picture of who you are as a candidate. If you don’t know what I’m talking about…get help. Fast. You’ve eliminated the voting block that wants you to succeed the most.
If you’d like to hear how to put together a winning online campaign strategy, join me tonight at 5pm Central on the Operation Red State Red Alert Hour heard LIVE! on www.MacsWorldLive.com
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e-Campaign infrastructure is an early MUST DO…not a Get To
I’ve had the chance to interact with nearly 100 new candidates, incumbents, party officials, and operatives over the last 6 months. I’m encouraged by the acceptance and clear understanding of how important technology is to a winning campaign. I’m equally as excited about the exceptional quality of the candidates I’ve met from School Board to U.S. Congress.
But I see a dramatic disconnect between that clear understanding of what MUST be done at the top…to what’s Getting done in the field.
e-Campaigning is all of the typical technology pieces you imagine including the usual suspects (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) But all the greatest tools in the world don’t matter if YOU the candidate (the driver, leader and tone setter for the campaign)don’t fully appreciate them and build the tools into your daily/hourly routine.
Candidates across the spectrum tend to be a bit shell shocked by all the options and tend to view the ecampaign suite as something that “They can get to” or something “They can just have those young volunteers manage for them.” I can’t count the number of times I hear, “I just don’t have time but I can have a staffer do that.”
Your voting block has never wanted more of the transparent YOU than now. Give them more of YOU by opening as many doors to two way communication as possible. Put the e-Campaign technologies in place early, learn what they are, and embrace them. Your tech will be a clone of you available to all at all times.
Remember, it’s not up to YOU anymore to decide where you should be found…you MUST be where people might be looking. Now.
Here’s How NOT to Brand Yourself Online
Remember, free publicity is not always good. Here are some political vids that I think you will agree, need a lot of work.
I must note that each of these individuals lost their campaigns and the videos are in fact, real (at least, real enough to be on the Jay Leno show). Sorry. If in fact you think these videos are effective follow these instructions: Write down any of your ideas for political branding item for item. Then do the opposite.
No Red Alert Hour Today 10-8
They’re doing some technical upgrades to the studio…so we’ll be back next week to bring you more content. Have a wonderful weekend.
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Social Media
