Reflections on the Panel
Share any reflections you had on today’s panel. Here are some questions to consider, but you don’t have to stick to these—feel free to freewrite!
Where there any comments by the panelists that struck you as especially true, upsetting, inspiring, and/or thought provoking? What were the stories that stood out to you?
Did the panelists’ experiences as Democrats, Republicans, and/or independents change the way you thought about party politics, and if so, how? What about the role of political parties—what did you learn about bipartisanship, and our political power structures
What did you learn about political strategy (door knocking, base building, etc.), and how those strategies can change over of the course of a campaign?
Many of you struck up conversations with our guests after the formal panel. What did you talk about? Did you pick up their cards? How might you continue the conversation, with these panelists or others?
Our panelists talked a lot of ways to be involved with campaigns and elections—not just as a candidate, but also as a volunteer or staffer. Could you see yourself as a politician, in a support role? Compared to our panelists, how do you think you would approach your campaign?
Anything else you want to share?
Reflection on the Intro to Campaign Advertisements
Our panelists made several comments about the crucial role advertising plaid in their campaigns—one even went so far as to say tha , if you’re running for a political office, “you are a product.” What do you think it takes to be savvy at that kind of self-promotion? What tactics did the panelists mention?
Did you have a favorite ad out of the ones we watched today? Based on the ads we watched, what common themes do you notice? How do campaign ads seem to have evolved over the decades?
What did you notice about of the ads, not just in content, but also form (music, casting, script, storyline)? How do you think these elements come together to make an effective (or ineffective) ad?
Think about how you might approach making your ads tomorrow. How do you think you might apply some of the insights/examples from the panelists and Bobbi’s presentation?
