Tim Prater and Kaleb Weis appear to be running as a team in Aberdeen’s City Council race. Check out the campaign flyer Prater has posted to his campaign Facebook page:
Absent are Weis’s annoying appeals to religion. Instead we get the standard, fuzzy lines about creating jobs and supporting small business, plus some Republican-y pap about wanting to “strive for fewer regulations” and “keep your taxes low.”
The distinguishing mark of this flyer is the team approach. Voters get to choose between Weis and incumbent councilman Clint Rux for the five-year term in the southeast district, while Prater is challenging incumbent appointee Dennis “Mike” Olson for the three-year term in the southeast district. Teaming up saves money and campaign time. It also builds a brand, inclining folks who know one of the candidates to cast their votes for the candidate’s teammate. Councilmen Rux and Olson might want to consider a similar joint campaign to challenge this team approach.
Key words to which we should hold these candidates: Prater says his priorities include “welcoming other’s [sic—lose that apostrophe, Tim!] to move and or retire in Aberdeen…,” while Weis speaks of listening to “residents from every walk of life” and working for “everyone.” It seems fair to take those words as signals that Prater and Weis recognize the importance of welcoming and working for immigrants in Aberdeen, as a matter of human decency and economic development.
That is an interesting point Mr. H makes on the “building of brand.” I have not seen many of these teamed-up sort of things but I do not watch for them much. If people who know one of those fellows are somewhat more inclined to vote for both, might not it work backwards too? People who dislike one of those fellow would be more inclined to not vote for either. That theory could lead one to choose carefully who you slap your picture on a handbill with.
There is that possibility, Grudz, that one guy’s negatives could pull down the other guy. Certainly, a candidate doesn’t want to leap at a team-up opportunity without checking on the potential teammate’s negatives.
But in a local, non-partisan, low-attention race like this, will such dislike play a major role? If you have four normal guys, two incumbents, two newcomers, none with a reputation for kicking dogs, teaming up seems to offer nothing but a plus for the two challengers. Among the people who have a personal connection to just one of the challengers, the team-up wins votes for the other challenger. Among the people who have a personal connection to one of the incumbents, the challenger team-up alone probably does not drive anyone to vote for the other incumbent. Among the people who don’t know any of the four candidates (these folks would seem far less likely to show up to vote, but among the small fraction who do), the Prater-Weis linked messaging stands out among the assortment of other signs.
The team-up does harm if someone finds hard dirt on one of the team members or if the incumbents team up to make them both look inexperienced and unprepared for the job. That harm seems like a longshot, because in a race like this, we aren’t probably aren’t going to see debates or negative attacks; much of the vote will be based on door-to-door, name recognition, and personal connections. The friends-and-family vote for each candidate will be the same on Election Day as it is right now, pretty much no matter what information comes out in the press. And if Candidate A says, “Vote for my buddy Candidate B, too!” that vote is pretty much locked in as well.
Interesting analysis. I suppose the “team-up” is frequently on display to all of us with the Governor and Lt. Governor team-ups and we all understand that people like Mr. Janklow pick a woman like Ms. Hillard for West-Riverism or female votes. We don’t question it there. I suppose the difference here is it is really to separate seats, but I find Mr. H’s comments enlightening.
That’s why it’s worth mentioning and watching here, Grudz. This is a nonpartisan city council race, but we have two guys teaming up in an unusual way. This coordination suggests a deeper campaign afoot, perhaps guided by a seasoned (Republican?) campaigner.
In some cases, like this one, the “team-up” may indicate forethought and planning, the candidates being conscious of the likely results. Strategic, as Mr. H indicates it may be.
In other cases, the “team-up” may be a devil’s pact made from demon spawn, such as when Ms. Hubbel bitterly jumped on that old crazy fellow’s bandwagon, or as may happen this coming year when Mr. Nelson onboards with Ms. Hubbel as her Lt. Governor candidate. It is not forethought an planning, it is just people insaner than most lashing out.
I think I appreciate your political insight more, Mr. H. Thank you.
jinx
That Caleb Weis fellow reminds me of what Spanky from the Little Rascals would look like all grown up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh_g8J37dTo
This team-up is entertaining because of the horse’s ass in Brookings with a poli-sci degree and a personality worse than Hillary’s who sells yard signs and these type of flyers. He can’t be pleased that these two found a way to cut his profits. A statewide election fund could put every candidate on the same flyer and mucho dinero could be saved by all. Oh wait. Wasn’t that part of the curb-kicked IM22? Who’s got ethics now, Paddy my boy? he HEH ho
PS … new poll this morning shows Bernie Sanders as the most popular politician in USA. :)