Challenging Established Political Institutions

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nothing will change unless we change it

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Americans are dissatisfied

81 percent are dissatisfied with how the nation is being governed 60 percent of likely voters see government as the problem

(Only the political class disagrees) Polls show that Americans believe the federal government has

“lost the consent of the governed.”(Only 20% say the government has the consent of the governed.)

And increasingly Americans believe Congress “is incapable of tackling our most pressing challenges”

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U.S. House, November 2010

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Approval rating Re-election rate0

102030405060708090

10086%

Accountability

Gap

17%

Congress has rigged the system

Money Name recognition Party protection Possible threats

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The longer they’re in office, the more trouble we’re in

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Percent of GDP Average tenure (years)

Congressional tenureFederal, state, and local spending as % of GDP

Americans believe in self-governance

15 percent trust the federal government to do what is right 57 percent express confidence in their state government 70 percent trust their local government 73 percent of likely voters trust the American people more than

they trust their elected officials

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What makes seats “safe”

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1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

No Change in Party Seat Changed Party Hands

Winners are picked in the primary

85% of US House districts are controlled by one party

The average margin of victory for incumbents in their general election is 26%

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Primary

General

Where the outcome is really determined

Turnout in primary elections is very low

The average turnout is between 40,000 and 50,000 That means only 8-12 percent of the voting-age population

decides who will represent everybody else in Congress

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The Strategy

1. Empower Americans to hold incumbents accountable by increasing primary turnout

2. Level the playing field by neutralizing advantages of incumbency

3. Target long-time incumbents who are not representing their constituencies

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Our Plan: Level the Playing Field

Vehicle: Campaign for Primary Accountability, a SuperPAC Major Initiative: The Equalizer Campaign Goal of the Equalizer Campaign: Overcome the messaging monopoly

This means exposing incumbents’ records when challengers don’t have the resources to do so

We cannot get a weak candidate elected, but we can give a good candidate a fighting chance against an incumbent

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Execution and Results

We use a mix of targeted media and field operations to expose voters to incumbent voting records

And we build support for challengers In a typical district, we need to move 5,000-10,000 likely primary

voters, and 5,000-10,000 occasional primary voters Tactics: a targeted campaign, limited paid media

Door to door canvassing Live and robo-calls Direct mail Digital/online/social media Get Out The Vote activities

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Bottom line

The system has allowed – even encouraged – members of Congress to focus their time and attention protecting themselves and enriching their donors

They face few consequences for their overspending but the consequences we face as a nation have never been more disturbing

The general elections allow them to escape accountability for their ways

And when incumbents who survive our challenges discover they are no longer invulnerable and that they can actually be fired, a new spirit will descend on Congress

And we will regain control of our runaway federal government

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Questions?

Paid for by Campaign for Primary Accountability PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. P.O. Box 22529, Houston, TX 77227-2528. (877) 795-8386

Contributions are not tax deductible.  Campaign for Primary Accountability PAC is registered with the Federal Election Commission as an independent expenditure committee and your contribution will be used in connection with federal elections.  Unlimited contributions from U.S. citizens, corporations and other organizations are permitted and accepted, except that we cannot accept contributions from foreign nationals, foreign corporations, federal government contractors and national banks.  Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 this year.

Early Success

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We’re already making incumbents less secure