‘Wake Up America’ shakes world of microcampaigning

Last week, conservative leaders of a North Carolina-based group, Wake Up America, launched an advertisement criticizing Democratic leaders for approving the latest national budget and higher taxes.

"We're going to continue to have a budget crisis as long as we have leaders in Raleigh that continue to spend inappropriately," said junior Nick Ochsner, president of Elon's chapter of College Republicans.

The advertisement has received national attention, as Wake Up America looks to extend its message beyond the North Carolina border.

"The make up of our state is the make up of a lot of people in the country: hardworking people, industries, a lot of different backgrounds," Ochsner said. "What you are going to see is that people are looking to North Carolina for common sense issues."

The advertisement group calls Democratic leaders socialists. Mileah Kromer, assistant professor of political science, said this message isn't going to appeal to moderates.
"They aren't going to get everyone," Kromer said. "What they'll do is appeal to a real passionate minority."

Wake Up America is the conservative counterpart to the liberal group Moveon.org.
Junior Taylor Foshee, president of Elon's chapter of College Democrats, said she doesn't believe it's a fair statement for the narrator in the ad to call Democrats socialists.
"I think that's been a term used to polarize Democrats and build the conservative base," Foshee said. "There's an ideological difference between Democrats and conservatives around the budget."

Wake Up America is a 527 group, which is an independent political group. These groups can receive unlimited contributions from business and individuals as long as they don't endorse a specific candidate and focus on issues.

"Depending on what campaign you are for, these can be really beneficial," Foshee said. "The groups have the ability to raise money and donate in a different capacity."

These smaller grassroots movements are a type of microcampaigning, which means it targets a specific group of individuals to get a message across.

Wake Up America and other microcampaigning groups have proven effective on grass roots issues, Ochsner said.

"These groups are bringing attention to issues," Ochsner said. "They are motivating people on issues. These are the groups that do most of the labor on the ground now."

These types of political grassroots movements became more popular in the 2000 election and have been built upon by both Democratic and Republican leaders since that time. Foshee said the Obama administration used microcampaigning in the 2008 election through different types of media.

"I think it's the new wave of campaigning," Foshee said. "It was really effective in 2008 and will be effective in the Senate and Congressional elections as well."

Kromer, Foshee and Oschner all said they agree these types of movements may become more popular in the near future. But there may be some more restrictions for them as well.

"There are going to be more restrictions as it becomes more of a role in the campaigning process," Foshee said. "Keep it fair in terms of the political issues and manage these groups that have come along."

by Pam Richter, The Pendulum - September 29, 2009