The Gantt Report
By Lucius Gantt
Moments after watching the recent Harris – Trump Presidential Debate, I could not help thinking about the late Nigerian musician and songwriter, Fela Kuti.
Vice President Kamala Harris hit Donald Trump with an afro beat- down!
No doubt Kamala won the debate. Her supporters suggest she killed it, so to speak!
Trump supporters say the Babayka possibly suffered a case of “Death by Debate”!
Congratulations Kamala but keep in mind, the MAGA philosophies and ideologies will live on and exist in every election unless Kamala and her team can stop Trump and his MAGA followers via “Death By Election”.
Recently I’ve been writing columns that attempt to emphasize the importance of winning the 2024 election decisively.
I wrote I believed 1954 voter delivery strategies and tactics must be enhanced and updated to generate an extraordinary turnout of Kamala voters.
Let me explain. The 1954 GOTV plan was to canvass a little, put fliers on windshields in church parking lots, and run a few ads on radio stations that play Black music.
The same plan is in play today, but today, campaigns are very scientific and technological. Your commercial media, social media, direct mailings, sign placements; “meet and greets”, and other activities should be somewhat linked together for the best impact.
Of course, training is very, very important. Don’t take my word for it, but any Gantt Report reader can recognize a “white political message” with a Black picture on it.
I love volunteers but they are only available when they can be or desire to be available. If you pay your GOTV workers, if they don’t behave and perform as trained and directed, they won’t get paid.
GOTV personnel must be dispatched at the best times of the day. You don’t want strangers knocking on your door at 8 am or at 10 pm. If you have access to geo-demographic targeting tools and voter registration information you know exactly which houses have residents who are registered voters, who’s Black, who’s white, who’s 25 or younger, and who is a senior citizen, for instance.
Give voters something to remember Kamala by and when to vote for her. Church ladies like fans they can fold and put inside their purses. Seniors like refrigerator magnets with important numbers on them like Social Security, Medicare, transportation, etc. that they could also leave notes for family members on.
T-shirt giveaways are OK for staff, and ridiculous for voters.
Anyway, political timing is the most important thing. If Kamala’s team does the right things at the wrong times, the results will be wrong.
Guess what. Ballots for military servicemen and women have been mailed out and some states have already begun early voting.
How many times has someone knocked on your door after you’ve already voted?
Oh well Kamala, continue the Trump beat-down! The people want you and need you.
And you need the people.