Fred Thompson announced via e-mail tonight that he will announce his run for President on Thursday, September 6th. While the timing of his e-mail was awful (received at 6:42 pm Central), the content is terrific.
There are a few observations that come to mind though:
1. True to Thompson's grassroots, populist form, the campaign does not include a single donation link in this e-mail. Some might question the wisdom of that, but Fred came into being as a Presidential candidate with the support of grassroots activists. It's a very smart move. The campaign knows their audience here and know that they'll make a ton more money off a house party plan than a standard "donate now" link. (They did not neglect, however, to put a bubble on the side with a big red "Contribute" button but it's placement is appropriate.)
2. The e-mail is addressed to "Dear Friends" not "Dear Allen." That's a crucial mistake, especially when I know they have my name on file - I gave it to them when I signed up for their e-mails! As I've said before, e-mail is about building a relationship. I don't have a warm, friendly relationship with people who call me "Friends." Technically, this is easy. Someone just dropped the ball.
3. Fred Thompson will launch a legitimate campaign for President via webcast. That's just unreal. Sure, Hillary and Edwards and all them did it months ago, but that was months ago when there was no pressure and relatively little media attention. I'm as much of a new media guy as anyone, and I applaud them for going for it, but this is risky at best. Friends of Fred Thompson will not get nearly the attention from the mainstream media as a big event on the square in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. would. On the other hand, this does play to his strength. He is a professional TV actor after all. I'd imagine they will allow networks to play the broadcast-quality video live as well. Either way it is a go-for-broke strategy and I'm interested to see how it plays out.
4. As good as this e-mail is and as much as it will stir up support, conceptually they're light years behind what Mitt Romney is doing - namely, (as Patrick Ruffini pointed out earlier today) hosting a contest giving supporters the tools to create an ad online that will be aired via broadcast. I have no doubt, however, that they have some interesting, strategic, focused plans up their sleeves.
An image of the e-mail can be viewed here.
The text of the e-mail is below:
Dear Friends,
On September 6, 2007, Fred Thompson will be announcing his intention to run for President of the United States with a webcast available to millions at www.imwithfred.com. The launch of the video will be followed by a five-day campaign tour through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. On the evening of the 6th, there will also be a National House Party, during which there will be a conference call with Fred.
We enter this campaign in a strong position. Fred is consistently near the top in the polls, and conservatives across the country have put together the closest thing to a draft in recent presidential campaign history in an effort to bring about this day. The next few weeks will only serve to build upon those efforts, with house parties, visits to the early primary states, and a homecoming in Lawrenceburg, TN on the 15th. To view the dates and locations of Fred's bus tour, please click here, and check back soon for more information on attending one of these events.
By announcing via webcast, Fred is able to take his consistently mainstream conservative message directly to the voters, who are already responding to that message with a strong upwelling of grassroots support. The webcast and the following campaign tour will play to Fred’s strengths, a consistent record of conservatism, his ability to clearly spread his message, and his ability to work with and connect with Americans from all walks of life. Be apart of this historic occasion by signing up to host or attend a house party today.
Sincerely,
Bill LacyManager, Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc.
