Democratic Politics Dominate the Life of New Bedford Resident
KAVANAUGH
The New Bedford Standard-Times
Courtney Hime
Boston University Washington News Service
October 16, 2008
WASHINGTON – In the weeks preceding Election Day, Gerry Kavanaugh’s time belongs to the Democrats.
“There’s no question, in even-numbered years, I don’t take a vacation,” he said. “I don’t have time.”
By day, Mr. Kavanaugh, 54, works at DCS Online Communications, based in Washington, offering up technological strategies to members of Congress, advocacy organizations and Democratic candidates across the country. But his efforts don’t end there.
During his time away from the company, when he is not commuting home to New Bedford, he volunteers for Barack Obama. The Dartmouth native helped organize a fund raising effort in New England that raised $1 million for the Obama campaign. Next week, he’ll head to the battleground state of Ohio, where he’ll continue campaigning for Obama.
“I have tried to devote as much of my personal time and also as much of the company time as possible to make sure that, one, we take back the White House and, two, that we increase our margins in both the House and the Senate,” Mr. Kavanaugh said.
There was a time, however, when his support was thrown behind Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). In fact, he worked “very hard” up until the senator ended her campaign. Not long after, though, he said he received a call from the Obama camp asking for his help.
“That normally doesn’t happen,” Mr. Kavanaugh said. “There were a lot of frayed nerves and a lot of angst between the two campaigns, but they called me immediately, and so I was very happy to start working for them.”
His support of Obama stems from a genuine belief that the candidate’s policies are in the best interest of people in cities like New Bedford. Mr. Kavanaugh and his wife, Colleen, still reside in New Bedford – they commute to Washington every week. Living in New Bedford, Mr. Kavanaugh said, gets him “back to the real world.”
“New Bedford is a very real place with real people with real problems,” he said.
Problems he said he hopes can be resolved if Obama wins. Until then, Mr. Kavanaugh and his wife, a partner at DCS, will continue their efforts to help members of Congress and Democratic candidates by providing internet and technological strategies.
Mr. Kavanaugh said the company, which he founded in 2002, does “all of the conventional things,” such as building and maintaining Web sites and databases for voter communication, as well as online advertising and Web videos. But they’re also moving toward new strategies.
“We try to do things that are actually new this election cycle,” he said. “We’re doing lots of what we call behavioral targeting, which is where we’re advertising with people based on what they read.”
And Mr. Kavanaugh tweaks his online ads to appeal to a niche demographic. In the same breath that he mentions the company’s efforts to target Democratic gun owners, he talks of attempts to cater to environmentalists.
The company’s varied audience is a reflection of its diverse clientele. DCS serves groups and people across the country, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland..
Back in his office, Mr. Kavanaugh showcases the Web site for one of his clients, Dan Seals, a Democratic candidate in Illinois’ 10th District. DCS manages the e-mail communications for Seals’ campaign and as Mr. Kavanaugh looks at the Web site, he mentions how impressed he is with the way Seals is using the Web.
As the page finishes loading, a miniature version of Seals walks onto the screen to greet the site’s visitor and briefly explain the candidate’s platform.
“Isn’t that awesome?” Mr. Kavanaugh asks after the miniature candidate has finished his pitch.
Seals’ Web site is just one example of how the company hopes Democratic candidates can harness new Web-based tools to turn the political tide in favor of the Democrats. According to company research, between one-third and one-half of people interested in politics turn to the Internet for information. The key, Mr. Kavanaugh said, is to grab their attention.
“We found that you’ve got about two or three seconds to get people’s attention and keep it,” he said. “So, you have to do creative, innovative things to get people interested and to keep their interest.”
Coming up with new ideas to keep the visitor’s interest never gets boring, Mr. Kavanaugh said. Despite the 80-hour work weeks he’s been keeping, he said he’s going to miss the energy of campaign season.
“I’m sort of disappointed that it’s going to end, because it’s fun every single day,” he said. “I look forward to it every day.”
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