Malia Lazu, Mel King Community Fellow at MIT, has a must-read quickie, entitled “Ten Things You Can Do to Win a Political Campaign” up at The Nation. King has some creative ideas and useful links, like in #4, for example:

Don’t blame the voters. Politics is the only industry that blames the consumer for not buying its product. Elections are a one-day sale; it’s your campaign’s job to get people excited enough to vote. The best way to do this is by studying candidates who understand how to build not just campaigns but movements. Check out how Keith Ellison does it in Minnesota and how Chellie Pingree does it in Maine.

Any one of King’s ten tips could pay off in a close election, and progressive campaigns should give it a cip.