July 14, 2006

Victor A. Ajlouny speaks at Republican Club Lunch Meeting

By Barbara Leaman
Special to the Times

The speaker for the general Republican Club meeting on Monday, June 26, was very interesting. In fact, you could have heard a pin drop during Victor A. Ajlouny’s presentation. The 75 people in attendance listened with rapt attention to the topic, “How a campaign is organized and run.”

Ajlouny is president of Eagle Communications, which is a political consulting and public relations firm. He is also campaign manager for Chuck Reed, who is running for mayor of San Jose. Some of his other clients include George Kennedy, Shawn Ahern, Harold Moskowite, Pete McHugh, and Debbie Giordano, among others.

The speaker informed the Republican Club about how long a campaign runs, which is usually about 18 months or more. The preparation for a campaign involves an in-depth investigation into the personal and professional sides of the candidate. Every facet of the person running for office must be explored in order to run a good campaign with no surprises.

Ajlouny also covered what is and what is not allowed for fund raising. He told of other campaigns he has managed and what succeeds in a campaign, namely commitment and dedication. Being prepared for any and all events that may come up during the campaign and having dedicated volunteers who are ready and willing to help and support the candidate are other important components that make a campaign a success.

There were numerous questions after his talk to which he gave complete and informative answers. The Republican Club greatly appreciated Ajlouny’s presentation that he gave sans notes. If you missed this meeting, you missed some useful information on what to look for in a campaign. The candidate must know and be able to articulate the issues, and also to make clear the actions he will take to resolve the issues should he be elected.

After the meeting, we enjoyed a typical summer lunch of hot dogs, chips and ice cream sandwiches. If you were unable to attend the Fourth of July festivities, you missed our marvelous “Chocoholic Booth” and the parade entry of a classic car and golf carts accompanied by Girl Scouts and Brownies from local troops.

The next general meeting of the Republican Club will be September 25.