There's an adage that is an apt description of the new dynamic at work between brands and consumers connected through social media: People support what they help to build. But now that many brands are launching community-driven cause marketing campaigns the challenge becomes what to do next?

The truth is that our way of celebrating the Christmas season does spring from myriad cultures and sources from St. Nicholas to Coca-Cola advertising campaigns.

How one stands up to any sort of allegation in the heat of political battle reveals the strength and nature of your character. It's one of the reasons we have campaigns.

I respect and empathize with reporters and editors who must compete in today's environment. And I know full well that when I've been covering campaigns which I still do I've made my mistakes and have been far from perfect.

Nowhere has the political power of coal been more obvious than in presidential campaigns.

More brands are waking up to their social responsibility and doing good work through cause marketing campaigns. Yet too many still go about it the wrong way. I mean 'wrong' in two senses. Firstly they are marketing ineffectively and secondly as a consequence their positive social impact is not maximized.

I'll never get out of politics. I have friends in public office. I have things that I want to do. You can't go back in life. I won't go back to the existence I had before of running a political consulting firm and signing up clients and advising campaigns in exactly that way.

We tend to think of politics as bad full of dirty tricks negative ads big campaigns but I am here to explore the original meaning of politics which is positive and has to do with balancing competing interests and looking for solutions.

Well I think money has been going into political campaigns for a very long time.

I know that campaigns can seem small and even silly. Trivial things become big distractions. Serious issues become sound bites. And the truth gets buried under an avalanche of money and advertising. If you're sick of hearing me approve this message believe me - so am I.

When one may pay out over two million dollars to presidential and Congressional campaigns the U.S. government is virtually up for sale.

There's enormous progressive activism and more often than not success at the grassroots level - everything from living wage campaigns to efforts to finance our elections are having terrific success.

In constant pursuit of money to finance campaigns the political system is simply unable to function. Its deliberative powers are paralyzed.

Let's not overlook though what we do know about the campaign finance scandal and the fact the Chinese were involved in our presidential campaign and our congressional campaigns.

Jenna's traveled with me they've both traveled with their dad. This is the only time they've been old enough in all of their dad's campaigns to really be involved in.

All non-incumbent campaigns promise hope and change but Obama took the promise to a new level of absurdity. He suggested that a vote for him would literally transform the Earth.

Until we totally change the way we elect our leaders until we remove private money from public campaigns lying will be the de facto method of governance in this country.

Nowadays it seems more and more like the 'business' in 'show business' is underlined and there are campaigns and it's all part of getting people in to see the movies.

Both the Obama and Romney campaigns said they pulled all their political ads today in observance of the September 11th anniversary. But politics wasn't very far offstage. The Obama campaign sees foreign policy as an advantage this year.

In the heat of our campaigns we have all become accustomed to a little anger and exaggeration. Yet on the whole our political process has served us well.