Midterm

Question 1

1st Rule to Political Communications

Answer 1

People don’t care (as much as you do)

Question 2

Goal as political coordinator

Answer 2

Get people to care more than they do
+small window of opportunity for message, people have different priorities

+Competition -with other campaigns, issues

Question 3

Message Developement

Answer 3

1. Need to develop message that is short, direct and easy to understand - cannot be too detailed
2. A really good message - message is compelling, motivating and relevant
3. Set Priorities - Can’t tell voters everything, start off by telling most important things

Question 4

Message Delivery

Answer 4

Importance of Message & Message Frequency
-more frequently voters hear message, more likely they are to support it
Message Saturation - Doesn’t hit as quickly as you’d expect.

Question 5

Candidates Biography

Answer 5

Biography is a threshold that needs to be passed

Question 6

3 types of biographies

Answer 6

Personal, Political and Personal

Question 7

Personal Biography

Answer 7

what the candidate has experience in personal life

Examples)
Rubio - mother maid/father Bartender
G.W. Bush - Born-Again Christian/Alcoholic in the past

Question 8

Professional Biography

Answer 8

what the candidate accomplished in professional career outside of politics

Examples)
Obama was a community organizer
McCain was in the military

Question 9

Political Biography

Answer 9

include the job and how well candidate did job

Question 10

Two subgroups of Professional Biography

Answer 10

1. What jobs the candidate has had

2. What candidate has accomplished in this job

Question 11

3 Advantages a Biography can bring

Answer 11

1. Provides credibility
   * record is important
   * biography is destiny (1992 a man from hope -Bill Clinton)
2. Connection
   * what you have in common with a candidate/voter
3. Consistency

Question 12

Candidate needs to be able to explain why she changed his/her mind

Answer 12

Diane Feinstien Death Penalty Response

Kerry, Clinton on Iraq invasion - was for it before I was against it

Question 13

Be proactive about mistake you made in your life

Answer 13

Hang a lantern on your problem
-figure out how to deal with it

Examples) Sanders 2016 on foreign policy experience “I didn’t vote for the Iraq War”
Bush 2000 - DUI; he was an alcoholic but then found God and no longer drinks

Question 14

How to address issues when there is nothing biography

Answer 14

Borrow Biographical Credibility
-Ask an individual, group or organization to voage for you
NRA, PPH, Human Rights orgs, Business Commerce

Example) State of Union guests in President’s box

Question 15

3 Elements of Campaign Message

Answer 15

1. Campaign Rationale
2. Campaign Theme
3. Campaign Issues

Question 16

Campaign Rationale

Answer 16

A single sentence, answer to question: Why am I running for office?

Examples) Obama 08 - I haven’t been in Washington long but the ways of Washington must change

Question 17

Difficulty expressing campaign rationale

Answer 17

Teddy Kennedy - Couldn’t explain why he wanted to be President

Question 18

Campaign Theme

Answer 18

External version of campaign rationale
-why should voters care?

Examples) Rubio - A New American Century
Trump - Make America Great Again

Question 19

2 best political themes in modern era

Answer 19

Reagan (84) Morning again in America

Clinton (96) Building a bridge to the 21st Century

Question 20

Campaign Issue

Answer 20

Matter of public policy that candidate would push for or push against
-3 Issue max

Examples)
Sanders (political reform, income inequality)
Ross Perot (balancing the budget)

Question 21

3 Guidelines to issue selection

Answer 21

1. Candidate needs to believe issue is important
2. Voters have to care about the issue
3. Agreement between candidates and voters on what should be done on this issue

Question 22

Exception to issue guidelines

Answer 22

Can talk about issue that voters arent aware but candidate cares deeply about

-Message repetition used to bring issues into rationale

Examples)
Perot balancing the budget
Nader Global warming 2000

Question 23

3 Types of Research

Answer 23

1. Voter Research
2. Issue Research
3. Candidate Research

Question 24

Voters Research

Answer 24

Find out who the voters are
-demographically and politically
Political Research:
how many live in voting area? SOS Website
how many are eligible to vote? SOS Website
how many are registered to vote? SOS Website
how they behave politically?What Party? SOS Website
recent voter behavior SOS Website
demographic voter research - US census website by gender, age, race, income and education (etc)
Past polling results from previous elections

Question 25

Two types of Issue Research

Answer 25

Primary and Secondary

Question 26

Primary Issue Research

Answer 26

Talking to peaple Benefits: Cant do it w/o secondary research, emotional benefits, interactive benefit negatives might talk to ppl not representative of population

Question 27

Secondary Issue Research

Answer 27

Reading, reasearching | Benefits: broad view of landscape

Question 28

Candidate Research

Answer 28

Two Types 1. Opposition Research - research opponents political biography * Votes made, articles written, speeches made * taken any positions on issues that are now less popular 2. More important: Self Research

Question 29

Mirror Opposites (Self Research)

Answer 29

Difference between candidates on corresponding aspect of biographies * Strengths & Weaknesses developed on instincts * Mirror opposite advantages - work to candidates benefits * Mirror opposite disadvantage - work to candidates disadvanges REDO CAMPAIGN MESSAGES - Emphasize strength and talk down disadvantages.

Question 30

Voter Targeting

Answer 30

1. Geographically Voter Group 2. Demographically Voter Group 3. Voter Interest Group

Question 31

Geographic Voter Targeting

Answer 31

involves voters who live within proximity of each other (broadcast media tv/radio) *most efficient way is by "media market" - secondary markets as well as media markets

Question 32

Demographic Voter Targeting

Answer 32

share certain personal characteristics (age, gender, income, education, race, ethnicity) *mail is best way to advertise (or email)

Question 33

Interest Group Voter Targeting

Answer 33

Once interest group exists, they're already communicating with members - members care - cost effective - credibility from group's leadership

Question 34

Interest Group Definition

Answer 34

collection of individuals who work on behalf of issue or issues

Question 35

Characteristics of a successful interest group

Answer 35

1. Mass base - a lot of ppl (more ppl = better chance of success) 2. Geographic concentration 3. Focus on single issue 4. Shared demographic status 5. Access to resources - money and time * resource investment - level of commitment

Question 36

Professional Commonality

Answer 36

Successful interest group often shares same ideas Example) Business commerce members are likely to be for low taxes Teachers union likely to be more left as government provides their pay.

Question 37

Targeting of Voters (3 kinds)

Answer 37

Saints - Agree with me (40% of electorate) Sinners - Disagree with me (40% of electorate) Salaveagables - Swing voters (20% of electorates); voters that have voted for both parties in past elections

Question 38

3 communication goals

Answer 38

1. Saints - motivate them 2. Salveagbles - persuade them 3. Sinners - communicate but don't provoke them.

Question 39

Swing Vote Approaches

Answer 39

1. 80-20 approach - 80% into salveagables 2. Base-motivation approach - motivation approach * 3 challenges - can drive salvagables away - makes governing more difficult - care less than most voters

Question 40

Message Deliver - Through the new media

Answer 40

1. Concept of visual and nonverbal message reinforcement 2. Setting priorities - one message at a time 3. Idea of media relations - working with reporters

Question 41

New Event Types - Visual Message Reinforcement

Answer 41

- Endorsement Events - Issue position event - Announcement of candidacy - Answer 5 W's 1. Who is the candidate? family? endorsers? 2. What? Announcing Candidacy 3. Why? Rationale for running 4. Where? 3 wheres 5. When? Day and time of week

Question 42

What to avoid with when of events

Answer 42

Avoid mondays, fridays, weekends and late nights

Question 43

3 Wheres with events

Answer 43

Location of the event Setting - where in the location Backdrop - what will audience see (through TV frame) other: what they're wearing - no hates, no kids

Question 44

Reporters notice of events

Answer 44

Give reporters advance notice of event 3 times | -one full week in advance (news advisory)