Name: Do Campaigns Matter?
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Do Campaigns Matter?

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JoinSign inShare this postDo Campaigns Matter? thedispatch.comCopy linkTwitterFacebookEmailJul 20, 2020Share this postDo Campaigns Matter? thedispatch.comCopy linkTwitterFacebookEmailThe underlying dynamics of an election cycle (the economy, the popularity of the president, national events driving the news cycle) are like the 44-pound “stone” hurtling toward the (please hold while I google what the, you know, bullseye thing is called) ... “house.” Once the stone is moving, this thing is heavy and it’s got momentum that is out of the “skip’s” control.&nbsp; But this much is also true: Even if the effect is minimal, then your team will drill and drill and drill until the sweepers can get the stones into the best position possible.&nbsp;In politics, a lot of elections are won by 6 points and there’s nothing the losing (or winning) team’s sweepers could have done to change the outcome. But some races come down to just a couple points and you rarely know which ones are going to be which. That means every race tries to hire the best sweepers and every sweeper sweeps for her life.So what are the sweepers doing and how well does it work?&nbsp;The findings suggest that a lot of the time, energy, and money poured into traditional campaigning methods is wasted, and that the campaign operatives hawking tried-and-true tactics don’t have the evidence to back up their claims. It also casts doubt on the theory of the swing voter who can be persuaded with enough flyers, ad exposure, and conversations with earnest volunteers. In reality, Broockman and Kalla find, direct outreach is most effective at improving voter turnout, suggesting that campaigns should focus on getting their core supporters to the polls than reaching out to a mythical middle. But not all sweeping is fruitless.&nbsp;So next time you see a pundit talking about a campaign’s innovative strategy to reach swing voters, listen for the sound of a broom on the ice and imagine 44 pounds of granite gliding past. Oh, and make sure to cheer on the USA’s curling team in two years. They’ve earned it!Photo by Wu Gang/Xinhua/Getty Images.Like this postShare this postDo Campaigns Matter? thedispatch.comCopy linkTwitterFacebookEmail37 CommentsFor your security, we need to re-authenticate you.Click the link we sent to , or .Expand full commentExpand full commentNo posts© 2022 The Dispatch ∙ ∙ &nbsp;is the home for great writingThis site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please or unblock scripts

JoinSign inShare this postDo Campaigns Matter? thedispatch.comCopy linkTwitterFacebookEmailJul 20, 2020Share this postDo Campaigns Matter? thedispatch.comCopy linkTwitterFacebookEmailThe underlying dynamics of an election cycle (the economy, the popularity of the president, national events driving the news cycle) are like the 44-pound “stone” hurtling toward the (please hold while I google what the, you know, bullseye thing is called) ... “house.” Once the stone is moving, this thing is heavy and it’s got momentum that is out of the “skip’s” control.&nbsp; But this much is also true: Even...

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Sarah Isgur

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