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Alaska voters upset about public-shaming mailers, but experts say they work
Alaska Dispatch News ^ | 10/27/2014 | Michelle Theriault Boots

Posted on 01/30/2016 1:49:49 PM PST by JediJones

"We're sending this mailing to you, your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues at work and your community members to publicize who does and does not vote."

The letter let Adams know that the senders intended to mail an updated chart after the Nov. 4 election.

Increasingly, political groups across the country are utilizing publicly available voter lists and other databases to send mailings that use what researchers call "social pressure" to get people to vote.

The most forceful threaten to expose an individual's voting record, or lack thereof, to peers.

...was sent by a political action committee called the Opportunity Alliance PAC [4] that has been active in Oregon and Iowa Senate races [5]. Filings with the Federal Election Commission show the main donor...has contributed to conservative causes and championed charter schools and educational choice [7].

Letters like the one being delivered to mailboxes in Anchorage are among the most effective ways to mobilize voters...

...shame was an effective motivator to get people to the polls, he said.

If you see voting as a "pro-social activity," having people whose opinions you care about know you don't vote could be embarrassing.

For all its utility, the technique also causes backlash.

News reports from the 2012 and 2014 election cycles describe angry reactions from recipients of "voter shaming" mailers in states like Colorado and Arkansas.

The voter-shaming mailers don't appear to be in violation of the law, she said.

One was sent by America Votes [8], a progressive group...

The other was sent by the Koch brothers-backed conservative nonprofit Americans for Prosperity [9].

"Very few things have been proven to be as effective as the heavy-handed social pressure mailer," Panagopoulos said.

In fact, research shows they are roughly as effective as the far more resource-intensive door-to-door, get-out-the-vote visits, he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at adn.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abigkochup; campaign; cruzeffsupagain; gunownersinfonext; kocheyedbastids; mailer; shaming; tactic; tedleadballontour
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To: Georgia Girl 2

Next steep is to shun us. ROTFL.


21 posted on 01/30/2016 2:08:10 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: JediJones

But that example isn’t from any single candidates campaign.

I guess Iowans will decide for themselves if they think it works when coming from a candidate himself.


22 posted on 01/30/2016 2:08:23 PM PST by digger48
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To: JediJones

So-called “experts” have been running our country.

How’s that working out?


23 posted on 01/30/2016 2:08:33 PM PST by AFreeBird
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To: GnuThere

And a good way to get people to go to a caucus. You can bet they were aimed at likely Crux supporters.


24 posted on 01/30/2016 2:08:47 PM PST by SeaHawkFan
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To: Georgia Girl 2
Momma says Trump is de devil. Go vote or you will burn in Hades. If I lose it is fault of voters. I am so perfect and you fools too dumb to know better etc.
25 posted on 01/30/2016 2:12:03 PM PST by TornadoAlley3 ( Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee)
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To: JediJones
To put him in that box for every reason is ignoring that he was sent by the Tea Party to stop Obama’s agenda and shake up the status quo in D.C., which he has done everything in his power to do.

You really think so? Tell me: why isn't Ted Cruz in Washington DC doing his job? Why is he missing votes? Why has he failed to build a coalition against Obama? Why do other Conservatives hate him so? Why is it he seems to get along with no one?

26 posted on 01/30/2016 2:14:22 PM PST by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: TornadoAlley3

Yeh whoever thought that letter was a good idea is on Meth. :-)


27 posted on 01/30/2016 2:17:04 PM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: Georgia Girl 2
I hope this stunt of his does not move Rubio up.
28 posted on 01/30/2016 2:18:37 PM PST by TornadoAlley3 ( Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee)
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To: JediJones

In an alternate universe, Trump sent this out and you’re calling for his head.


29 posted on 01/30/2016 2:20:02 PM PST by Rastus
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To: SeaHawkFan

The neighbors can’t invite them without shaming them firs?

Has Trump done this?

You make little sense.


30 posted on 01/30/2016 2:20:57 PM PST by austinaero
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To: usconservative

No conservatives hate Cruz. Total nonsense.

He’s running for President where he’ll bring the Tea Party revolution to the White House and have the power to do much more.

He gets along with lots of people and has more official endorsements than Trump.

Why do you believe the DC RINO spin about him? You seriously think the fact that Boehner, Ryan and McConnell don’t form a coalition with him is a negative on him? You would rather vote for the candidate those guys want to deal with?


31 posted on 01/30/2016 2:21:25 PM PST by JediJones ("How stupid are the people of Iowa?" -Donald Trump, November 12, 2015)
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To: SeaHawkFan
Re: “Voters should be ashamed for not voting.”

Be careful what you wish for.

The only reason the GOP won impressive Congressional victories in 2010 and 2014 is because huge numbers of Black, Hispanic, and Asian voters stayed home.

And, Conservative voters did not stay home in 2012, causing Romney to lose. Romney got 1.5 million more white votes in 2012 than McCain got in 2008.

Obama was reelected in 2012 because Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians turned out in record numbers.

32 posted on 01/30/2016 2:21:57 PM PST by zeestephen
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To: SeaHawkFan

“And a good way to get people to go to a caucus.”

Shame as a motivator. Wow.

People may go to caucus alright,,and caucus for the other team. I hope they do!


33 posted on 01/30/2016 2:22:01 PM PST by austinaero
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To: JediJones

And your response if Trump had done this would be?

Please be honest.


34 posted on 01/30/2016 2:22:59 PM PST by Las Vegas Ron ("Medicine is the keystone in the arch of Socialism" Vladimir Lenin)
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To: Rastus
In an alternate universe, Trump sent this out and you’re calling for his head.

And the Trumpkins are saying Trump is steamrolling the competition with a relentless campaign because he is going to win, win, win.

35 posted on 01/30/2016 2:23:10 PM PST by JediJones ("How stupid are the people of Iowa?" -Donald Trump, November 12, 2015)
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To: JediJones

This pisses me off, and I am a consistent voter and a Cruz supporter. Who legally votes and who does not vote in *any* election should not be publicly available information. Although they too were consistent voters, my parents in the final years of their lives did not have the mental or physical capacity to make informed choices on candidates or ballot issues. I would have ripped off the head and **** down the neck of any politician or PAC leader who would’ve had the gall to shame them to their neighbors. Gonna have to rethink Cruz if he doesn’t stop it.


36 posted on 01/30/2016 2:23:12 PM PST by twister881
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To: Las Vegas Ron

My response would be, I hope he fails.


37 posted on 01/30/2016 2:24:51 PM PST by JediJones ("How stupid are the people of Iowa?" -Donald Trump, November 12, 2015)
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To: JediJones

The Iowa debacle of Cruz expands! If I get one here in Colorado I’ll sue the bastard.


38 posted on 01/30/2016 2:25:29 PM PST by CodeToad (Islam should be banned and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: TornadoAlley3

Yeh it will move Rubio up. I am thinking this is going to shake out Trump, Rubio, Carson before its done.


39 posted on 01/30/2016 2:26:02 PM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: JediJones
My response would be, I hope he fails.

My response would be I hope the best man for the future of this country wins.

But I'll be honest enough to admit the mistake and dirty tactic.

40 posted on 01/30/2016 2:28:05 PM PST by Las Vegas Ron ("Medicine is the keystone in the arch of Socialism" Vladimir Lenin)
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