crashing the gate

Reading notes – Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the rise of People-Powered Politics by Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas Zuniga 2006

Political ads – republicans came to understand the difference between persuasion and emotion, a la commercial advertising, top three ads remembered by viewers in 2004 election were Ashley, Swift Boat and Wolves – seeking to be memorable and to memorable and persuasive is the best, tell us something that is news and that can be persuasive

We bring good things to life and pepsi generation ads – company also did Reagon’s Morning in America ads, even Eisenhower would film his answers first and then they would go out on the street and get people to ask the questions

Changing media landscape – during the 70’s advertisers could reach 90% of households during prime time, now less than 40%, moving from major networks to the nearly 400 cable networks (which have more aggregate viewers than the main networks), no longer need saturation broadcasting for political campaigns, be more strategic, more local and use all outlets

New database technology tracking voters and go after Democrats who are urban gun owners or republicans who have family members who would benefit from stem cell research (alzheimers, parkinsons) – use census material about income, ethnicity, education but also gain information about tv shows watched, magazines read, and choice of beverages, turns out that lifestyle groupings are more important than demographics in predicting voter trends – what car you drive, cable channel you watch, website you visit tells more of what you believe than social group – this is called psychographics or values- based research

Go after every voter, not just (galvanize) your base