Ron Paul: Packaging the Message?
In my last post I predicted 14% for Ron Paul in New Hampshire. He got 8%. Oops.
I think the campaign is encountering a problem I mentioned in an earlier post about the Ron Paul message.
Ron Paul now has a base. It's about 8-10% of the voters in Republican primaries. Not bad for a start, but it's not going to win anything. To take the campaign to the next level, I think they have to do something that is very difficult for libertarians. They have to package the message.
I do not mean the message should be changed, or anyone has to change their principles. What I mean is that the Ron Paul team has to find a way to put the message into 7 words or less so it fits on a billboard. They have to use microtargeting, emphasizing different elements of the message to different groups. Use focus groups to test out different phrases that are consistent with the underlying philosophy to see what works best with voters.
I've been a Ron Paul fan for years now. I'm a defense lawyer and I love the Constitution. But I've been a candidate a few times and it's rare to meet a voter for whom "the Constitution" strikes a chord. I hope the campaign figures this out soon.
I think the campaign is encountering a problem I mentioned in an earlier post about the Ron Paul message.
Ron Paul now has a base. It's about 8-10% of the voters in Republican primaries. Not bad for a start, but it's not going to win anything. To take the campaign to the next level, I think they have to do something that is very difficult for libertarians. They have to package the message.
I do not mean the message should be changed, or anyone has to change their principles. What I mean is that the Ron Paul team has to find a way to put the message into 7 words or less so it fits on a billboard. They have to use microtargeting, emphasizing different elements of the message to different groups. Use focus groups to test out different phrases that are consistent with the underlying philosophy to see what works best with voters.
I've been a Ron Paul fan for years now. I'm a defense lawyer and I love the Constitution. But I've been a candidate a few times and it's rare to meet a voter for whom "the Constitution" strikes a chord. I hope the campaign figures this out soon.
Labels: ron paul
posted by Albany Lawyer at 10:53 PM
2 Comments:
This is interesting analysis from a politics as usual perspective, but as a guy who runs and will run in the future for public office, and presumably wants to move up the ladder, what do you think of the Diebold factor?
Do you really think we can ignore it and assume the people who are counting our votes in secret have good intentions, even though they could rig the election if they wanted to?
As far as your point, that the message should be dumbed down or simplified for the sound byte-geared public, I agree, sort of.
How about "You're getting robbed by criminal bankers."? This would grab everyone's attention.
The message is pretty straightforward and universal. I think people need to be brought up to speed on what's happening so they're rock solid behind the movement. But you're probably right, it's more realistic to trick them into voting your way.
We don't have Diebolds here in NY yet, and I just don't know enough about the issue. I generally believe any voting machine should have open source software and a paper trail so it can be recounted.
I did not say the message should be dumbed down. It should be shortened. In a world where people are bombarded by 1000 messages a day, you have to keep it short and repeat with frequency. Maybe that's politics as usual. But politics as usual is winning right now.
The message is not straightforward to everyone, even if it is to you and me. Perhaps people need to be brought up to speed, but maybe they don't want to be brought up to speed. Why should they trust us? How do we differentiate ourselves from the thousand other messages a day they receive?
I'm not suggesting that we trick anyone. Just deliver the message more effectively.
Post a Comment
<< Home