Why do we vote the way we do? The easy answer, of course, is that we pick the politician whose values, beliefs and opinions most closely resemble our own. But while that does play a part, there are other, less obvious influences as well.
It turns out that much of why we make the voting decisions we do comes from our subconscious: biases we hold towards things like a candidate's height, weight, looks, tone of voice, and even choice of clothes. Campaigns have known this for years and, with every vote being fiercely sought, have employed a variety of tactics to make their candidate appeal to parts of our psyche we're not even aware of.
Since the first televised presidential debates in 1960, the political world has witnessed the ushering in of a new era. For the first time, a politician's stage presence and appearance had become just as important as the substance of their message. Today, crafting an effective public image and exploiting media opportunities is more important than ever. But how far is too far?
In October of 2014, in a spectacle termed “Fangate,” Florida Governor Rick Scott initially refused to debate an opponent who'd placed a fan under his lectern, presumably to keep him from sweating in front of the cameras & audience. And in a 2010 incident, candidate Adelaide Sink was discovered using a 4-inch riser behind her podium so she would appear taller during a Univision debate.
While incidents like these are easy to laugh at, the importance of gaining the advantage in an election is no laughing matter. For this reason, data collection is yet another tool being increasingly used by by savvy campaigns.
The 2012 Obama re-election campaign was seen as a turning point for this emerging trend. Thousands of analysts, programmers, social media experts, consultants, focus group researchers and volunteers scoured unprecedented amounts of voter data to help refine and target the President's message to the public.
Big data and visceral messaging will likely define the futures of all big campaigns. In this show we'll pull back the curtain on what's becoming the new science of electability.
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GUESTS:
- Drew Westen- Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Emory University in Atlanta and the founder of the political consulting firm, Westen Strategies. He’s also the author of The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation
- Marianne Lafrance- Professor of Psychology at Yale University and an expert on the Halo Effect. She’s the author of Why Smile: The Science Behind Facial Expressions and co-author of Moving Bodies: Nonverbal Communication in Social Relationships
- Jen O'Malley Dillon- Co-founder of Precision Strategies, and deputy campaign manager for President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. She’s also a former Executive Director of the DNC and has worked on over 5 presidential campaigns
SONGS:
- “When You’re Smiling” by Ella Fitzgerald
- “Why Do I Like You” by The Thespians
- "Vote For Me" by Chicago
Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.