Analysis on public sentiment, regulatory trends, persuasion, and campaigns.
This week Politico featured an article The End of the 2016 Election Is Closer Than You Think The Politico article is a fantastic read, but doesn't go into the particulars that I would like to explore. Yes, the Politico article in someways scooped a theme I have...
I've been thinking about the amount of effort required to have an opinion. What drove this strain of thought: I was having a conversation with a subject matter expert and I voiced my opinion. He replied, "That is certainly an opinion, but to have an accurate opinion,...
An astute listener to the radio show, the Ward Scott Files, that deals with political strategy and polling asks, "What causes bumps in polling?" Bumps in Polling Often after a candidate announces they are running for President, or after a major party's political...
I anticipate some blow-back on this blog post, but "since my intent is to write something useful to whoever understands it, it has appeared to me more fitting to go directly to the effectual truth of the thing than to the imagination of it" (Machiavelli 61). In a...
Why in the world would a campaign consultant ask the seemingly heretical question, "Do political campaigns really matter?" The answer: partially purposefully provocative combined with another part intellectual curiosity, but as we prepare to spend billions of dollars...
First time candidates make mistakes, and it is because we expect them that we can take steps to minimize them. Over the past 20 plus years, I have observed first candidates making mistakes early in the process and during a campaign. This quick guide is an attempt to...
I am not an alarmist, nor would I be considered a chicken little. In fact, I tend to think systems self-regulate and maintain an equilibrium. However, for the first time, I am starting to ponder is America's current two party system heading towards collapse?...
There is a difference between descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. There is also a difference between the following two questions: What are my chances of challenging an incumbent? and If I decide to challenge an incumbent, what do I need to do to be...
I've received several inquiries on whether or not a "push poll" was run in our local area this week. While I have not polled in the area in question, the question does provide a teachable moment about push polls. What is a Push Poll? The American Association...
