The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management PMGT 6460 Audience Research: Assignment 5.1–The Analysis Exercise (Congressional Election) (Minnesota) By: Alexander Gomez

Assignment 5.1 The Analysis Exercise

Assignment 5.1 The Analysis Exercise

From: Alexander Gomez

To: Professor BJ Martino, et al.

Date: April 23, 2017

RE: Assignment 5.1 Campaign Analysis Report
Executive Summary

Congressman Mark Kennedy is poised to gain a significant advantage over his opponent Janet Robert due to his incumbency in office, name recognition and his relatively high approval ratings.  However, his campaign could face significant hindrances with regard to how Minnesota views it’s most urgent issues.  Cumulatively and with greater frequency, the people of Minnesota are losing faith in the ability to keep the state on the right track as his disapproval rating slowly rises.

The majority of voters, through his high frequency within polling statistics in Minnesota, truly believe that Kennedy deserves another opportunity to continue running the state.  His persistent advantage could be thwarted if Janet Robert were to take advantage opportunistic short-comings that reflect on the constituency more indecisive segment of the population.

Many voters in Minnesota greatly favor an expansion of Educational opportunities, the North Star Corridor Highway system expansion, and are also in favor of more public transportation which in turn would create more jobs while strengthening the state economy.  Ultimately, schools, transportation, the economy, and jobs are all paramount issues that reflect the voting behaviors of the people of Minnesota.  To succeed, Mark Kennedy should establish a platform that promotes all of these issues in order to incentivize voter turnout, name recognition, positive approval ratings, and re-election.

Recommendations:  Mark Kennedy

The existing political environment reflects the attitudes of voters who are currently seeking better economic and a secure future for retirement.  Janet Roberts is known as a multi-million heiress, which can be depicted as out of touch with average voters during TV political advertisements and political debates.  Steady utilizing this weakness could greatly facilitate better approval numbers which will relate to higher name recognition on Election Day.  Furthermore, according to the Rotational Question 27, older American’s are significantly worried due to push polling tactics which depict Kennedy as “raiding” the social security trust fund in order to line the pockets of the wealthy through tax cuts.   This situation must be immediately addressed to thwart Robert’s ability to manipulate this issue against Kennedy.  The overall consensus shows that Congressman Mark Kennedy has been at the vanguard of transportation efforts and has supported funding that would expand the highway system while creating more jobs.  This in particular should be elaborated upon on the campaign trail through speeches, social media, mass emails, and mass mailings.

Kennedy should make it a point to target the 30-50 year old demographic with emphasis on the state economy, transportation, and education.  The best option for Kennedy would be tie all 3 into a platform that corroborates with better educational opportunities through state funding while diminishing the consequences imposed by voters who are worried about more taxes.  It would be more beneficial for Kennedy to emphasis his accomplishments rather than begin push polls or political mudslinging that could tarnish his established popularity among voters with specific messaging allocated for these 3 major issues.

Recommendations:  Janet Robert

In order for Robert’s to compete with Kennedy’s popularity and ability to garner greatly important name recognition, she would need to focus her campaign platform on exacerbating the cumulative percentage of voters who are opposed to the North Star Corridor expansion and how it could delineate economic viability through increased taxation in order to financially support it.  Kennedy is known to be a proverbial champion of transportation funding.  Decreasing this popularity by tying it to funding efforts and the overall negative affects to state budget ledgers could allow for more voters to lean in favor of Robert’s by associating her with progressive-austerity economic planning without alienating voters who greatly favor transportation expansion like public services.

 

Robert’s should also focus on indecisive voter’s who are unsure in terms of approving of Kennedy’s performance.  This form of indecisiveness is an actual large and valid percentage which reflects a higher frequency of voters.  This average margin can best be tied to other demographics and data which reflect what these unsure voters may deem politically important to them. Overwhelmingly, education is a major priority among the people of Minnesota a very high percentage of the population in support of more educational access reflecting nearly 53 percent.  This could be greatly facilitate better name recognition if she ties her campaign to Education, Jobs, and the State economy while taking a different approach to transportation so as to allow for a more streamlined, yet different approach to governing Minnesota.

 

Charts/Bar Graph/Data Analysis

Q1. Direction Things In Minnesota Are Going:

R1 Direction Things in Minnesota Are Going/Conclusions:

Q3. Most Important Issue for Voters in Minnesota

R3. Most Important Issue for Voters in Minnesota/Conclusions

Q6. Support North Star Corridor/What You SRH:

R6. Support North Star Corridor/What You SRH/Conclusion

Q9. Mark Kennedy Name ID

R9. Mark Kennedy Name ID/Conclusion

Q10. Mark Kennedy Job Approval

R10. Mark Kennedy Job Approval/Conclusions

Q11. Does Kennedy Deserve Re-Election

Q14. Congressional Ballot/1^st

1. 14 Congressional Ballot/1st/Conclusions

The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management PMGT 6460 Audience Research: Push Polling By: Alexander Gomez

Push polling is a highly manipulative technique in telemarketing to try and persuade a potential voter to vote a certain way.  Oftentimes, inaccurate or biased information is used as a method to discredit an opponent or disqualify their experience to hold office.  It uses forms of slander to effectively coerce a caller into understanding that an opponent may be disreputable without any real basis in fact.

Polling firms are adamant about stopping push polling because of its unethical practice when used to slander or create a libelous environment counter to an opponents true abilities.  In time, such telemarketing strategies will create continued skepticism about the viability of polls or audience research by undermining it’s accuracy to impartially analyze data.

Push polling differs from legitimate polls because the questions asked refer to an opponents standing record on certain political ideologies while misconstruing information in order to cause reputable damage.  For example,  if a candidate were considered Pro-Choice, a push pollster could use that information against the candidate by conducting a telemarketing calls that refer to the candidate as an abortionist or ask questions like “would you consider voting for a candidate who believes in killing babies?”  The question represents information that has been manipulated in order to deter the caller from continuing their support for the candidate and effectively changing the callers voting behavior without the opponent being able to defend themselves.

A legitimate poll would inquire as to the nature of pro-life referendums, successful policy implementation, and what, if any, were the basis for their political stand.  To sum everything up as just “baby-killers” effectively alienates the candidate from larger voter base who may be in line with other political ideologies which could be favorable to a larger audience like economics, domestic policy, foreign policy, or immigration.  Push polling centralizes on a particular demographic and ostracizes an opponent by targeting unfavorability over viablity.

The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management: PMGT 6460 Audience Research–New & Improved: Comparative Analysis By: Alexander Gomez

The overall American preoccupation with newer consumer goods can readily be transposed to political, economic, and ideological ideas.  From electronics to even new forms of religion, I believe western philosophical thought is fundamentally geared towards newer concepts.  It allows for the transition of traditionalist views into more progressive understandings by refreshing the overall landscape of political thought.

It is the result of a carefully cultivated sociological disposition that dates back to the founding of the country, where new political systems that evolved from previously traditional ones allowed for the gradual implementation of what could be deemed “newer” ideas.  It is tied with such historical concepts of manifest destiny, globalization, and even climate change, where preservation and foresight itself becomes a new idea meant to deter from cataclysmic consequences.

The major difference between marketing products and candidates is, with the latter, the malleability of political ideologies in direct reference to the constituents who vote, and ultimately buy into, the candidate for office.  A product has a particular use.  Most likely, it’s use is clearly stated or understood.  A car is used for transportation, a blender to make drinks, and cell phone to make calls, etc.  What is a politician’s use?  Some may answer it is to ensure the safety of their constituents, other may suggest they are meant to tow the party line, and other’s feel some politician’s have the ability to become mavericks or change society for the better.   The truth is all of these concepts apply and that is why politicians, unlike products, can be difficult to ascertain in terms of what their true uses are.  Especially with the importance of re-elections, campaign finance, budget analysis, and overall polling, many politician’s make it a point to change or reform their own political platform to suit the needs of re-election, their voting public, or the needs of their states.

When it comes to political campaigning, and especially political ads, it’s easy to see how consumerism plays a role in the viability of a candidate.  Many candidate’s themselves actually get funded by huge multinational corporations who may endorse the candidate.  Political slogans have become very accurate in ensuring the success of a candidate in much the same way that consumer advertiser’s create slogans for the success of their products.  Oftentimes, name recognition becomes synonymous with such a slogan and allows for a more direct understanding of a candidate’s platform.

The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management Audience Research: Assignment 4.2–Congressional Targeting Exercise (Georgia)

Assignment 4.2 Targeting Exercise Excel Spreadsheets

Assignment 4.2 Targeting Exercise Tables/Bar Graphs

From: Alexander Gomez

To: BJ Martino, Facilitator, et al.

Date: April 21, 2017

RE: Assignment 4.2 Congressional Targeting Exercise (Georgia)

 

Executive Summary

                The Bush Presidential Campaign is in need of a stronger base in Georgia which can translate towards a secure congressional win throughout the state.  Overall the both races are almost tied in terms of ballot consistency between Bush and Hall, with Bush slightly trailing behind.  However, statistics in the Tarrance Group Table shows a large number of voters could lean towards ticket splitting.  The tablature also shows that undecided voters still make up a large majority of the electorate with name recognition secured on the democratic side.

Recommendations

                The 25-39 voter age range is a highly untapped resource that could greatly assist a Bush turnout.  This particular group is at the heart of lesser understood voters and their voting percentages underestimate their viability should this vital segment of the voting population be eventually tapped in favor of Bush.  Georgia is critical to major Republican win due to the demographic of the state which most closely align to center-moderate values.  A large majority of the population remains undecided and could be tied to less participation from the age group.  Closely associating a Hall senatorial victory with Bush’s name recognition could greatly facilitate a Republican lead win in Georgia.

Since this exercise takes place in 2004, utilization of social media, although minimal could greatly assert a strong influence in favor of a Republican turnout in Georgia.  Mainstream media outlets, which lean towards more progressively liberal policies could be undermined with a grassroots movement that purports to uphold and expand on socially and economically conservative values without marginalizing moderate liberals who could be influenced into voting for Republican candidates.

Respondents of the Tarrance Survey greatly limit the potential of younger generation Americans.   Voting behaviors throughout Georgia depict a frequency of mostly GOP voters at 69 percent.  Creating a campaign platform that touches upon moderate to liberal voters without alienating the conservative base could greatly ease a higher number of pro-republicans with split ticket voting behavior.  Combining Georgia’s Eastern region with Richmond county could easily facilitate the necessary voter turnout for a Republican victory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Generic State Senate Ballot
2. JB Powell Name ID

 

 

 

3. Randy Hall Name ID
4. Candidate Image Awareness

 

 

 

5. Presidential Ballot Voter Behavior
6. State Senate Ballot Voter Behavior

 

 

 

7. Respondent’s Age

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusions

1. Generic State Senate Ballot/C
2. B. POWELL NAME ID/C

 

 

3. RANDY HALL NAME ID/C
4. CANDIDATE IMAGE AWARENESS/C

 

 

 

5. PRESIDENTIAL BALLOT/C
6. STATE SENATE BALLOT/C

 

 

 

7. RESPONDENT’S AGE/C

The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management Congressional Targeting/Audience Research: Executive Memorandum

From: Alexander Gomez

To: BJ Martino, Facilitator, et al.

Date: April 21, 2017

RE: Assignment 4.1 Congressional Targeting Exercise Ohio (Schmidt)

 

Executive Summary

 

Targeting the segments of the population with low percentage numbers, which do not know about Schmidt, and those who know of Schmidt but will vote for McCain, will paramount in promoting awareness in favor Schmidt.   Regional areas with numbers that reflect the potency of a potential campaign advertising drive should be targeted to begin the process of getting people more familiar with Schmidt.  Although the importance of major cities should not be neglected, the data gathered illustrates that rural areas seem to have the most impact-potential when targeted for exposure to Schmidt.   Many may not be aware of her candidacy; targeting this segment could be beneficial to her campaign.

Target Areas

According to the Terrance data collected in Ohio, geographic regions like Hamilton, Clermont, and Warren would best be targeted in order to supplement Schmidt’s higher polling numbers in urban areas.  Further targeting of non-union areas who generally fall as independents as well as families who currently have their children living at home would also be ideal.

Independents are shown to be less sure about the direction that their state are going and targeting this indecisiveness while further exemplifying Schmidt’s track record will greatly supplement her campaign goals.  The data shows that Republican’s in Ohio have a larger voter turnout rate than democrats so targeting Brown, Clermont, and Hamilton Counties would help in giving Schmidt an edge in terms of voter awareness regarding her campaign.  There should also be further targeting of age ranges 18-34 and 35-44 who are considered “ticket splitter,” where they may have the greater likelihood to change their minds from McCain in favor of Schmidt.

Cities like Columbus and Cincinnati should be targeted with emphasis placed on Moderates who are liable to vote in either direction, republican or democrat just as a precaution and to boost voter numbers.

Methods of Communication

Targeting the mentioned segments of the population above should be tied to specific age group.   The 18-34 year age group will best be targeted through social media political memes, where likes and conversations could be analyzed so that data on their political leaning could be mined.  Twitter posts with links to subsequent relevant social website and online press would also help to further showcase Schmidt’s campaign platform.  The direction of the targeting should be concise and to the point without too much over-information.  Most of the information that is used to target this age group should catch their attention without being to over-explicative of the facts, yet tied to reliable sources,  relevant causes, or corresponding agencies for validation purposes.

When targeting the 35-44 year age group it would be imperative to focus more on mailings, television ads, direct phone calls and emails.   Responses, or lack thereof, should be carefully data-mined to understand the behavioral stimuli of this target group when exposed to the issues that Schmidt’s campaign wishes to address.  Timing would be crucial when targeting this group since the data elaborates that the best targets in this age group also have families that live at home.  A telephone drive between the hours of 4-7pm would best be suited for data-mining purposes.  Mailings can be sent out with postage paid envelopes which not only introduce the candidates but ask for a return of a questionnaire which could elaborate the targets approval or disapproval.

 

 

 

The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management–Digital Strategies PMGT 6452:”GOTV” Get Out The Vote Ad Campaign Memorandum By: Alexander Gomez

From:  Alexander Gomez

To: Jenna Brayton | Cameron Brenchley | Chelsea Mears |Suzanne Zurn

Date: December 3, 2016

RE: PMGT 6452—Final Project Assignment 6.1 GOTV Plan

Executive Summary

                The Sanders ad campaign will shift to GOTV efforts aimed at ensuring voter turnout during the midterm congressional elections and eventually the 2020 Presidential election as early as next year 2017.  Fundraising will be a subtle backdrop of the initiative as digital media, specifically in the form of social media, digital wireless telephones, and televised campaigns are utilized to maximize voter registration months prior and voter turnout on Election Day.  Beginning Spring of 2017 and Spring of 2019 voter registration campaigns should be commenced with online registration efforts aimed at assisting voters in finding information on how to register to vote and allowing them the ability to locate their polling station months prior to election day.

At the beginning of October, registration efforts should have already been fulfilled or exhausted and push to get out the vote would include direct televised appeals by the candidate and any sponsors or supporters as well as online digital media sourcing such as Facebook political memes with direct links to websites that promotes Sanders Democrats up for election in the midterms elections.  By the spring of 2019, a shift from Sanders democrats to Senator Bernie Sanders himself as a potential front runner for President in 2020 should commence with ad campaigns on digital media and television.

The utilization of interviews, specifically visualizing Sanders reintroduction to the Presidential political arena should be outlined with images during his 2016 run for president, re-emphasizing Sanders’ consistency, policy platforms, integrity, and political foresight.

Online Advertising October 2017 & October 2019

During this time period online advertising would begin the last week of September or the first week of October reasserting campaign goals associated with potential Sanders Democrats up for reelection or newly proposed candidates for congressional office.  Political memes directly linking them with Sanders through televised interviews, political memes, quotes, or campaigning by Sanders with photographs should be utilized for further promote the vitality of potential candidates closely aligned with Sanders’ policy initiatives.  The basic premise of such a campaign will be to create familiarity with the candidates and Bernie Sanders while establishing Sanders’ integrity, consistency, and experience regarding the issues that most affect everyday Americans.  Education, Immigration Reform, Wall Street Reform, Jobs, getting big money out of congress, and overturning the Citizen’s United Ruling should all be a focus of interest to all candidates aligned or at the very least supportive of Bernie Sanders.   Most importantly during this time, a strong effort should be placed to win over Conservative Republican voters and such ads should be tapered to conservative values regarding inclusion and tolerance without alienating core values that allowed Trump his victory in 2016.

Recent comments in interviews concerning Sanders’ role in a Trump victory given by Campaign Manager Kelly-Anne Conway must be answered by Bernie Democrats and Sanders himself as a backhanded opportunistic ploy to dismay potential Sanders Democrats and a future Presidential run in 2020.  Sanders should reiterate that the revolution that he envisioned was one of civic duty, integrity, morality, and humanism geared at making our society better functioning for everyone.  It will be imperative for all democratic candidates to commit to an ad campaign platform conducive to solidarity in direct contrast to Trumps domestic policy, especially with regard to immigration reform.

Ultimately, by the third to fourth week of October leading up to Election Day 2020 and after securing a democratic nomination for president by Sanders, there should be a separate ad campaign that targets disaffected or apathetic southern voters who may have felt betrayed by Trump’s false promises during his 2016 presidential run while outlining any current weaknesses up to that point with respect to Trumps domestic and international policies.  Quotes that clearly expose Trump’s bigotry in split screen fashion showing Sanders quotes on inclusion and tolerance should be utilized to show the political contrast between the two politicians.  This particular form of advertising could greatly ease the transition of potential voters who may have historically voted Republican by giving them a concise depiction of the differences of values in terms of Trumps inexperience or dishonesty vs. Sanders’ experience and consistency with greater efficacy.

Email List

Mass email’s taken from online contributors, registered voters, and especially potential Republicans who may be swayed to vote for a viable democratic candidate should be rigorously pursued in October 2017 and October 2019.  This email list should also include information or data mined from direct telephone appeals or surveys.  During this time strong efforts should be made to include additional possible prospects to confer with their own contacts in order to assist with offline information drives geared at voter turnout on Election Day.  Aside from emails; Billboards, pamphlets, stickers, and signage could be used to promote GOTV drives directly in neighborhoods with a history of low turnout.  Furthermore, a political ad campaign committee will oversee communications by maximizing contact lists by telephone, mail, and digital media while publicizing Democratic progresses in Congress.

 

 

 

Calendar Timeline

2017

Week of September 24-30

• Convene Advertising Campaign Committee Conference
  • Establish Email Drive Initiatives
    • Direct Email Mass Mailings—Letter Writing
    • Direct Telephone Appeals & Surverys
    • Begin preliminary analysis of Sanders Democrats List for current democratic candidates for Congress.
    • Establish Templates for Social Media Political Memes as well as specific Social Media contact and Direct Website access to Sanders Democrats.

Week of October 1-7

• Confirm and send mass emails and begin analysis for Television airtime and assembling public service announcements.
• Confirm completed website with photography and current news regarding current democratic campaigns for office.
• Air Television ad criticizing Trumps more controversial policies up to this time while juxtaposing them with Sanders’ consistency on the same issues. Roll back to Sanders democratic primary campaign.

Week of October 8-14

• Air television interviews involving Sanders support for potential democrats for office that are aligned with the Sanders political agenda.
• Continue mass emails and fundraising drives.
• Continue overseeing templates and posting social media political memes to foster support for progressive democrats and/or a potential 2020 Sanders Presidential run.

Weeks of October 15-31

• Maximize voter turnout through direct appeals, public service announcements, telephone inquiries and “find your polling place” information that will facilitate a strong turnout for November 4.

November 1-4

• Continue, on a daily basis, with mass emails, “find your polling place” links, current news/political affairs, and attack ads geared to weaken Trumps position or any mandate that allows for justification of his more Orwellian or totalitarian policies.
• Make specific appeals through digital media, social media, TV, and Radio for gender equality, equal pay, equal rights, LGBT rights, affordable housing, affordable higher education, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and immigration reform.

 

2019

Week of September 22-28

• Convene Digital Campaign Advertising Committee
  • Assess current political trends favorable to a Bernie Sanders’ platform
  • Assess Templates for digital media through Social Media platforms via political memes
  • Assess Television ad airtime costs and begin initial mock ups for PSA geared at attacking Trumps Presidential weaknesses or debacles as well as promoting Bernie Sanders as the most viable candidate to unseating Trump in 2020. Mock up of 2016 Primary arguments in favor of a Trump vs. Sanders political race.

 

 

Week of September 29-October 5

• Confirm templates for mass emails and fundraising aspects of the digital ad campaign.
• Send mass emails to contact list approved by the committee as well as promoting telephone calls in support of spreading the word and getting people to vote for Sanders on November 4.
• Assess and begin television ads and public service announcements portraying several Sanders interviews with regard to the economy, immigration reform, Wall Street Reform, the War on Terror, Affordable Housing, Affordable Higher Education, Racism, Criminal Justice Reform, Equal Rights, LGBT rights, Affordable Healthcare, and Minority Rights.

October 6-19

• Continue attack ads geared at diminishing Trumps mandate for reelection and air relevant debate footage favorable to a Bernie Sanders win.
• Post Social Media Political memes with side by side quotes in direct contradiction to Trumps policies while promoting Sanders’ integrity and voting history on political issues shared by both candidates. Use a ‘cause and effect’ approach to ad campaigning that directly places responsibility where it is due concerning any and all of Trumps failed policies.

 

 

 

October 20-November 4

• Air continued coverage of post debate results, as well as individual interviews or briefings with constituents who voted for Trump but are dissatisfied with Trumps 4 years in office.
• Post additional political memes that further elaborates on Sanders’ integrity. (Refer to Digital Mock up websites and reference speeches).
• Air direct interviews of Trump and Sanders as attack ads against Trump exposing Trumps political inconsistencies, lies, and fraudulent approaches to marketing as conduits for his cronyism and political machinations regarding his administration up to that time. Mirror images of 8 years of Bush as a catalyst for attacking Trumps re-election bid.
• Air “GOTV” public service announcements and “Find Your Polling Place” on ALL television, ALL Social Media, and ALL emails sent out for campaign fundraising or other purposes to promote voter turnout prior to Election Day with direct appeals from Sanders Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders.

 

 

 

 

 

The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management–PMGT 6452 Digital Strategies: 30 Second Scripts for Press Release Spring 2017/Spring 2019 By: Alexander Gomez

From:  Alexander Gomez

To: Jenna Brayton | Cameron Brenchley | Chelsea Mears |Suzanne Zurn

Date: November 27, 2016

RE: PMGT 6452—Two 30 Second Scripts for Press Release: Spring 2017/Spring 2019                

 

Commerical Ad Script 1

 

Introduction:

 

It’s been one very interesting year.  We have inaugurated a controversial new president, the economy is still not completely recovered, educational opportunities are being blocked by corporate lobbyists, healthcare is being threatened, and the deportation of millions which may separate families throughout the US is currently being pursued.

 

If you are currently apprehensive about the new administration and the effect it will have on your future then this could be the most important 30 seconds you have ever spent getting to know a candidate who has consistently fought for middle class values.

 

Under Trumps new plan, it seems that “business as usual” will be the norm throughout his time as President.  That means less spending on government services and more tax cuts for the wealthy like President Trump.

 

The truth is that President Trump has one thing in mind and that is big banks, big money, big business, and big payouts to his political cronies.

 

But now is the time to remember a candidate that fought hard against all those things.

 

Who can forget the man who dared to defy Wall Street, the Bank Bailouts of 2008, and who fought for an affordable college education for all the citizens of his home state of Vermont?  Of course that man is Bernie Sanders.

 

We now call upon you to remember that the fight for equality, justice, and peace is far from over!  Throughout the next four years, Bernie will keep his promise to fight ‘tooth and nail’ against any policies that Trump may propose that benefits oligarchy over the prosperity of the people.  Now is the time to hold Trump’s promises to the fire!  Now is the time for Trump to “Feel the Bern.”

 

Sign up to get periodic links on what Bernie is doing in Congress to promote affordable housing, healthcare, women’s rights, LGBT rights, Civil Rights, Immigration Reform, Wall Street Reform, Climate Change legislation, and job growth.

 

Stand with us as we take the revolution we started together last year and bring it back to you and all of our fellow Americans.  Remember, whether you are a conservative or a progressive, this is our country, we are all in this together, and together we will succeed in ensuring that we truly have “A FUTURE THAT WE CAN ALL BELIEVE IN.”

 

 

 

Commercial Ad Script 2

 

It’s been 3 years since President Trump took office with the promise to “Make America Great Again” by bringing back prosperity to everyday Americans.  Are you better off now than you were when that promise was made?

 

Think about the issues with me for a moment.  I know you think of them, even if you are living paycheck to paycheck still and your health insurance has been cancelled, there are times where you and I both believe the future can be brighter.

 

The next 30 seconds may prove to be the most provocative for you so please give us a chance.  If you are better or have continuously been better I applaud you and congratulate you!  But, to those countless millions who are still living under the tutelage of a system that no longer represents the values that have made American a beacon of hope, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, I ask you to join us and keep Washington accountable.  This message is for you because you have been lied to!

 

No, America is not great again!  Not when children continue to live in poverty and 15 percent of our countries population lives their daily lives wondering if they will be able to feed their children or pay their rent.  Or to the family who is currently facing eviction because there is no affordable housing and their wages haven’t gone up in 3 years.

 

Or to the family who lost their health coverage because they couldn’t afford it and face uncertainty regarding their immediate medical needs.

 

Now is the time to unite together and to learn together the real truth.  And that truth is that Trump LIED!

 

Whether you were a conservative or a progressive, a Republican or a Democrat, Trump lied to a collective group in order to pander to the emotional distress of millions of people who faced hardship and continue to face hardship under his presidency.

 

But there is an answer to his fraudulent rhetoric and his name is Bernie Sanders.  Sign up now to get periodic updates on what Bernie is doing to keep Washington accountable for Trumps inefficiency in making sure that we Americans have our needs met!  Being at the frontlines of policy dives like Affordable Housing, LGBT rights, Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, Raising the Minimum wage, Healthcare, Immigration Reform, Wall Street Reform, and getting big money out of politics, it is our collective voice that will help get Washington back on track.  Help us make Washington and President Trump “Feel the Bern this season by visiting our website, getting up to the minute information on Bernie’s policy drives, and how you can contribute!

 

Remember, whether you are a conservative or a progressive, this is our country, we are all in this together, and together we will succeed in ensuring that we truly have “A FUTURE THAT WE CAN ALL BELIEVE IN.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management–PMGT 6452 Digital Strategy By: Alexander Gomez

From:  Alexander Gomez

To: Jenna Brayton | Cameron Brenchley | Chelsea Mears | Suzanne Zurn

Date: November 27, 2016            

RE: PMGT 6452—Digital Strategy: Digital Persuasion Campaign Plan

 

Executive Summary

The main purpose of this digital persuasion campaign is to continue keeping Senator Bernie Sanders policies relevant among the mainstream population.  Sanders ran a campaign that looked to check the power of big banks, lobbyists, and corruption in politics while pushing for socioeconomic reforms that would support the strengthening of the middle class through educational incentives.   The targeting of disillusioned or disenfranchised progressive-conservatives in light of their decision to sway the presidential vote in favor of a republican win for presidency is paramount to ensuring a successful persuasion campaign which continuously promotes Sanders’ policy initiatives.

Furthermore, the use of social media, digital media, and television can be used to ensure that a strong ad campaign that accentuates Sanders’ presidential campaign accomplishments as well as his close association with both conservatives and progressives in congress in order to pass legislation conducive to his political platforms will be utilized to keep the Sanders momentum going.  Ultimately, the facilitating of a potential 2020 presidential run would be at the background of all attempts to revitalize Sanders policy drives by associating current cooperative attempts to pass congressional legislation with his ability to lead.

 

Tools and Tactics

 

A link to a Bernie Sanders site will greatly facilitate the transition of information from one form to another. Whether on television, on the radio, online, or by telephone, a direct communication of this site will allow an audience to research Sanders’ initiatives while allowing a more direct connection to the senator and his legislative goals.  Political memes on social media such as Facebook could help to introduce his policies to a broader audience.  These memes could specifically coincide with topics associated with his presidential run such as:

 

·         Minimum Wage Increases	·         Health Care Reform
·         Free College Tuition	·         Affordable Housing
·         Women’s Rights	·         Combating Climate Change
·         Racial Injustice	·         Expanding Social Security
·         LGBT Rights	·         Wall Street Reform
·         Getting Big Money Out of Politics	·         How Bernie Pays for His Proposals

 

Campaign Timeline

The overall campaign should begin in the spring of 2017 after the Presidential inauguration so as to not tarnish or associate Sanders with the current animosity being felt by a majority of Americans regarding the Donald Trump Presidential win.   In doing so, it will allow Sanders to create a fresh start post-presidential –inauguration with policies being outlined that could very well debate, persuade, and debase any current Trump legislative proposals up to that time.

From the Spring of 2017 until the Spring of 2019, digital ad campaigns that compare or juxtapose Sanders initial plans when he was a presidential candidate with those of current President Donald Trump could help to disassociate voters loyal to Trump in 2016 but dissatisfied with Trumps policies leading up to the Presidential race of 2020.

Digital Imagery, Channeling, Persuasion, & Messaging

Consistency will be essential to a successful persuasion campaign so that viewers/voters can find it easy to understand and look back on Sanders’ previous approaches to policies that favor middle class values over elitist corruption.  Video of previous speeches, current interviews, current successful legislative effort up to that time and additional collaborative efforts between Republicans and Democrats would help to showcase is ability as a statesman through his diplomatic approach to problem resolution.  Furthermore, channeling of dissatisfaction associated with a Trump presidency and messaging geared to the disenfranchised, the marginalized, the ostracized, and the discriminated will help to persuade a wider audience to better persuade people in favor of a Sanders’ 2020 presidential run.

Assessing Successful Milestones 2017-2019

Targeted data mining should begin by the fall of 2017 to assess any weakness within Donald Trump’s Presidency.  Direct speech turnout as well as direct polling and surveys would help to better understand the public’s attitude towards Trump.  Decisions regarding the course of the digital persuasion campaign will then be assessed according to the results of such data mining to better allocate resources relevant to the data analytics, the utilization of information technology, constituent resourcing, data resourcing, references, and information integrity.  Ultimately, it would be best to create milestones where decisions are made relevant to the outcome of such data mining. The primary goal of the persuasion aspect of the ad campaign is to ensure that all information is presented accurately, concisely, and (in terms of video or television) very succinctly.  Trump has now been confirmed to use generalizations in his approach to deflect his opponents.  Although not advisable at the beginning of the persuasion campaign, as the campaign progresses, generalizations regarding his presidency could assist in winning over his supporters who may have grown dissatisfied.  It would be strongly advisable to proverbially fight “fire with fire” and use Donald Trump’s own words against him in the future in order to showcase his dishonesty or chicanery regarding any approaches to political “business as usual.”

Digital Media Campaign Platform Apparatus and Platform

Social Media and Television will be the primary platform apparatus used.  Videos and links to promote Sanders and alienate Trump can be uploaded to Social Sites such as Twitter or Facebook to begin the process of garnering an audience as early as February of 2017.  By the fall of 2017, email campaigns could follow with attached links to video sites. By the end of 2018 or early 2019, television ads exposing Trumps un-kept campaign promises or legislative failures which include defunct international policies could greatly assist in winning over Trump loyalists to Sanders’ political initiatives.

Using imagery through political memes with split screen pictures of both Trump and Sanders while outlining Sanders successes and Trumps failures would also help in winning over Trump supporters.  Any potential weakness or disastrous outcome regarding Trump’s time in the Oval Office should be emphasized to show his inability to lead while promoting the eventuality of a Sanders run for president in 2020.  For this particular persuasive ad campaign, it will be necessary for Sanders to use the “I told you so” approach to debating with Trump supporters as it has been surveyed that many of these supporters are easily influenced by rhetoric or suggestive language rather than direct information or factual advice/evidence in a generalized sense.

Final Synopsis Leading up to the Presidential Race of 2020

The main goal is to allow the frustrations of potential former Trump supporters to be vented in such a manner as to create constructive criticism against Trump nearing the 2020 Presidential race by creating doubt on his mandate to lead.  Trump used such rhetoric to gain his voter base that won him the presidency in 2016 against his opponent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and it will be through such similar rhetoric that a successful persuasion ad campaign could assist Sanders in winning over Trumps conservative support.  Coupled with his already loyal progressive base, such a successful turnover could lead to a possible Sanders Presidential win in 2020.

The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management: PMGT 6452–Digital Strategy–A/B Testing By: Alexander Gomez

From:  Alexander Gomez

To: Jenna Brayton | Cameron Brenchley | Chelsea Mears | Suzanne Zurn

Date: November 13, 2016

Re: A/B Testing Micro-targeting

                                

Executive Summary

 

The current election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States has created a controversial uproar among voters.  Indeed, several protests have manifested to show the disdain that a vast majority of people have regarding Trumps win.  To such an extent, many voters have currently gathered and signed a petition that calls for the Electoral College delegates to counter the votes in their states which will eventually lead to them voting for Hillary Clinton instead.  Several proponents of the petition argue that the United States is actually a republic and that framers of the Constitution understood the importance of how a “tyranny of the masses” could undermine finding a qualified individual for president of the United States.

These proponents argue that the Electoral College was created by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton in order to create plurality while integrating it with political characters who would vote on behalf of the people.  However, this political safety net was also deliberately adopted to ensure that the final vote for president lied with the Electors of each state and not just with the popular vote.  Although, the electors of each state may be beholden to vote in a manner conducive to the plurality of their states, they are not constitutionally nor politically bound to do so.  Although, very light penalties exist for breaking the tradition of voting with the plurality of the states, electors of each state do have the option of voting against the plurality, especially when a candidate is grossly unqualified or perhaps may not have garnered the popular vote at all.  Almost like a check on majority rule, of which Hamilton and Madison warned about, the Electoral College is instituted in order to ensure that the tyranny of the masses would not undermine the overall power of the federal government or undermine civil rights that are pertinent to the stability of the nation.

Alexander Hamilton wrote  about the importance of having a bureaucratic filter to the election of the President as paramount to securing qualified individuals for such a high office by writing that:

 

“Men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice.” Federalist 68

 

Hamilton also elaborated on the rise of demagogues and populists who could manipulate or deceive large crowds or entire portions of the electorate while warning on the exploitation of populist inconsistencies found through blatant propaganda campaigns by further writing on how:

 

“Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single State; but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States.”

 A/B Testing

To ascertain the popularity of such a mindset images relevant to the petition as well as personal quotes from Donald Trump’s Twitter feed will be data mined and will micro-target voters to see which images best support the success of gaining signatures for the Petition.   The landing page will include other images like a description of the petition as well as a political cartoon featuring Abraham Lincoln’s Republican Party and what political thoughts could be extracted by contemporary means.

The goal of the split testing is to see which images become more popular and speak to the overall interest of voters or viewers.  At the end of the testing period, each image winner will be used either for emailing, fundraising, or to support the petition itself.

Date: November 6, 2016

Image 1: Moderate/Centrist Republican Party: “That’s it I’m outta here.” (Lincoln Image).

Image 2: Liberal “Make Hillary Clinton President on December 19.”  (Petition Image).

Image 3: Conservative “The Electoral College is a Disaster for a Democracy!” (Donald Trump Twitter Feed Status).

 

Date:	Week:	Assignment
November 13, 2016	Winner Week 1	Main Landing Page on Petition
November 20, 2016	Winner Week 2	Mass Emails Raising Awareness
November 27, 2016	Winner Week 3	Facebook Call to Action
December 4, 2016	Winner Week 4	Twitter Feed Expose
December 11, 2016	Winner Week 5	News/Media Exposure
December 18, 2016	Winner Week 6	Full Headline Main Page on Petition
December 25, 2016	Winner Week 7	Facebook Forum Discussion Headline
January 1, 2017	Winner Week 8	Main Heading on Petition Page
January 8, 2017	Winner Week 9	Call to Action Petition Promotion of Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
January 15, 2017	Winner Week 10	Image Link/Landing page on associated featured Article to be posted on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Notes:  Overall, each week will feature these images with data quarried from hyperlink hits and redirects to websites.  The site micro-targets, liberals, moderate/centrist’s, and conservatives with the implication that each image is meant to tap into the generalized interest of these 3 types of voters.  Winners of most hits will be tallied each week and assigned according to the specification on the Campaign Schedule indicated above.

The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management: Digital Strategies–WireFrame, HTML Code, & Executive Synopsis By: Alexander Gomez

Recent Tweets:

Bernie Sanders ‏@BernieSanders  Nov 1

“The differences between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are day and night. The stakes are too high to sit this out.”

<HTML> <HEAD>

<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Your Title Here</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR=”FFFFFF”> <CENTER><IMG SRC=”clouds.jpg” ALIGN=”BOTTOM”> </CENTER> <HR> <a href=”http://somegreatsite.com”>Link Name</a> is a link to another nifty site <H1>This is a Header</H1> <H2>This is a Medium Header</H2> Send me mail at <a href=”mailto:support@yourcompany.com”> support@yourcompany.com</a>. <P> This is a new paragraph! <P> <B>This is a new paragraph!</B> <BR> <B><I>This is a new sentence without a paragraph break, in bold italics.</I></B> <HR> </BODY> </HTML>

Rotating Main Video

Vote for a Sanders Democrat by State:

<a href=”http://sandersdemocrats.org/”>Link Name</a>

http://sandersdemocrats.org/

 

Select Your State:

<p style="page-break-after:always;"></p>

 

From:  Alexander Gomez

To: Jenna Brayton | Cameron Brenchley | Chelsea Mears | Suzanne Zurn

Date: October 30, 2016

RE: PMGT 6452—Digital Strategy WireFrame Elements

 Executive Summary

Senator Sanders has placed himself in a position to show his strong support for democratic candidates who may be favorable to his policy initiatives.  This wireframe is a blueprint for his website setup that proposes to elaborate further on the issues that Sanders currently stands for and what policies he hopes to have passed in the future congress.  With the support of fellow democrats, the goal of this Wireframe is to facilitate a smooth transition from Sanders’ Presidential run back to the Senate and then towards a possible 2020 Presidential Run.

Wireframe Main Page

The main page of the site will be comprised of photographs taken of Senator Sanders during his campaign for president as well as to illustrate his popularity among the American people and his willingness to stay transparent in light of various issues that have affected everyday Americans.  Among some of these are hyperlinks that further explain the issues and are located next to the main rotator photo/newsfeed on the main page.  Each link will take the viewer to a another segment of the overall webpage so as to allow for a concise depiction and explanation of Senator Sanders’ policy initiatives and role in getting legislation relevant to those issues passed.  The main goal is to show Sanders’ proactive stance during his vast experience as a Senator.

Various other links are also included in the main page that allow viewers to be directed to pages to donate, volunteer, get Bernie Sanders updates, his Facebook feed, his Twitter feed, contact information, and fundraising events where Senator Sanders will be speaking publicly.

Vote for a Sanders Democrat by State

One of the features of the main site is a redirect to http://sandersdemocrats.org/ which is a website that will allow voters to find what Bernie has named “Sanders Democrats.”  These are candidates who are currently running for office in various states who identify with the Sanders political platform and are willing to work constructively with Sanders issues based agenda.  It allows Sanders to gain support and continue the momentum for various issues pertinent to his presidential bid while allowing for a transparent approach to candidate research by the viewer.

After clicking on the link you will be directed to a map of the United States where you can enter data regarding your state or click on one of the state’s on the map.  Each state on the map is hyperlinked to information concerning current democratic candidates who Sanders supports and favors within the viewer’s chosen state.  These candidates in particular share Bernie Sanders goals regarding equal rights, Wall Street reform, health care, immigration reform, caring for veterans, climate change, global warming, debt free college tuition, tax reform, and affordable housing among others.

The premise behind the site is to facilitate the election of candidates that will help Sanders in his continued fight for the middle class by amassing support for his policies in the Senate and in the House of Representatives while checking corruption or biased approaches to legislation by any future presidency.