Political Organizing in the Internet Age
Taking a “Trippi” into the realm of political campaigning
and the internet
The Legend of Joe Trippi
1983, year of the Mondale vs. Cranston campaign
The Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner and the straw poll
The Legend of Joe Trippi
1983, year of the Mondale vs. Cranston campaign
The Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner and the straw poll The Problem
The Legend of Joe Trippi
1983, year of the Mondale vs. Cranston campaign
The Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner and the straw poll The Solution
Significance?
The importance of the roles of political organizers in politics
The importance of networking/organization in political campaigns
They Know How to Win
The importance of the roles of political organizers in politics
The importance of networking/organization in political campaigns
The Power in Networking
Ted Kennedy vs. Jimmy Carter presidential campaign
Arizona - mostly Carter friendly
The Power in Networking
Ted Kennedy vs. Jimmy Carter presidential campaign
Arizona - mostly Carter friendly but Kennedy had supporters in poorer communities IE) Hispanic communities, Indian
Reservations
The Power in Networking
Ted Kennedy vs. Jimmy Carter presidential campaign
Arizona - mostly Carter friendly Carter’s Polling Strategy
The Power in Networking
Ted Kennedy vs. Jimmy Carter presidential campaign
Arizona - mostly Carter friendly Carter’s Polling Strategy
19 Polling venues
The Power in Networking
Ted Kennedy vs. Jimmy Carter presidential campaign
Arizona - mostly Carter friendly Carter’s Polling Strategy
19 Polling venues Locations difficult to reach by poorer
communities
The Power in Networking
Help from Joe’s friends Fernando, son of Cesar Chavez Cesar Chavez - head of farm workers
union
The Power in Networking
Help from Joe’s friends Fernando, son of Cesar Chavez Cesar Chavez - head of farm workers
union Farm workers had very strong influence on
the citizens of the poor communities Considered heroes
Trippi redefines political organization…again…
Texas Primaries = Bullshit Phone calls weren’t enough, too
many hang ups
Trippi redefines political organization…again…
Texas Primaries = Bullshit State Caucuses = Victory
That night @ 8pm Similar to JJ-Dinner, needed to pack
the house with Kennedy supporters
Trippi redefines political organization…again…
Texas Primaries = Bullshit State Caucuses = Victory
That night @ 8pm Similar to JJ-Dinner, needed to pack
the house with Kennedy supporters Success!! - won most of the national
delegates in Dallas as opposed to everywhere else in Texas
A “Trippi” back in time
Step 1: Weekend before election, party activists go door to door or drop leaflets in supportive neighborhoods urging them to vote
A “Trippi” back in time
Step 1: Weekend before election, party activists go door to door or drop leaflets in supportive neighborhoods urging them to vote
Step 2: On Election Day, representatives @ each polling site records the names of all the voters
A “Trippi” back in time
Step 3: Runners takes list back to local HQ where names are checked off on master registration list…(everyone reg. to vote)
A “Trippi” back in time
Step 3: Runners takes list back to local HQ where names are checked off on master registration list…(everyone reg. to vote)
Step 4: Names remaining unchecked by the afternoon are visited by activists or more recently, given phone calls to remind them to vote
Transitions
By the 60’s, Partisan Affiliation began to decline
Increase in Swing Voters IE) Reagan Democrats
New Goals
Get supporters to vote Win unaligned voters Convince party members that were
inclined to vote across party lines to stay with them
I.[nformation]T.[echnologies]
Advantages More detailed data Faster calculation Ability to
determine target demographics easily
I.[nformation]T.[echnologies]
Advantages More detailed data Faster calculation Ability to
determine target demographics easily
Objectives of campaign organizers:
I.[nformation]T.[echnologies]
Advantages More detailed data Faster calculation Ability to
determine target demographics easily
Objectives of campaign organizers:
Lower cost per body
Maintain the “hardcount”
The Internet and Political Organization
Trippi = Technophile Saw that Wave Systems had set up
a blog community
The Internet and Political Organization
Trippi = Technophile Saw that Wave Systems had set up
a blog community Becomes investor, blog community
starts to thrive
The Internet and Political Organization
Trippi = Technophile Saw that Wave Systems had set up
a blog community Becomes investor, blog community
starts to thrive Wave investors start generating
1000-1500 posts a day
The Internet and Political Organization
Wave Systems experienced 2 key changes crucial to the goals of political organizers
The Internet and Political Organization
Wave Systems experienced 2 key changes crucial to the goals of political organizers Emotional Investment
The Internet and Political Organization
Wave Systems experienced 2 key changes crucial to the goals of political organizers Emotional Investment The process of expansion that Wave
went through Word of Mouth, Grassroots
The Advent of Multi-Level Political Marketing
The supporter has become the organizer
I DeanNow I do 2
Now I do 3
Now I do 4
Now I do 5
Tying it all Together
Trippi and the Dean campaign Negotiate contract with
Meetup.com 400 supporters on first day
Tying it all Together
Trippi and the Dean campaign Negotiate contract with
Meetup.com 400 supporters on first day From 8,000 to 159,000 supporters
in 5 months
Tying it all Together
Trippi and the Dean campaign Negotiate contract with
Meetup.com 400 supporters on first day From 8,000 to 159,000 supporters
in 5 months Raised $5 million in 10 days
Tying it all Together
Accomplishments through Meetup.com: 1) Supporters came to him 2) Raised large funds by targeting
large support base and asking for small donations
Tying it all Together
Benefits from using Meetup.com: 1) Supporters came to him 2) Raised large funds by targeting
large support base and asking for small donations
3) Created the community similar to the Wave Systems community
THE BOTTOM LINE!
Trippi had managed to lower the cost per body ratio dramatically because Dean’s supporters did all the organizing for him!!!!!!!
THE BOTTOM LINE!
Trippi had managed to lower the cost per body ratio dramatically because Dean’s supporters did all the organizing for him!!!!!!!
I’m $o Cheap!!!
The Bottom Line!!!
Easy to define target market
Mass fundraising Multi-level
organizing Lowers cost/body Anyone can
become a supporter/organizer
The Bottom Line!!!
Easy to define target market
Mass fundraising Multi-level
organizing Lowers cost/body Anyone can
become a supporter/organizer
IE) Jonathan Kreiss Tompkinse
The Bottom Line!!!
Easy to define target market
Mass fundraising Multi-level
organizing Lowers cost/body Anyone can
become a supporter/organizer
IE) Jonathan Kreiss Tompkinse - 14 yrs old
The Bottom Line!!!
Easy to define target market
Mass fundraising Multi-level
organizing Lowers cost/body Anyone can
become a supporter/organizer
IE) Jonathan Kreiss Tompkinse - 14 yrs old
Stronger Communities
The Bottom Line!!!
Easy to define target market
Mass fundraising Multi-level
organizing Lowers cost/body Anyone can
become a supporter/organizer
IE) Jonathan Kreiss Tompkinse - 14 yrs old
Stronger Communities Emotionally
invested supporters More active, more
passionate
What Else?
What do you think, are the challenges that this new trend brings to future political campaigning?
What do you think will come next?
Facts about the elections business
Most election officials know very little about computer technology.
Election officials depend heavily on expert advice.
Election officials turn a blind eye to failings in the system.
Facts about Computer Security
Computer security experts know little about little about computer science.
No effective anti-virus software. Anti-virus software is a security threat in
itself.
Facts about Public Trust
An election is not to name the winner, but to convince the losers that they lost.
Discussion of weaknesses in security technology both good and bad.
Facts about Election Fraud
Crooked politicians in past never convicted.
Routine error is common in elections, no matter the technology.
Conclusion
Combining paper ballots, end-to-end cryptographic models, and open source voting systems will help the voting process.
But this is not enough!
Digital Democracy?
Statistics: Nearly 10 Million people are voting via
computer this primary season. 1 in 5 US voters will pick the president by
pressing a button or computer screen.
Digital Democracy?
Effort to establish e-voting operates on the same level as the blind faith characteristic of the dot-com era. Prophesying paper free work places, yet
studies show offices use more paper than they did 10 years ago.
Simplicity of e-voting marred by the errors they are actually producing.
Digital Democracy?
Error Statistics: Florida’s touch-screens: failed to register
134 votes, in a race won by 12 ballots. Security flaws in machines could allow
hackers to alter data undetected. San Diego county: Problems plagued 10%
of voting machines. Alameda county: Machinery problems
drove 1 in 6 voters away.
Digital Democracy?
Conclusion: Situation: “Unintended bugs are impossible to
prevent and intentional back doors are impossible to detect.”
One solution: “We don’t have to make the system 100% secure. What we have to do is make the security bar so high that anybody will say, ‘to heck with that.’”
Consequences: “If people don’t have confidence in the voting systems being used, then they lose faith in the voting process itself.”