moneyball for votes
DESCRIPTION
Michael Lewis in his 2003 book Moneyball wrote in-part about how baseball has become an unfair game controlled by the big-spending teams. The same can be said of our political system, and the problem is only getting worse.TRANSCRIPT
putorti
Moneyball for Votes
1787
Article the first... After the first enumeration required by the first article of the Constitution, there shall be one Representative for every thirty thousand, until the number shall amount to one hundred, after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor less than one Representative for every forty thousand persons, until the number of Representatives shall amount to two hundred; after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall not be less than two hundred Representatives, nor more than one Representative for every fifty thousand persons.
Article the first... After the first enumeration required by the first article of the Constitution, there shall be one Representative for every thirty thousand, until the number shall amount to one hundred, after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor less than one Representative for every forty thousand persons, until the number of Representatives shall amount to two hundred; after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall not be less than two hundred Representatives, nor more than one Representative for every fifty thousand persons.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_congressional_apportionment
Source: nationalatlas.gov
1 33,000
1 709,760
Source: Wikipedia
1793 2008
PROBLEM
Intermediaries necessary
Source: opensecrets.org
PROBLEM
Too easy for moneyed interests to buy votes
Source: opensecrets.org
$3.55BTotal lobbying spending in 2010
For every dollar spent on lobbying, the companies got $220 in tax benefits... a return of 22,000%.”Alex Blumberg
Source: npr.com
“
PROBLEM
Winning votes to be elected is very expensive
Source: opensecrets.org
$6.5MCost to win Senate race in 2008
$1.1MCost to win Congressional race in 2008
1948
1964
1988
2004
Source: theatlantic.com
What do we have?
The new intermediaries
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
Disrupt mass media by using a cheaper channel
to deliver votes
Mass media
• Top-down, one-to-many
• Expensive, self-reinforcing
• Message concentrated in few hands
• Command-and-control organization
Social media
• Many-to-many
• Cheap, accessible
• Message can evolve
• New blocs can form based on shared interest
• Self-organization
SOLUTION
Use their tools to your advantage
Before
• Voter data kept hidden by political parties
• Consumer data expensive, locked away
• TV watching high
• Phone, location, transit limits message
Now
• Voter roll data available to the public
• Data is being shared on Facebook
• TV on the decline; cell phones, internet increasing
• Messages can spread virally
SOLUTION
“I’ll deliver my votes to you if...”
Still Happening
• Donors and their agendas most important
• Negative ads dominate
• Politicians forced to satisfy donors to be re-elected
• Outspending
Future
• New power-brokers on social media are the most important
• Positive messages dominate
• Politicians need to hold support of engaged citizenry
• Outfriending
“the person who brings in the most online voters between now and September 10 will win coffee
with the Congresswoman”
IN CONCLUSION
Apathy is out, engagement is in
putorti
Thank you