I live in Massachusetts, a solidly blue state that doesn't get much attention from the presidential campaigns except for an occasional fundraising trip. I'm jealous of people who live in battleground states like Ohio and Florida because they experience the full force of the Obama and Romney marketing machines. I love the marketing aspects of elections because it's fascinating to see how the different campaigns target voters.
Here in Massachusetts, we do have a tight Senate race with Democrat Elizabeth Warren against incumbent Republican Scott Brown for the seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy.
When Brown was first elected to the seat in a January 2010 special election, I wrote here about how social media would likely decide the election and that Brown would win.
Why Warren will beat Brown
This cycle, I predict that Warren will win because voters like me are fed up with being interrupted at home by robocalls pimping Brown. At my home number, we've received quite a few recorded ads from Brown support groups including the Massachusetts Republican Party. So far, we have received no calls from Warren support groups.
I'm eating dinner with my family or enjoying a good book and the phone rings. I take my valuable time to hear yet another unwanted pitch for Brown. These interruptions are supposed to good for Brown? It just pisses me off. And I'm not the only one. Other Massachusetts residents I speak with are also fed up.
People hate sales calls. Some three quarters of Americans have signed up for the National Do Not Call Registry which does not currently apply to political organizations. This is something Shaun Dakin is fighting to change with his 300,000 person strong National Political Do Not Contact Registry.
According to Mollie Reilly in a September 27 article Karl Rove-Backed Group Makes Robocalls Targeting Elizabeth Warren, Crossroads GPS is behind some of the robocalls. This third-party group and others like the Massachusetts Republican Party are harming Brown with their "marketing" because the calls are seen by nearly everyone as intrusive.
Obviously, there is a lot more going on in the campaigns such as television ads, the debates, media, and whatnot. But in tight elections like Brown vs. Coakley two years ago and Brown vs. Warren this November, it is marketing (both good and bad) that holds power to tip the balance.