Spamming Bernie to minority social media may not work, says University of California researcher

[Chitown Kev]

I ran across this doing research on something else and just HAD to share this little story in light of the bright ideas of some Bernie-folk

TheDailyCalifornian: Underrepresented-minority voters brought to polls by face time, not Facebook, study says by Maxwell Jenkins-Goetz

Researchers studying how to best bring underrepresented-minority voters to the polls have found that new technologies such as texting and social media are not as effective as more personal forms of outreach.

A study published earlier this month, led by professor Lisa Garcia Bedolla of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education, examined the attempts of nonpartisan organizations across the state to mobilize underrepresented-minority voters in the 2014 elections through traditional methods — such as door-to-door canvassing and phone calls — as well as new technologies, such as text messages and Facebook ads.

According to the study, social media was ineffective at bringing underrepresented minorities and youth to the polls, while texting — which has seen some success mobilizing those who already vote with greater frequency — was inconsistent. Instead, personal contact on the phone or at the door remained the most effective way to turn out California underrepresented-minority voters.

What is suggested instead?

But for Bedolla, the most important lesson of this study is one that will not likely be forgotten as technology continues to evolve. As she noted in her work’s conclusion, “this study underscores the importance of culturally competent and contextually appropriate outreach” in attempting to mobilize voters.

[bravenak]

1. Yeah.

[Chitown Kev]

2. I know..it makes SO much sense in a "no shit, Sherlock" way

But you know how some folks of the nice white progressive persuasion need to see studies and links and they just can't believe a word of what any sort of minority says.....'cause you know, either we're conflicted or afflicted with Stockholm Syndrome.

[Number23]

9. I'm reading this like "DUH, Kev!" but I know that you posted it for educational purposes

more than anything else.

And by the way, LOVE that sig line of yours.

[Chitown Kev]

10. That's what happens

Last edited Sat Oct 31, 2015, 10:47 PM - Edit history (1)

when "culturally competent and contextually appropriate outreach" Bernie-style is done...you get to learn all sorts of things that you didn't know...I had no idea that I was double-infected.

[gwheezie]

3. I live in a rural conservative county

My voting district voted for Obama in 08. I think one of the more brilliant strategies was it was neighbor to neighbor. We literally had no county dem party organization here. We went door to door and we did coffee and cake meetings in our home. We had to go to the next county over for signs. My county is about 40% non white made up of African Americans and native people. We had to get them out to vote.
So there was no massive mailers like the GOP had, we had people.

[portlander23]

4. CK, door to door is exhausting

Let me tell you, it's not fun doing it in Maine when it starts getting cold. But that's what you do. That's how we got marriage equality passed in 2012. Sometimes you have to connect with real people.

[Chitown Kev]

5. And it's what I did in 2009

When marriage equality didn't pass...canvassing in Kennebunkport and driving past the Bush compound was kinda fun, though.

[portlander23]

7. Yeah I was out in 2009 too

I was out there too in 2009, and I was so disappointed. People had told me that Maine was the "northernmost southern state" and that repeal was a done deal, but I didn't want to believe it.

[72DejaVu]

12. At least you can find a bathroom in Kennebunkport!

Try doing door to door in rural parts of CD2 sometime!

[JI7]

6. yup. look at how every site was full of ron paul crap

Youtube comments section on videos that have nothing to do with ron paul and isn't even political.

Every other news comments sections. All full of pro ron paul crap.

None of that works in getting support

[Starry Messenger]

8. It really is.

I am shy and love social media and would love it to work like magic. But face to face or on the phone is really where and how you reach people. Talking to someone, making the human connection, that's where you see the work happen.

[JustAnotherGen]

11. I made this point in September

And got chastised for making fun of social media warriors.

[Coolest Ranger]

13. I can tell you it's not going to work

Every time friends of mine and I talk about him in facebook, his supporters start storming and spamming all kinds of Bernie articles. You all know that for me, the issues that BLM raises is what is important to me. I have young cousins just now getting ready to start school soon and I want to make sure they grow up in a world where they are not targeted by the police for the color of their skin. They are too young right now to know that there are people out there that hate them for the color of their skin and when I point out that I have not seen anything from Bernie that is going to address how to reel in these crazy and racist cops, they always go back to what he did in the sixties.

I don't care what he did back then. I don't care that he's got Dr. West at his side, Dr. West does not interest me he does not inspire me and he certainly is not inspiring me to want to go to his side and when they hear that, they start insulting me, they start accusing ME of racism. I know it's happened more times then I care to admit. I don't like blocking fellow liberals but when I hear statements like it's either Bernie or bust or I will vote for Bernie or I vote green and don't tell me that because I do that I'm going to put a republican in office. These folks scare the living day lights out of me. I'm also scared that they like lurking groups like this looking for posters they don't agree with and then trying to vote to get that person's posting privileges revoked.

Don't they understand that they are not helping Bernie with this that all they are doing is making undecided voters like me run away from Bernie

[randys1]

17. Why you Black folk dont like being lectured to by white folk about how Bernie walked side by

side with MLK all those years ago, I just dont understand.

You think by now you would be used to white folks lecturing you.

It is almost as if you want to be left alone to make up your own damn mind.

Cant have that, now can we.

Makes us white folks nervous, because we just dont know what you are thinking.


Myself, based on what little knowledge I have about what is is to be Black in America, none, I wont lecture you.

I will support Bernie because I believe that even with all his faults of not being able to communicate this well, he is by far the best in this area.

Easy for me because if I am wrong, I have nothing to lose.

[Kind of Blue]

14. Oh, please don't tell them!

Let them spam away

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. I'm not a fancy University researcher, but Duuhh! But don't tell 'em.

[Skidmore]

16. How else can you

win the internets???