Nextdoor Politics Get Nasty

Campaigns

Republicans are spending millions on turnout operations that are deeply flawed, insiders say
NBC News
“The problems, six people said, are pitfalls of the right’s increased reliance on paid canvassers rather than volunteers, and on a sprawling web of vendors and consultants tasked with what can be a thankless, though critical, job. Seven people said that cheating is on the rise amid pressure to quickly meet steep outreach goals.”

What political campaigns get wrong about influencer marketing
Yello
“Influencers with small and mid-sized followings often have higher engagement rates, but there’s still value in working with a high-profile influencer if they can generate earned media and buzz. The strategy isn’t without risks, however, nor is it ideal for micromanagers who want to dictate details.”

Data

The Science of Political Persuasion – Adam Schaeffer (Evolving Strategies)
Business of Politics Show
In our conversation we learn more about what the Left is doing with behavioral science, what Republicans can do to catch up, and how new tech can help make political advertising more effective.”

Fundraising

Independent Sen. Krysten Sinema continues using liberal platforms to fundraise for 2024 reelection campaign
Open Secrets
“Sinema has also continued to raise money through ActBlue, an “online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot, progressive organizations, and nonprofits.” In the first quarter of 2023, at least $450,000 of Sinema’s fundraising came through ActBlue. During that time, Sinema’s campaign paid ActBlue and Democracy Engine about $18,000 and $13,000 in merchant fees, respectively.”

International

National using AI for attack ads: The AI political campaign has arrived
Stuff
“But National is unapologetic. ‘Yes we have used AI to create some stock images,’ a spokesperson said. ‘It’s an innovative way to drive our social media. As with all social media, we are committed to using it responsibly.’”

Social Media

Local Politics Was Already Messy. Then Came Nextdoor
The Atlantic
“To this day, what really happened on Nextdoor during the Akyuz-Anderl race is something of a mystery, although emails from Nextdoor, along with other evidence, point toward a kind of digital astroturfing. Akyuz, who lost by a little over 1,000 votes, believes that Nextdoor’s volunteer moderators “interfered” with the election. Three local moderators who spoke with me also suspect this. Misinformation and biased moderation on Nextdoor ‘without a doubt’ affected the outcome of the city-council election, says Washington State Representative Tana Senn, a Democrat who supported Akyuz.”

Technology

Political Campaigns May Never Be the Same
The Atlantic
“Amid the growing panic, however, a new generation of tech entrepreneurs is selling a more optimistic future for the merger of AI and politics. In their telling, the awesome automating power of AI has the potential to achieve in a few years what decades of attempted campaign-finance reform have failed to do—dramatically reduce the cost of running for election in the United States. With AI’s ability to handle a campaign’s most mundane and time-consuming tasks—think churning out press releases or identifying and targeting supporters—candidates would have less need to hire high-priced consultants. The result could be a more open and accessible democracy, in which small, bare-bones campaigns can compete with well-funded juggernauts.”

AI could sway the 2024 elections, campaign pros say — but not like you think
Roll Call
“Huynh also sees AI leveling the playing field somewhat between well-heeled and poorer campaigns. His agency has already played around with AI to create a video that portrayed one client as a superhero. It’s the kind of project that would have required renting out a studio with green screens, blocking off hours of the client’s time and hiring some computer animators and editors to put it all together — but, with AI, was created ‘for fun’ in no time at all.”