In polling places across America, the ground has shifted. The “ticket splitter,” who once ruled election outcomes, has almost disappeared. …Meanwhile, measurements of the effectiveness of political persuasion ads show a medium generating hardly any effect at all. …
These two developments represent the most unnoticed earthquake in the history of American campaigns. Compared to changing a voter’s party, a candidate choice is almost insignificant.
If 90 percent of voters are choosing parties rather than candidates, why are we spending all of our advertising dollars to distinguish candidates? Convincing a voter to cast a ballot for a candidate is a one-time decision affecting one election contest in one year. Getting a voter to move party allegiance might be a hundred times more valuable. CONTINUED
Hal Malchow, The Hill
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