The Guardian's Letter Writing Campaign, redux

  • News
  • Thread starter russ_watters
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Writing
In summary: Not this time though.In summary, The Guardian's campaign backfired in Ohio, but it may have had an impact on the election overall.
  • #1
russ_watters
Mentor
23,163
10,373
We've discussed this before and I remain convinced that this was a serious effort to meddle in US politics. Whether it was or not, it may have done precisely the opposite of what was intended: it may have been the deciding factor in the election - giving the win to Bush.

Link: Brits' campaign backfires in Ohio
The letters — many of which criticized the war in Iraq, spoke of fear abroad of U.S. foreign policy and implored recipients to vote President Bush out of office — were attacked as an invasion of privacy and intrusion into U.S. sovereignty.
The campaign allowed more than 14,000 Guardian readers to send letters to voters in Clark County (population 145,000) who had not declared their party affiliation when they registered. It was canceled less than 24 hours after the first letters arrived in Ohio.

And on Election Day, Clark was the only one of Ohio's 88 counties — and among only 5% of all 3,113 U.S. counties and independent townships — to turn from Democratic blue in 2000 to Republican red this year.
This is beyond funny - its yet another miscalculation on how to defeat Bush - just this one can't be blamed on Kerry or his staff.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Didn't I just read this somewhere else... ?

Yup, BobG's post, #52, here.

What a stupid bunch of morons ! Sheesh ! :grumpy:
 
  • #3
Oops - missed that. In any case, I disagree with his point: It may well have affected the vote in the whole state - not just Clark county.
 
  • #4
Again, as I stated in my now locked thread, these people do not understand the American political landscape.
 
  • #5
russ_watters said:
Oops - missed that. In any case, I disagree with his point: It may well have affected the vote in the whole state - not just Clark county.
I imagine it's possible. But I still think it's unlikely.

There were 8 races in Clark county involving both a Rep and a Dem. Republicans won all 8 races with the Bush-Kerry race being the closest. I'm sure it changed the votes of some, and possibly the votes of people who just heard about it. It would have had to change the votes of around 70,000 people statewide to affect the election. (Clark county only had 68,000 voters, regardless of their total population, but they did have a very good turnout - 76.7% of all registered voters voted).

I think it's more likely that a good economy in 2000 inflated Gore's results than British letters suddenly changed the county to staunch Republicans.

http://www.co.clark.oh.us/boe/results.txt
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #6
You're probably right, BobG - I realize Bush's margin of victory was 140,000+. How much of that was due to The Guardian's campaign? I don't know - but the chance that The Guardian had a big effect is an entertaining possibility.
 
  • #7
Entertaining to some, infuriating to others...
 
  • #8
Gokul43201 said:
Entertaining to some, infuriating to others...
Same diff - or rather, doubly-entertaining. :biggrin:
 
  • #9
Eventually, I thought about the comment I had made about the incredibly high percentage of registered voters that turned out and decided I had to check something out.

About 14 counties total surrounding Clark (and including Clark) had very high turnouts compared to the state as a whole with Bush being the main benefactor (how many votes gained since 2000 elections). Since those are added, you can't really take those away and give them to Kerry. I doubt the letters actually changed very many minds.

Still, that makes a pretty big difference. I think it's plausible the Guardian article may have increased voter turnout by about 10% and added about 48,000 votes to Bush's margin by bringing out more Republican voters. Not enough to change the outcome (unless the provisional votes break very, very heavily in favor of Kerry), but pretty impressive, none the less.

Probably more heartbreaking for a couple of the other Democrats running. While heavily Republican, usually a couple of Dems win in those areas.
 
Last edited:

1. What is "The Guardian's Letter Writing Campaign, redux"?

"The Guardian's Letter Writing Campaign, redux" is a movement started by the British newspaper, The Guardian, to encourage people to write letters to their elected officials advocating for important social and political issues.

2. How does the campaign work?

The campaign provides resources and guidelines for individuals to write effective letters to their political representatives. It also encourages people to share their letters and experiences on social media using the hashtag #GuardianLetterCampaign.

3. What issues does the campaign focus on?

The campaign focuses on a wide range of social and political issues, including climate change, human rights, healthcare, and immigration. It also encourages individuals to write about local issues that are important to them.

4. Is the campaign effective?

While it is difficult to measure the exact impact of the campaign, it has received significant attention and support from individuals and organizations. Many politicians have also acknowledged receiving letters from constituents and have responded to the campaign's advocacy efforts.

5. How can I get involved in the campaign?

You can get involved in the campaign by writing and sending a letter to your elected officials, sharing your letter on social media, and encouraging others to participate. You can also stay updated on the campaign's progress and upcoming initiatives through The Guardian's website and social media platforms.

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top