Do you “know” a lot? I do…I think.

When I experience an event in person, that gives me—in MY opinion—the most credible information, but that requires my presence at the event. Even then, the social or political context of the event may not be visible. And what do I know about the rest of what’s going on in the world?

For events that don't occur in front of me, everything that I “know” depends on reports from others, whether conversations with friends, acquaintances, and colleagues; conventional media (television, radio, newspapers, magazines); or digital media (Internet sources, social media, e-mail). And much of what I see, hear, or read is not “information” but persuasion clothed in the form of advertisements.

I adhere consciously to a particular worldview—“bias” if you like—and attempt to apply that worldview in deciding which of those sources I consider credible, and that filtering cuts through the clutter to some extent.

Who does NOT apply a conscious worldview or bias to filter sources of information? For the mythic “swing voters” (sometimes vote but are subject to persuasion on how to vote) or those even less connected to politics (rarely if ever vote but who occasionally might be persuaded to vote), it’s repetition, repetition, repetition that eventually makes some messages punch through the clutter. Repetition is a tactic that’s applied in every political campaign. (Cognitive science suggests that I'm not immune to it, either, whatever my ego may say.)

And this is where BIG money comes into politics. Repetition costs money—TV and newspapers ads especially, but also direct mail and paid canvassers and phone callers. Repetition makes a candidate’s name familiar, sings the praises of the candidate (and condemns the opposition), and persuades voters (by flooding the brain over time) of the “rightness” of the candidate’s character or positions.

So, given the power of repetition and its reliance on money, can anything counter the power of money? Is it possible to craft messages so persuasive that they can overcome an advantage in greater repetition of our opponents’ messages? Can quality of message compete with quantity of message?

Welcome to the Project.