Presidential Election Already Decided ... in Voters' Minds

[tannybogus]

<snip>
"Automatic mental associations have the potential to distort people's perceptions of reality," said Gawronski. "Biased perception of the information provides the basis for future decisions, leading them in one direction or another."

With most elections in the United States' two-party system decided by a handful of undecided voters, the findings suggest that politicos, rather than thinking deeply and planning intelligently, should concentrate solely on influencing the undecided electorate's unconscious -- something that's easiest to do with negative attack ads.
<snip>
Where do automatic associations come from? It's conditioning, said Gawronski: Repeat something often enough, and a link is made.

Worst of all, he said, "It's much easier to create a negative association. Technically it's possible to create a positive association -- but you need to work much harder."
<snip>

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/08/undecided-voter.html

This info has been known for a long time.
Nobody pays attention to the implications because they don't want to
believe it. This is food for thought.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. Rove is a master at using this technique. 911 Saddam 911 Saddam....

presto! Majority of the sheeple believe it. Obama.....elitist....Obama...elitist....etc.

For whatever reason (probably scruples), the Dems don't use this technique very effectively.

[bemildred]

2. Circular logic.

Assert the public is bunch of easily-swayed fools, so the easiest way to get elected is to appeal to their basest instincts. So that's all we ever get, propaganda and "negative campaigning". So the public never sees what a real hard-fought campaign based on real issues even looks like. It's like keeping a bunch of pigs penned up in a sty, and then commenting: "They like to live in their own shit."

[tannybogus]

3. No, the public is not a bunch of easily swayed fools if they are aware.

If you are thinking that people are making a conscious choice, then I don't believe they are easily swayed. However, there has been a lot of research done about how people make up their minds. A good deal of it was done by product marketers. Is some of it "bad science." I'm sure there are bad studies out there. However, that does not negate what people are learning through testing. The basic finding is that people are unconsciously swayed by certain factors, and it can be hard to change the initial response.
Nobody likes to think they don't have free will. I say ignore these findings at your peril. Don't shoot me, and dismiss it all you want. That won't change how people process information.
Read: "State of Confusion: Political Manipulation and the Assault on the American Mind" by Bryan Welch
"The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation " by Drew Westin
"Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior" by Ori and Rom Brafman
"Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions" by Dan Ariely
"Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell
There are a lot more out there. It is scarey.
:shrug:

[bemildred]

4. You misunderstand my argument.

Thinking is an accrued skill, if you never get to excercise it, you will never develop it. But THAT does not mean you are not capable of it. It may be true that people do not think well, statistically speaking, but that is the RESULT of the situation, not the cause of it, and that is what I am pointing out. The problem is not that "we" are stupid, it's that "we" are badly led and badly mis-informed.

[tannybogus]

6. I think I understand your argument.

People do not think or are taught to think. My point is that so much is done that we are unaware of. Here is a quote from the article:

"People can fight back.

"From the perspective of a voter who doesn't want to be a slave of their automatic mental associations, our study can inform people of how their mind works, and resolve the unawareness of unawareness," Gawronski said.

According to Phelps, awareness alone isn't enough.

"You can practice changing your cognition, and being a little more thoughtful about how you approach things," she said. "The research now is looking at what strategies will change this."
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/08/undecided-voter.html

I believe that people have to not only think, but be taught how to think so that the unconscious choices don't hold sway. I think we are agreeing.(All this thinking about thinking is giving me a headache.)As you see from the quote, they are working on positive strategies.

Now I am going to think about having a drink before I think about anything else.
:hi: :beer:

[bemildred]

8. Thinking is "hard work".

:beer:

[JustAnotherGen]

5. tanny

I'm going to agree with you.

I'm going to agree because I watched all of the "McCain Story" on CNN last night. A half an hour into Obama? I turned it off.

You know why?

I've already made up my mind. I live alone but said out loud, "I'm already voting for him. I don't need to watch this. I've read his books. I've read his policies, etc. etc. I don't NEED to watch this."

Sad but true. I'm the electorate that there's pretty much nothing the media can say that is going to influence ME to change my mind. It's the undecideds they should focus on.

That said:
Housing Gaffe
The Draft
The First Wife Cheated on

To me - this is all fair game.

[tannybogus]

9. You have made a choice and you are aware of it.

That is one group that I think is growing. The problem are the people who aren't aware that they have been unconsciously affected. They may have unconsciously made their choice. They don't have an "Aha" moment like you. That's why it is important to learn strategies to undo or get around this first impulse. The science shows that it can be very hard to change that first instinct.
:hi:

[JustAnotherGen]

11. Hmm

:hi:

I don't know if it's a conscious choice so much as:
1. I was politicized Liberal
2. My parents are Democrats
3. My father would shoot me if he knew I'd voted for Pataki a few years back.
4. My mother is a Code Pinker

Here I am - 35 years old. Financially independent - live 400 miles away from them . . .

And I'm still afraid my 'mommy will get out her wooden spoon'. :rofl:

For me this is a no brainer and honestly - the liberal dem upbringing and 'VALUES' - there's no chance in hell I'd vote McCain. We all at D.U. have a better chance of seeing God in the next five minutes than of me voting for McSame - or any Republican.

ONE think could turn me to the Green Party. Obama picks a Republican as a 'surprise' and I'm gone.! :pals:

[tannybogus]

12. You mean McCain isn't God?

He's got to be because he was a POW.:sarcasm:

[JustAnotherGen]

13. LOL

:rofl:

Wait - wasn't he going to the gates of Hell? :evilgrin:

[tannybogus]

14. I want to know where the directions are!

He must have a celestially programmed GPS.
He will because He IS (say it with me - LOUD and PROUD)a POW!!!!!!!!!!!!!:woohoo:

[JustAnotherGen]

15. Oh dear!

:rofl:

[tannybogus]

16. If the theories I'm explaining are right,

McCain will forever be associated with POW.
Of course that might not be a favorable thing if
it is linked to:
http://www.kickfight.com/
:evilgrin:

[rucky]

7. I thought it was decided in the last 48 hours?

:shrug:

[tannybogus]

10. People SAY they didn't make up their minds until the last 48 hours.

The studies suggest that they have already unconsciously made a decision. The awareness of their choice
only manifests itself to them in the last 48 hours. However, there is not nearly as much last minute deciding going on
as one might believe.
Hm... Let's say 2 sounds are played at a very low volume. It is so low that you are not conscious of it. When one sound is played,
you always have positive reinforcement. When the second sound is played, you always have negative reinforcement.Later, you are asked
to choose one of the sounds. A lot may go into trying to influence your choice. However, you are already programmed to choose one
sound because without being conscious of it, one sound has been strongly linked to a positive feeling. You feel like you are making
an informed and independent choice. Not so.
I'm using sounds. Politics uses negative imaging.
I think that I am thinking too much about thinking.:hi: