Canvassers for Obama were supposed to ask supporters to sign a “Commit to Vote” card. The card, the size of a postcard, had space for the address and a statement that the person would be voting for Obama in November. Obama’s picture was on the front of the card.
I didn’t like the cards at all. I did have some voters sign them, but it was awkward for me. The voter had just told me he or she would be voting for Obama, and asking him or her to sign the card felt like I was saying I didn’t quite believe them--would they sign this pledge reaffirming what they had just told me.
Since then I have learned (in an article in the Science section of yesterday’s Times) that the Obama campaign had a “dream team” of social scientists giving advice on ads and scripts. The purpose of the commitment card was to firm up the person’s decision to vote for Obama.
When we asked people what time they planned to vote on election day, that too was a psychological push to get them thinking about a plan to vote. People are more likely to do something when they have a plan. The team originated all sorts of similar ideas and strategies.
The team included economists and social science professors from UCLA, Princeton, UC San Diego, Arizona State, University of Chicago Business School, and Columbia.
Romney had no similar group, although he did have Billy Graham.
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