Listening to Voters
Published September 13, 2013
by Gary Pearce, Talking About Politics, September 12, 2013.
A veteran political hand once gave me this insight into how political people overestimate how much attention voters are paying: “The voters listen a lot slower than we talk.”
Two pieces of recent evidence: John Frank’s fascinating set of articles in the N&O about voters in swing districts and a new poll on the Republican U.S. Senate race.
The striking thing about Frank’s reporting is how much more attention Raleigh’s gyrations get in Raleigh than across the state.
The big stuff gets through: Republicans de-funding education and disrespecting teachers – and abortion restrictions. But even voters who cared a lot about tax reform didn’t know what happened on that. And several Cary residents hadn’t heard of the Moral Monday protests.
Then there’s the PPP poll showing that 57 percent of Republicans have never heard of Senator Phil Berger.
Pause a sec and get that in focus. Berger – known to some as “Governor Berger” – was the biggest figure and most powerful politician in Raleigh this year. He drove the state’s agenda and dragged along Speaker Tillis and Governor McCrory.
But six in 10 Republicans – Republicans, mind you – don’t even know who he is.
One thing I miss about being a campaign consultant is showing numbers like that to puffed-up politicians and watching their egos deflate.
September 13, 2013 at 9:16 am
Richard Bunce says:
Elected officials need to listen to the voters as they expressed their view on election day... in this case for smaller fiscally conservative government... and not pay attention to poll of the day spinning from political hacks.
September 13, 2013 at 10:04 pm
Vonna Viglione says:
I'm waiting to hear the wails of those poor small business owners who actually thought that the GOP was their ally......Tax year 2014, my friends....that's right.....election year......and the tax year when the first $50,000 of income for a business loses its exemption from state taxes.....a business policy supported by Democrats who put it on the books as a way of recognizing the impact and importance of small businesses to this state.....Small businesses THOUGHT that the GOP included them in all of their grand plans....think again....they are just one more source of "income" and revenue to hand off to cronies and the REALLY REALLY rich....the only constituency that the GOP in NC these days caters to or cares about.
