1. This is an accurate description of oppo research and describes why oppo research did not discover the deceptions of Congressman-elect George Santos
But it skips over a larger problem: the Democratic Party's failure to invest and prioritize research
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/22/opinion/george-santos-oppo-research-dccc.html
2. In Democratic politics, research is considered an entry level job that you slog through on your way to something glitzier like press
It's a task delegated to the most inexperienced and lowest-paid staff
3. Meanwhile, pollsters are paid MILLIONS to message test based on information that is already public to find the most effective message.
These millions usually result in ads about how candidate X "supports working families"
4. These messages poll well but do not break through in the modern information environment.
Research can provide information that can break through, but its seen as an afterthought
Most Congressional campaigns and many Senate campaigns don't have real research operations
5. I'll add that Republicans have long taken a different approach to opposition research.
While Democrats utilize recent college graduates and interns, Republicans generally employ experienced lawyers to do oppo, at least for high-profile races
6. Democrats would be better off if they stopped fetishizing polling and made real investments in research capacity.
The best pollsters value research because they understand it can unlock messages that make a real difference.
But it's not the norm.
7. In addition to a lack a resources, few people provide effective training on how to do political research and how to present it.
The process of creating a "book" described in @[email protected]'s op-ed is the same thing I was doing when I started doing political research in 1997
@[email protected] 8. The idea of a static "book" (which literally used to be a three ring binder) was outdated by the early 2000s
And yet, it is still being utilized today because there is very little innovation in the research world
@[email protected] 9. Final thought: While oppo research has a bad reputation it is actually something that benefits the public.
The public should have known more about Santos before election day
Message polling is just about manipulation
Oppo research informs
@[email protected] Proof that there isn’t a press doing its job in NY. How was it that all of this information took about Santos wasn’t uncovered during the campaign when it was hiding in plain sight?
“This is just not true. I worked at the DCCC in 2018; each region had its own research director with multiple analysts. Then we had an exceptional natl RD with two excellent deputies--one of whom moved to the independent expenditure w/ a team of analysts. Oh, and we won 40 seats.”
Questions:
How much does the DCCC spend on POLLING v research
How much does the DCCC spend on COMMS v research
How much does the DCCC spend on TV ADS v research
The establishment and the network of consultants that benefit from status quo resource allocation is very invested in keeping things the same. So they don’t like this thread.
I’m not disparaging research. I’m arguing it should be treated with more respect.
People seem to be misinterpreting this tweet. I am not saying that I BELIEVE research is boring or entry level. I’ve devoted my career to it, including on/for political campaigns.
I’m saying it needs more respect and resources https://twitter.com/juddlegum/status/1605955886152916993
Judd Legum
kit
Frank D’Elia