WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Q&A with Andrew Boucher | Beware the Echo Chamber

February 17, 2023

Q&A with Andrew Boucher

What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I wanted to be a marine biologist and spent many long summer days as a kid catching crayfish. Then I figured out that crayfish are excellent bait.

How did you end up involved in politics?
I grew up in New Hampshire, so politics was hard to avoid. Also, I majored in history, so my career options were limited. I had assumed that getting into politics required a political science degree and multiple hard-to-get internships, but it turns out that the only thing that matters is whether or not you can do the job.

Tell me your best political story or favorite political memory.
The best political stories are the ones that can’t be repeated. (And the best political consultants are the ones who don’t repeat them.) My favorite political memory, however, is the moment they called Colorado for Rick Santorum in 2012, giving us a three-state sweep of Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri in a single day. I had woken up in Denver and flown with Sen. Santorum from Colorado to Minneapolis and then on to St. Louis, where I took the call from the Colorado chairman confirming that we had won.

How do you spend your free time?
With four kids, most of my free time is usually spent doing something family-related. If I can sneak away, I like to play golf. I don’t play much golf.

What is the best concert you’ve attended?
Mark Knopfler at Red Rocks.


Beware the Echo Chamber

The echo chamber consists of the well-meaning supporters, donors, volunteers, and activists who surround candidates and campaigns.

Now, obviously, these will be your core supporters and advisors. They know you best. They know a lot about politics and policy. Their support is essential and extremely valuable. But their status as “political junkies” is part of the problem: They’re not average voters, far from it. They’re involved, knowledgeable, and biased by definition. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be involved in your campaign in the first place.

On the other hand, professionals are experienced in looking beyond the echo chamber. It’s our job to work backwards from election day, determining who is most likely to vote, how best to reach them, what issues will persuade them, and how those issues should be framed. We don’t rely on anecdotes. We look at the data – from polling, past campaigns, voter identification surveys, and voter history – and build a campaign strategy designed to win the most votes.

The echo chamber comes in three stages.

Echo Chamber Stage One: “I’m with you!”

As in: “Oh, you’re interested in running for office? That’s fantastic. I’m with you. Just let me know what I can do to help.”

Guess what. People lie. You’ve just unloaded your hopes and dreams on them. What else are they going to say, “Terrible idea… you probably don’t have a shot… besides, I kind of like your opponent.”

So take all of the encouragement with a hefty grain of salt. Better yet, have a response ready for the question, “What can I do to help?” (Might I suggest, “Please write me a check by the end of the week,” or “Would you be willing to sign this endorsement card?”)

But whatever you do, don’t count on someone’s support just because they encourage you to run. Ask for their signature on the dotted line (preferably the line in the bottom-right corner of a check.) If those signatures aren’t forthcoming, you might want to take a second look at your candidacy (or your friendships).

Echo Chamber Stage Two: “The most important issue is…”

Most people you talk to regularly about your campaign will be political junkies. They read the paper. They follow the personalities. They know the issues.

Most voters don’t. Don’t believe me? Step away from your computer, knock on your next-door neighbor’s door, and ask him who his state senator is. Right.

With a few scarce exceptions (e.g., where there’s a hyper-politicized local issue dominating discussion), most actual voters follow politics at a surface level.

Echo Chamber Stage Three: “I’m disappointed in…”

Until you win (and everyone was “with you all the way”), most of the feedback about your campaign, tactics, and message will be negative. You’ll get angry voicemails from people – even friends – talking about how disappointed they were with that last mailer. You’ll get emails and see nasty comments online. You’ll be asked why you don’t have billboards, why you used the color blue in your logo, why your campaign volunteers keep calling, or why you bothered to send direct mail.

Professionals are trained to look past the echo chamber and listen to the electorate. Listen to the professionals. Stay on message. Draw contrast when you need to draw a distinction. You have a campaign plan; follow it.


Heading to CPAC?
It’s that time again. CPAC is upon us, and everyone will be cramming as much networking as possible in those few days. We’re no exception to this. We’re looking to pack our schedule and talk to you while in DC. Send an email to leeann@ascent-strategic.com to get something set up.

We look forward to seeing you there.

We craft strategies to help you win.

At Ascent Strategic, we devise winning strategies for candidates and political organizations. We'd love to see what we can help you achieve.

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