Reflections on 10 Years (October 2006)

From Hal Malchow, political direct-mail strategist (feature, “Different Party, Different Tactic”):

• “Mail for Republican candidates and Republican Party mail tends to be negative. I have almost never seen a reply card in a Republican mailing without the word ‘liberal Democrats.’ On the whole, positive mail performs better for Democrats. There are exceptions. During the 2004 presidential elections, a very negative mailing about George W. Bush was the top performer of the year. But, generally, Democratic donors respond better to positive messaging.”
• “Almost no undecided voters give. A fundraising letter might inform someone about a candidate, but it’s unlikely to move them all the way from neutral to actually giving a donation. Most givers already support the candidate or the party. Most are probably just waiting to be asked.”