1. Strategic Messaging Making Congress Accountable: Speaking to the public about fair elections Research conducted by Westen Strategies for Public Campaign and partners June 2010 Money and politics

2. The challenge Money and politics  Americans have always viewed the relationship between money and politics with a jaundiced eye  That has not consistently translated into a strong will for thoroughgoing electoral reform  A series of events, however, has conspired to change that:  Wall Street recklessness and the financial disaster than ensued  Watching with new “transparency” as deals were cut on health care “reform”  The BP disaster  At no time in decades has anti-corporate sentiment, and concern about money and power, been as powerful  If we don’t harness populist rage, someone else will 2

3. The research goals Money and politics  To develop a set of  Narratives  “Talking points” that summarize those narratives  A plain-language lexicon of words and phrases  To move Americans in the vast political center, who tend to have weak opinions and weak emotional intensity about this issue without good messaging but are mad as hornets  To develop strong messages that allow elected officials not only to feel comfortable but to gain strong support by championing this issue 3

4. Strategic Messaging Broad strokes: What did we learn, and how did we learn it? Money and politics 4

5. Can we get voters behind fair elections?  A majority of voters (52-60%) support a basic description of the Fair Elections policy, with roughly half as many unsure and less than 20% opposed.  Without strong messaging, however, the data show the familiar pattern of reasonably high support but low emotional intensity on this issue.  With effective messaging, we beat a strong opposition message by over 30 points with our two tier messages, over 25 points with our next tier messages, and over 20 points with several other messages.  Our top messages win with high emotional intensity with every demographic group and across the political spectrum, including self-identified strong GOPs.  Messages that speak to voters in plain, values-driven, evocative language are highly effective  The most effective languages are bluntly populist, indicting big corporations, special interests, and lobbyists and their political influence  Messages that weave together the disasters Americans have witnessed over the last two years, particularly Wall Street and the Gulf Coast, are highly effective. What did we find? 5

6. The structure of an effective message What did we find?  Step 1: Connect with people with an aspirational statement, a compelling metaphor, or an example that evokes anger or hope.  Step 2: Describe the dangers of our current system in a way that is concrete, visual, and evocative.  Step 3: End with a solution that evokes hope that something could actually change, or a return to the metaphor with which the message began. 6

7. Take the high ground on core values Money and politics  Fairness  Accountability  Democracy  Jobs  Financial security  Protecting our air and water  Protecting our health 7  Honesty  Corporate responsibility  Integrity  Common sense  Transparency  Effectiveness of government  Leadership

8. Online dial-test survey of 900 registered voters National sample of registered voters weighted to reflect the voting population Conducted June 4-10, 2010 Described the basics of the policy in Congress Tested nine messages supporting election reform against a strong opposition message Tested three messages presented as statements from actual members of Congress Tested taglines and potential names for the matching fund Money and politics Methodology 8

9. sample Sample characteristics  Random national sample of voters selected to match the demographics of the voting population  900 likely voters  Gender:Male: 48% Female: 52%  Partisan identification: Strong DemStrong GOPSwing 20% 12% 68%  Age: 18-2425-39 40-54 55+ 8% 20% 46% 26%  Ethnicity: White African American Hispanic Other 77% 11% 9% 1%  Education: HS or Less Tech/2yrUndergrad Post Grad 24% 47% 19%10%  Region: Northeast Midwest SouthWest 19% 25% 35% 21% Demographics 9

10. Strategic Messaging Presentation of fair elections (“Just the facts, ma’am”) (Two versions) Money and politics 10

11. Attitudes toward fair elections (version 1) Funding: fee on corporations Under this plan, candidates for Congress could run for office without raising large campaign contributions. Instead, they would collect a large number of small contributions from their home state in order to qualify for a limited amount of funding for their campaigns. They would be prohibited from taking any contributions over one hundred dollars from anyone, but would still be allowed to take small contributions. Contributions of a hundred dollars or less from their home state would be matched on a four-to-one basis, up to a strict limit, from a Fair Elections Fund. The Fund would be financed by a fee on corporations that get large government contracts or on corporations with the highest annual profits, typically over a billion dollars a year. 52 Note: 28% were unsure (rating 50-59), and 20% were opposed (0-49)

12. Attitudes toward fair elections (version 2) Closing tax loophole Under this plan, candidates for Congress could run for office without raising large campaign contributions. Instead, they would collect a large number of small contributions from their home state in order to qualify for a limited amount of funding for their campaigns. They would be prohibited from taking any contributions over one hundred dollars from anyone, but would still be allowed to take small contributions. Contributions of a hundred dollars or less from their home state would be matched on a four-to-one basis, up to a strict limit, from a Fair Elections Fund. The Fund would be financed by closing a tax loophole that allows oil companies to avoid U.S. taxes by basing operations overseas. 59 Note: 23% were unsure (rating 50-59), and 17% were opposed (0-49)

13. Strategic Messaging Messages that Work Money and politics 13 Note: Bolded statements are strong as standalone statements (“talking points”) to which to return repeatedly. Italicized words and phrases are strong language that led the dials to shoot up, at least among persuadable and base voters.

14. How did pro-reform vs. anti-reform messages fare? Mean Rating Percent preferring pro-reform Percent preferring opposition Margin Opposition message64.9 Of, by, and for78.66119+42 Accountable76.15721+36 Works for working Americans 76.85125+26 Clean up after ourselves76.35223+29 Money can’t buy77.35023+27 1 st tier messages 14

15. How did pro-reform vs. anti-reform messages fare? Mean Rating Percent preferring pro-reform Percent preferring opposition Margin Baseball and juries75.64927+22 Split the difference75.64827+21 Capitol for sale75.44828+20 Rotten barrel72.15128+23 2 nd tier messages 15

16. How convincing were these messages? 1 st tier messages % AgreeMean 6064.9 7878.6 7976.1 7976.8 7676.3 7777.3 16

17. How convincing were these messages? 2 nd tier messages % AgreeMean 7475.6 7775.6 7475.4 7272.1 17

18. Opposition message This proposal is just welfare for politicians. It will take taxpayers’ money and give it to any candidate to pay for their bumper-stickers, salaries for family members, and negative television ads. Think about it for a minute. Instead of spending our tax dollars for education, jobs, or public safety, these incumbent politicians want to put that money into their own campaign bank accounts and rig the game for themselves. We know what will happen because similar efforts have been tried and failed. Extreme candidates on the left and the right who have no chance of winning will come out of the woodwork. They’ll run for office and spout their views – ones that we may find offensive – all with government funding. It’s simply un- American to have the federal government fund private political speech. And it will do no good. Money in politics is just like water running down a hill – the special interests will always find a way around whatever laws are passed. Why would we waste tax dollars on something that will never work? 60 18

19. Dial-test results Note: Three themes resonated most strongly with this message, which steadily increased in power over the course with voters of all partisan affiliations: that we should be putting money into high-priority items such as jobs and education, that fringe candidates will use this as a megaphone, and that money always finds a way to slip through whatever legislation we propose. This message showed a steady 38- 40% emotional intensity (rating of 80-100) across all demographics, with minimal variation, except for one group who found it particularly compelling: the least educated voters. Opposition message 19

20. Top tier messages Of, by, and for the people It’s time we return to government of, by, and for the people, not government of, bought, and paid for by special interests. If big businesses want to invest in our government, let them pay their fair share of taxes rather than paying for politicians who’ll write them special tax breaks. Right now, the biggest corporations in America pay a smaller percent of income tax than the average working family, and they even get special bonuses for outsourcing American jobs. Since the crisis on Wall Street less than two years ago, the banks have spent nearly a million dollars a day lobbying in Washington—while taxpayers have been bailing them out. The job of a Wall Street banker is to get a good a return on their investment, and unfortunately, they’ve taken those skills to Washington. It’s time we replaced corporate-funded elections with fair elections. We need to put elections back in the hands of ordinary Americans. Politicians should work for us, not their corporate sponsors. 78 20

21. Dial-test results Of, by, and for the people 21 Note: All groups showed a strong emotional response to this message, with over 50% of every demographic group rating it 80-100, and a median response (half of voters above, half below) of 80-95 in every group. Strong Republicans showed the strongest preference for this message over the opposition message. The historical reference led to substantially higher emotional intensity for voters over than under 40 (54% vs. 66%), however; Southerners also showed slightly less enthusiasm, possibly reflecting the legacy of the Civil War. Hispanic voters found this message extremely compelling—with over 80% rating it 80-100—likely reflecting their greater familiarity with the historical reference and the emphasis on national identity to a group that includes more newly minted immigrants, particularly when their status as Americans has come under recent attack. This messages was also extremely powerful with swing voters, of whom 73% rated it 80-100, compared to 60% of self- identified strong Democrats and strong Republicans.

22. Top tier messages Accountable As long as politicians are accountable to the corporations and lobbyists who finance their campaigns, they’re never going to be accountable to the people elected them. It’s time ordinary Americans had their voices heard. Our elected officials should be concerned with solving our problems and addressing our concerns, not those of special interests who can afford to pay for special treatment. It’s time we take our government back, with citizen- funded elections, where candidates for Congress only get funding if they share the values and concerns of the people back home. And for a small fraction of what big corporations currently spend on lobbyists, those same kinds of corporations can instead pitch in for what we all deserve: fair, clean elections that put American voters back in the driver’s seat. Democracy doesn’t work when it’s sold to the highest bidder. It’s time we take the “for sale” sign off our government, so that it works for working and middle class Americans. 79 22

23. Dial-test results Accountable 23 Note: The dials on this message shot up from the opening statement, which is both critical and aspirational, and steadily climbed from there. This was one of the highest emotional intensity messages, with 60% of voters rating it 80-100. However, it also showed some of the highest variability, with 10% more men rating it 80-100, people over 40 rating it 15 points higher in emotional intensity than people under 40, and Southerners showing 15% less emotional intensity than all other groups. Men, strong GOPs, and Northeastern and Midwestern voters strongly preferred this message to the opposition message, whereas African-American voters slightly preferred the opposition message.

24. Top tier messages Works for working Americans It’s time we had a government that worked for working Americans, not for big corporations and their lobbyists. How many disasters does it take to decide it’s time to fix our broken government? We now know that the agency responsible for monitoring offshore oil drilling was owned and operated by the oil companies. BP was even allowed to fill out safety inspection reports on the rig that blew up in the Gulf in pencil so regulators could just trace over them in pen. We know that Wall Street regulators looked the other way when they saw the rampant fraud and recklessness that cost so many people their homes and jobs. And now reports have just come out showing dangerous levels of pesticides on virtually all the fruit we buy at the grocery store and feed our kids. There’s one common denominator—money—and there’s one common solution: End legalized bribery dressed up as campaign contributions from big business. Let the people of a state decide who they want to run for Congress with small contributions, and let some of those big corporations that have been pouring money into elections and lobbying put a fraction of that money into a fund to match the contributions of those small local donors. Maybe then we’ll see some accountability. 79 24

25. Dial-test results Note: Although voters responded to many aspects of this message, two statements led the dials to shoot straight up: the initial statement about making government work for working Americans, and the hard-hitting comment about there being one source to the problem— money—and one solution—ending legalized bribery masquerading as campaign contributions. Works for working Americans 25

26. Top tier messages Clean up after ourselves We’re taught as kids to clean up after ourselves. But that rule doesn’t seem to apply in Washington. Wall Street made a mess of Main Street, but you don’t see bankers out with their brooms. Instead, they’re out with their ATM cards cashing the biggest bonuses in history. BP is making a mess of the Gulf Coast, but despite all their talk about taking responsibility, they know they won’t have to pick up the tab. It’s fishermen, people who rely on tourism for a living, and the American taxpayer who’ll pay tens of billions for the clean-up, because Congress passed a law after the last big spill limiting the amount oil companies have to pay to less than what they earn in one week. How could that happen? Because money talks. Well, it’s time our elected representatives stopped listening and started listening instead to the voices of everyday Americans. The only way that’s going to happen is if we clean up our elections, and do it now. That means limiting campaign contributions to $100 and matching those small home state contributions with funds from large government contractors that magnify, rather than overshadow, the voice of everyday Americans. It’s time we take control of own government and get it out of the hands of special interests. 76 26

27. Dial-test results Clean up after ourselves 27 Note: This was one of the few messages that frequently turned off strong GOP voters, with its repeated attacks on big business, although they ended with strong positive feelings toward it. In general, Women and strong Democrats showed a strong preference for this message over the opposition message, relative to men and swing voters. Voters seemed unsure about the beginning of this message, which seemed a bit too flip, although it set up a strong theme. Respondents were uniformly turned off by the policy specifics toward the end of the message, but they were brought back in by the idea of giving control back to voters.

28. Top tier messages Money can’t buy It’s time we had the best leaders money can’t buy. Public service was once widely seen as a noble calling, but now the only calling Congress does is to donors asking for money. Many of our best potential leaders don’t even dream of running because they don’t have the millions to fund their own campaigns or the millionaires on the speed-dials of their cell phones. People who serve in Congress should come from all walks of life, so they can represent the interests and values of all Americans, not just the wealthy and well-connected. It used to be that every kid could dream of growing up to be president, but with the cost of elections today, you’d better skip that birthday party and make it a fundraiser. It shouldn’t be this way. Instead of starting out beholden to wealthy donors and corporations, people who want to represent their fellow citizens should start out by getting the support of their fellow citizens. The best way to make sure our leaders focus on the concerns of the folks back home is to fund their campaigns with homegrown contributions. 72 28

29. Dial-test results Money can’t buy 29 Note: Although voters resonated strongly with much of this message, two statements stood out. The first was the first line, about having the best leaders money can’t buy. The second was the idea that our representatives should come from all walks of life. This message was particularly strong with voters in the South and West, who were generally less responsive than others to reform messages, to African-Americans, and to swing and Democratic voters. Its appeal relative to the opposition message also increased with level of education.

30. Strong additional language  It’s time we take the “for sale” sign off the Capitol lawn. We can’t afford the price we’re paying for corporate-sponsored government.  The only interest our elected officials should be paying is to the problems of everyday Americans, not the special interests who pay for their campaigns.  But everywhere you look in Washington there’s a lobbyist with an open checkbook.  When baseball players step up to bat, they don’t first hand a check to the umpire. When lawyers argue a case in court, they don’t first hand out hundred-dollar bills to the jury. But when corporations want something done in Washington, that’s exactly what they do, handing out checks and calling them campaign contributions. In exchange, they get to have private conversations with the umpire when the bases are loaded, or to sit in with the jury when it’s making its deliberations. That’s why Washington works for them, not for us.  No matter how honest you are, when your ability to get elected depends on collecting millions of dollars from CEOs and lobbyists, their interests are going to affect your votes. Words that move the dials up 30

31. Strong additional language  The problem with our political system isn’t that individual members of Congress are corrupt but that the system is corrupt. Sure, there are bad apples in the barrel, but the real problem is that the barrel is rotten.  This isn't a problem for one party or the other. Whether we’re Republicans, Democrats, or Independents, we’re all Americans first, and we all have a shared interest in government that’s accountable, effective, and transparent.  It demeans members of Congress and discourages good people from running when they have to spend so much of their time begging for cash, and it prevents them from spending their time doing what we elect them to do: solve the problems of everyday Americans.  And for politicians who prefer to opt out and collect big corporate checks, let’s require that they do the same thing we require of scientists who get federal grants: disclose any potential conflict of interest so we know who’s paying their way when they speak or vote on an issue that could affect their corporate sponsors. Words that move the dials up 31

32. Key subgroups MenWomenWhite African Amer. Latino Strong Dem Strong GOP Swing Voters Mean Margin Opposition message 64.465.364.167.869.862.966.665.2-- Of, by, and for 79.977.278.077.387.683.979.276.8+38 Accountable 78.375.677.471.284.977.674.977.1+34 Works for working Americans 76.177.476.080.681.977.877.376.6+28 Clean up after ourselves 74.478.075.676.684.080.075.675.3+23 1 st tier messages Margin = prefers reform message 32

33. Strategic Messaging Messages from Members of Congress Members of Congress 33

34. How did messages from Members fare? Members of Congress 34 Mean Rating Percent preferring pro-reform Percent preferring opposition Margin Opposition message64.9 Voice77.35125+26 Money76.24925+24 Whose interests72.74730+17

35. How convincing were these messages? Members of Congress % AgreeMean 6064.9 7877.3 7776.2 7272.7 35

36. More or less likely to vote for Members? Members of Congress 36 More likely to vote for this Member (60-100%) Less likely to vote for this Member (0-49%) Margin Voice72%8%+64% Money69%9%+60% Whose interests65%11%+54%

37. Strong Member messages Member of Congress - Voice Government should be open, fair, and accountable, but right now it isn’t any of those things. When candidates have to raise millions of dollars just to run a competitive campaign, they’re going to turn to wealthy donors, and the voice of the average person isn’t going to be heard. Why? Because a handful of people are going to get a kind of access that everyday Americans don’t have. That isn’t right, and it’s not what democracy is supposed to be about. And no matter how honest you are, if you’re honest with yourself, you know it’s no easier to put the interests of your biggest donors out of your mind when casting a vote than it would be to referee the Super Bowl if your home team was playing in it. Democracy shouldn’t be about playing ball with special interests. They have no business in the stadium. The only way to make Congress accountable to working Americans is to have fair elections, where a coal miner’s voice can be heard as clearly as the owner of the mine he works in. And the only way that’s going to happen is when the people who finance your campaign are the people you’re supposed to represent. 78 37

38. Dial-test results Note: This message drew strong positive responses from virtually all demographic groups and was equally powerful with men and women. Strong Democrats particularly preferred this message, followed by swing voters, followed by strong GOPs. Voters particularly resonated with the theme of special access, and the message struck them throughout as genuine. By the end, even strong GOPs were rating the message in the mid 70s on the dial-tests. Member of Congress - Voice 38

39. Strong Member messages Member of Congress –Money As a member of Congress, I can tell you in one word why Washington isn’t solving the problems of ordinary Americans: money. When you’re voting for or against a bill, you should be consulting your conscience and your constituents, not your campaign contributors. But when a politician who’s backed by big corporations has unlimited funds to spend on attack ads tearing you down, you can’t fight back with a slingshot. And that’s the root of the problem. If you depend on money from the insurance industry to fund your campaigns, you have to listen to insurance lobbyists. If you take pharmaceutical money, you have to listen to drug company lobbyists. I didn’t go to Washington to hone my skills as a telemarketer, spending endless hours raising money on the phone. I came here to solve problems and faithfully represent my neighbors. The only way we’re ever going to make government fair, effective, and accountable is if the only people members of Congress have to answer to are voters. And the only way that’s going to happen is if voters decide whose campaigns they want to fund based on who they believe will best represent their values and interests, and big corporations match those hard-earned small donations by contributing to a fund that will magnify the voices of working Americans, not drown them out. 72 39

40. Dial-test results Note: Voters resonated strongly with two themes in this message: that their elected representatives should be listening to consulting their consciences, not their contributors, and that they should be solving the problems of ordinary Americans. This message appealed strongly to all voters. Strong Republicans found it the most convincing relative to the opposition message, followed by swing voters, followed by strong Democrats, although as can be seen from the dials, partisan differences were relatively small. Member of Congress – Money 40

41. Strong Member messages Member of Congress - Whose interests Members of Congress don’t usually say what I’m about to say because it isn’t in their interest. But this isn’t about my interest, it’s about yours. As a member of Congress, I’m surrounded all the time by lobbyists offering to donate to my campaign. They know that if you take their money, you have to take their calls, and that isn’t fair. If you’re playing golf with the CEO of a company, you’re hearing their side of things. But you’re not hearing the side of their workers, or of the people who live downstream from their factory, whose water’s been tasting a little funny lately. This isn’t about integrity. Most of the people I’ve had the honor to serve with have been good people. But the system is corrosive. If someone’s contributing tens of thousands of dollars to your campaign, can you really be objective about issues that affect them? And every hour you’re out raising money is an hour you’re not talking and listening to the folks back home, or trying to create jobs, or reading intelligence reports to keep our families safe. It’s time we funded our elections from small local contributions and matched those contributions with funds from those corporations that are so eager to give money to members of Congress today. If they want to donate to American democracy, here’s their chance. 77 41

42. Dial-test results Note: Voters of all partisan stripes strongly resonated with two major themes of this message: the notion that CEOs shouldn’t have more access to Congress than everyday Americans, and that you can’t be objective when someone is paying your campaign bills. Men and Westerners particularly liked this message, likely because of the “straight-shooting” tone, as did swing voters, but it also appealed to voters with progressively more education. Member of Congress - Whose interests 42

43. Strategic Messaging Top taglines and names for the fund Taglines 43

44. Top-tier taglines Mean Rating 80-100%60-79%60-100% Making Congress accountable to us 81.2701181 Elections of, for, and by the people 79.7681179 Government belongs to all of us 79.6671178 Putting voters first 79.4681179 Making government work for working Americans 79.0671279 Putting voters in charge for a change 79.1651176 1 st tier taglines 44

45. 2 nd tier taglines Mean Rating 80-100%60-79%60-100% Giving Americans a voice 78.8661177 Making Congress accountable 78.4651176 Our democracy is not for sale 77.6631376 Restoring trust in Government 77.3621375 Fair elections 77.1641175 Clean up Washington 75.2601373 2 nd tier taglines 45

46. Top names for the fund Mean Rating 80-100%60-79%60-100% The Fair Elections Fund 65.6451661 The Voice of the People Account 61.7421456 The America’s Voice Fund 60.9381654 The Voters First Fund 58.6351651 The Clean Elections Account 57.1341549 Names for the fund 46

47. Strategic Messaging How the public responded to specific provisions Specific provisions 47

48. What seems reasonable as a maximum campaign contribution? 48

49. How to pay for the Fair Elections fund? % AgreeMean 6568.8 5762.7 5660.8 3644.7 1528.6 49

50. Strategic Messaging The Role of Government Specific provisions 50

51. Making government accountable Start running it well It's time politicians stopped running for or against government and starting running it well. In a democracy, government is supposed to be us - people getting together to solve problems none of us can solve alone - like protecting our country from threats from abroad and creating strong public schools so our kids can compete in the global economy of the 21st century. If that's not what our government is, that's what we need to make it. 73

52. Making government accountable The era of bad government is over Some time I'd love to hear a President of the United States stand up at the podium and declare, 'The era of bad government is over.' We can disagree on how big or small government should be, but all of us want a strong military, good public schools, and dignity in old age, regardless of whether we're Republicans, Democrats, or Independents. If our government can't protect our security - whether our national security or our financial security - and ensure that our kids have at least the chance we had, then it's time we change it. 69

53. Making government accountable Business shouldn’t own government Business and government each have important roles to play. The problem is when one gets too powerful and prevents the other from doing its job. Business is the engine of our prosperity, and government should help create the conditions for that prosperity, not interfere with it. But big business shouldn't own government, and it shouldn't be free to trample on the rights of working Americans, free of common sense regulations and accountability. 69

54. Making government accountable – an ineffective message It isn’t going to happen You can try all you want to make government accountable, but it isn't going to happen. Government may be a necessary evil, but it's more evil than necessary. The best thing we can do is just to have as little government as possible, shutting down wasteful bureaucracies like the Department of Education or the Department of Energy, so if lobbyists try to buy influence, it won't matter, because there will be nothing to buy. 34

55. Strategic Messaging Conclusions The bottom line 55

56. Conclusions  We can win strongly on this issue with effective messaging, beating a strong opposition by 20-35 points with multiple messages.  Our messages elicited few strong negatives, with the percent who rated them 0-49 on a 0-100 scale in the 20s.  The public is angry, and strong populist language is the best way to go on the offensive  Messages from members of Congress that appear forceful, genuine, and straight-talking are highly effective and beat the opposition message by over 20 points, even though the messenger is an incumbent  The most effective language is the language of the “kitchen table.” Language works that stays close to experience and far from abstractions.  The public is angry about the problem and hopeful about the solution, but they are not interested or particularly excited about the details of the solution.  The best defense is a good offense. The research identified multiple “talking points” that should be used repeatedly and as a “home base” to which to return. Responses to attacks should be brief and pivot back to home base. Key findings 56

57. Conclusions  Partisan differences:  Swing voters mirrored the general electorate  Most messages had strong appeal across the political spectrum  Gender and age differences were minimal, except for occasional messages (e.g., messages with historical references that appealed more to voters over 40)  White and Latino voters responded similarly to most messages, with Latino voters often expressing the most enthusiasm. African- American voters tended to be more variable in the messages that appealed to them.  Regional differences tended to be small or inconsistent, with no particular pattern, although Midwesterners tended to be most enthusiastic.  Educational differences tended to be small or inconsistent, with no particular pattern. Segmentation by demographics 57

58. Strategic Messaging Revised top messages, reflecting dial-tests Best-practice messages Note: These messages have been revised based on careful viewing of moment-to-moment reactions to words, phrases, sentences, and concepts using the dial-tests. They have not yet been tested in their current form, although they are highly likely to outperform the messages as tested because revisions eliminated or altered language that brought the dials down, particularly for swing voters. One message was not revised, however, and one was deleted based on relatively lackluster responses on the dials. 58

59. Top tier messages Of, by, and for the people It’s time we return to government of, by, and for the people, not government of, bought, and paid for by special interests. If big businesses want to invest in our government, let them pay their fair share of taxes rather than paying for politicians who’ll write them special tax breaks. Right now, the biggest corporations in America pay a smaller percent of income tax than the average working family, and they even get special bonuses for outsourcing American jobs. Since the crisis on Wall Street less than two years ago, the banks have spent nearly a million dollars a day lobbying in Washington—while taxpayers have been bailing them out. The job of a Wall Street banker is to get a good a return on their investment, and unfortunately, they’ve taken those skills to Washington. It’s time we replaced corporate- funded elections with fair elections. We need to put elections back in the hands of ordinary Americans. Politicians should work for us, not their corporate sponsors. [no revisions] 59

60. Top tier messages Accountable Public Official I says [accountable]: As long as politicians are accountable to the corporations and lobbyists who finance their campaigns, they’re never going to be accountable to the people elected them. It’s time ordinary Americans had their voices heard. Our elected officials should be concerned with solving our problems and addressing our concerns, not those of special interests who can afford to pay for special treatment. It’s time we take our government back, with citizen- funded elections, where candidates for Congress only get funding if they share the values and concerns of the people back home. And let big corporations pay their fair share for what we all deserve--fair, clean elections that put American voters back in the driver’s seat— instead of paying for high-priced lobbyists. It’s time we take the “for sale” sign off our government, so that it works for working and middle class Americans. 60

61. Top tier messages Works for working Americans Public Official D says [work for working Americans]: It’s time we had a government that worked for working Americans, not for big corporations and their lobbyists. How many disasters does it take to decide it’s time to fix our broken government? We now know that the agency responsible for monitoring offshore oil drilling was owned and operated by the oil companies. BP was even allowed to fill out safety inspection reports on the rig that blew up in the Gulf in pencil so regulators could just trace over them in pen. We know that Wall Street regulators looked the other way when they saw the rampant fraud and recklessness that cost so many people their homes and jobs. There’s one common denominator—money—and there’s one common solution: End legalized bribery dressed up as campaign contributions from big business. Let the people of a state decide who they want to run for Congress with small contributions, and let some of those big corporations that have been paying for politicians pay instead for fair elections and government that works for a change. 61

62. Top tier messages Money can’t buy Public Official E says [money can’t buy]: It’s time we had the best leaders money can’t buy. Public service was once seen as a noble calling, but now the only calling Congress does is to donors asking for money. Many of our best potential leaders don’t even think of running because they don’t have the millions to fund their own campaigns or the millionaires on the speed-dials of their cell phones. People who serve in Congress should come from all walks of life, so they can represent the interests and values of all Americans, not just the wealthy and well-connected. Instead of starting out beholden to wealthy donors and corporations, people who want to represent their fellow citizens should start out by getting the support of their fellow citizens. Whether we’re Republicans, Democrats, or Independents, we’re all Americans first, and we all have a shared interest in government that’s accountable, effective, and transparent. And the only way that’s going to happen is if we put an end to corporate-sponsored elections. 62

63. Strong Member messages Member of Congress - Voice Government should be fair and accountable, but right now it isn’t any of those things. When candidates have to raise millions of dollars just to run a competitive campaign, they’re going to turn to wealthy donors, and the voice of the average person isn’t going to be heard. Why? Because a handful of people are going to get a kind of access that everyday Americans don’t have. That isn’t right, and it’s not what democracy is supposed to be about. And no matter how honest you are, if you’re honest with yourself, you know when someone’s contributed tens of thousands of dollars to your campaign it’s no easier to be objective than it would be to referee the Super Bowl if your home team was playing in it. Democracy shouldn’t be about playing ball with special interests. The only way to make Congress accountable to working Americans is to have fair elections, where a coal miner’s voice can be heard as clearly as the owner of the mine he works in. And the only way that’s going to happen is when the people who finance your campaign are the people you represent, and when we make big business pay for the privileges of being in America, with the best workforce and technology in the world, not for the privileges they can get from special access and lobbyists. 63

64. Strong Member messages Member of Congress –Money As a member of Congress, I can tell you in one word why Washington isn’t solving the problems of ordinary Americans: money. When you’re voting for or against a bill, you should be consulting your conscience and your constituents, not your campaign contributors. But when a politician who’s backed by big corporations has unlimited funds to spend on attack ads tearing you down, you can’t fight back with a slingshot. And that’s the problem. If you have to depend on money from corporate CEOs to fund your campaigns, you have to take their calls. That’s not why I came to Washington. I came here to solve problems and faithfully represent the interests of my country and the people back home. The only way we’re ever going to make government fair, accountable, and effective is if the only people members of Congress have to answer to are voters. And the only way that’s going to happen is if voters decide who they believe will make a difference and make their voices heard, and big corporations match the hard-earned small contributions of ordinary Americans with a contribution to fair elections, not to legislation that favors special interests. 64

65. Strong Member messages Member of Congress - Whose interests Members of Congress don’t usually say what I’m about to say because it isn’t in their interest. But this isn’t about my interest, it’s about yours. As a member of Congress, I’m surrounded all the time by lobbyists offering to donate to my campaign. They know that if you take their money, you have to take their calls, and that isn’t fair. If you’re playing golf with the CEO of a company, you’re hearing their side of things. But you’re not hearing the side of their workers, or of the people who live downstream from their factory, whose water’s been tasting a little funny lately. This isn’t about integrity. Most of the people I serve with are good people. But the system is corrosive. If someone’s contributing tens of thousands of dollars to your campaign, can you really be objective about issues that affect them? And every hour you’re out raising money is an hour you’re not talking and listening to the folks back home, or trying to create jobs. It’s time we funded our elections from small local contributions and matched those contributions with funds from those corporations that are so eager to give money to members of Congress today. If they want to donate to American democracy, here’s their chance. 65

66. Strategic Messaging Making Congress Accountable: Speaking to the public about fair elections Research conducted by Westen Strategies for Campaign Money and partners June 2010 Money and politics