Big business Quote by Sasha Issenberg
““Our campaigns have not grown more humanistic because our candidates are more benevolent or their policy concerns more salient. In fact, over the last decade, public confidence in institutions-- big business, the church, media, government-- has declined dramatically. The political conversation has privileged the nasty and trivial. Yet during that period, election seasons have awakened with a new culture of volunteer activity. This cannot be credited to a politics inspiring people to hand over their time but rather to campaign, newly alert to the irreplaceable value of a human touch, seeking it out. Finally campaigns are learning to quantify the ineffable—the value of a neighbor's knock, of a stranger's call, the delicate condition of being undecided-- and isolate the moment where a behavior can be changed, or a heart won. Campaigns have started treating voters like people again.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The End of the Campaign Trail by Sasha Issenberg, 2012
Campaigns are shifting from impersonal tactics to personal, human‑focused interactions, recognizing the power of direct, empathetic contact to influence undecided voters.
In simple terms: Campaigns now value personal contact to win voters.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize genuine human interactions.
Themes
politics
human connection
campaign strategy
trust
engagement
Mood
reflective
optimistic
Type
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- door‑to‑door canvassing
- phone banking
- community events
- personalized messaging
Key Concepts
behavioral economics
social capital
empathy
microtargeting
Questions to Reflect On
- How can campaigns balance personal touch with broad reach?
- What metrics best capture the value of a neighbor’s knock?
A Different Perspective
Human touch may not scale for large electorates; resource constraints limit personal outreach.
