Page 84 - Time Magazine-November 05, 2018

TheView Opener

“You get my vote just for reaching
out,” one texts back. “Yes it’s time for
more women in power!” writes another.
A third is less receptive: “Piss off you
corporatist Clintonite establishment
neoliberal bootlicker.” Kounalakis
shrugs. “Opt out,” she says, tapping a
button that takes the person off her list.
This is a scene playing out across
America this election season, as text
messages become a new favorite form
of outreach for campaigns. In an era
when the majority of U.S. households
no longer have a landline, millions of
people have cut the cord on cable TV
and direct mailers are quickly recycled,
texts can “cut through the clutter,” as one
politico explains. Some voters prefer it to
a phone call. Others feel it’s an intrusion
into one of the few sacred, ad-free spaces
they have left. Campaigns are used to
getting some texts back that are NSFW. △
Like it or not, this is the future, Volunteers and California state senator Robert Hertzberg, right,
as businesses and nonprofits start participate in a text bank for Eleni Kounalakis on Oct. 20
embracing texts too. “I don’t want
to say it’s inevitable,” says Daniel
Souweine, CEO of a text-focused startup think texts are so effective is the same Hustle. While that’s a strong vote of
called Relay, “but text messaging is how reason many voters are upset to be confidence, insiders also acknowledge
people communicate.” Hustle, for one, receiving them: while we’ve come to that consumer outcry or a change in
worked with about 100 campaigns in accept a barrage of noise in our email how the FCC interprets the law—which
2016. This year the number “will be inboxes and social-media feeds, the text currently lets tech platforms do most
in the thousands” by Nov. 6, says CEO message has largely remained a medium of the work besides pressing “send”—
Roddy Lindsay. By 2020, other insiders for personal, invited communication. could upend the golden era of political
predict, it may be one of the main ways That’s why an estimated 90% are texting just as it’s getting started.
campaigns reach out to voters. read within three minutes of being Since 2016, Debra Cleaver, founder
The databases are already being received, according to marketing firm of the nonpartisan Vote.org, has
built. Among Hustle’s clients are Mobilesquared. “With a text message, relied on texts to prod young people
most Democratic state parties. As is you know you’re firing it right into to register, remind voters where their
the Democratic National Committee, somebody’s pocket,” says David Grant, polling places are and fight voter
which earlier this year purchased the a 24-year-old libertarian in Maine who suppression by countering inaccurate
cell-phone numbers of 94 million has gotten several unsolicited political information on the fly. But she says she’s
registered voters. “Campaigns are texts this year. “I will fight to the end seen the volume of political texts go up
going to use whatever tools they have of the earth,” he says, “to make sure my this year and the quality go down. While
to reach people,” says Souweine, whose text messages don’t become my email.” some organizations carefully target their
company is one of many that help Some people will be annoyed at any texts to people who might be interested,
clients send thousands of texts per hour form of political advertising, though. others use a firehose approach. As
without running afoul of antispam laws. “People would rather be communicated she’s in the midst of expressing these
to in a text channel than bombarded concerns, her phone buzzes. It's a text
The appeal of the political text is other places,” says Gerrit Lansing, co- that says it’s from former House Speaker
multifold. Campaigns can start a founder of Opn Sesame, a firm helping Newt Gingrich, asking for money for
conversation with voters without many Republicans with their texting unnamed “conservative candidates.”
interrupting dinner, they say. Sending campaigns this year. His platform uses “As an organization that has actively
a “cold text” is less awkward for a list of 17 phrases that automatically pursued this,” Cleaver says, “you wonder
volunteers. And while many doors don’t opt people out when they respond nega- how much longer it will be viable.” If text
get answered, texts are a fast, low-effort tively. “You can’t really talk to the TV and inboxes get overrun, people may turn to DAMON CASAREZ FOR TIME
way to deliver a message to voters in far- tell [the ads] to turn off,” Lansing says. some other form of communicating. But
flung places. Venture-capital firms have poured wherever they turn, campaigns likely
But the main reason strategists tens of millions into platforms like won’t be far behind. 
20 Time November 5, 2018