Comments on: Should You Talk Up Your Candidate’s Chances Or Talk Them Down?

By: Sandeep Baliga

Sandeep Baliga — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 00:30:29 +0000

I was thinking of communicating with your supporters nit the other side’s. And I was arguing that in equilibrium there cannot be informative communication.

If you communicate with both sides, as you say, there is no point even trying to manipulate beliefs as campaigns are trying to do.

By: Brittany

Brittany — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:30:57 +0000

this does not seem right. It implicitly assumes that only liberal voters read what O says, and only conservative voters read what R says. Otherwise, both campaigns are playing into the strategy of the other, which doesn’t seem like an equilibrium.

If R wants his voters confident, then he gets help when O tries to scare his supporters. R-supporters see the fear from O and thus grow more confident!

Likewise if O truly wants his supporters scared–R’s projected confidence only makes O-supporters all the more scared.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 19:16:27 +0000

Meant turnout from your OWN supporters not from both parties.

By: alex

alex — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:25:59 +0000

hmmmm…I’m not convinced this can work in a game. How is it possible that higher turnout is good for both parties? Surely if a higher turnout increases O’s chances, it decreases R’s chances, no?