Politics with Paul

Approachable, nonpartisan, and nonideological analysis of various political topics by nonpartisan political analyst, writer, researcher, and speaker Paul Rader.

How to Mobilize and Motivate Supporters for Your Cause w/ Bert Ralston | Politics with Paul #80

E81 • Feb 17, 2026 • 60 mins

Perhaps the most important component to any campaign is mobilizing and motivating supporters and like-minded people to support your cause. Yet just because you have broad agreement doesn't mean it's simple and easy to galvanize these voters. You need to find out who these people are, craft the right message, the resources to reach them, and the right amount of nudging to come out to vote, among other things. What are the best ways to do that? Today's Politics with Paul guest, Bert Ralston, joined the podcast to share his decades-long insights into that question. Bert has had a long career in voter turnout programs, creating communications strategy, influencing public policy and opinion, authored works, and university lecturing to draw on and imparts much of that wisdom in today's episode. If you're looking to campaign for anything or anyone, check out his insights to level up your political communications game.

Key Points

The success of a campaign often hinges on the balance between money, message, and manpower, requiring a well-rounded approach to effectively reach and engage voters.
Understanding your audience and knowing who your potential supporters are is crucial, as it helps tailor the campaign's strategies and resources to more effectively mobilize and motivate them.
Technological advancements have significantly enhanced campaign strategies, allowing for more targeted and efficient voter engagement through data analysis, programmatic digital advertising, and geofencing, making it easier to reach supporters where they are.

Bert's Links

RealClearPolitics: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/
EyesOver: https://www.eyesover.com/
RepublicanAds digital targeting: https://www.republicanads.com/

Paul's Links

Download my FREE 5-day educational email course on how to fight polarization: https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/
Buy my book on Amazon (ebook and paperback): https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/
My website: https://paulrader.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites
Medium: https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/
Email: [email protected]

Speakers

Paul Rader

Host • 38%

Bert Ralston

Guest • 62%

Chapters

0:00	Intro to Mobilization Strategies, Bert Ralston
2:12	How Bert Got Started in Campaign Consulting, Communications
4:28	Common Mistakes New Campaigners Make in Their Mobilization Strategies
9:41	How Much Can More Money Make Up for Flaws in Your Messaging?
15:47	What Information Tells Campaigns a Voter is a Likely Supporter, Likely to Vote
26:13	Fundamental Differences in Mobilization Between Republicans, Democrats, Independents?
30:52	Do the Different Coalition Natures of the Parties Affect Their Ability to Recruit Paid Activists?
33:31	Does Mobilizing for Candidates Differ From Mobilizing for Ballot Measures?
35:51	Why it's Easier to Mobilize for "No" Than "Yes" on a Ballot Measure
38:34	Unique Aspects to Mobilizing Voters to Influence Legislators' Votes on Bills
44:57	What Motivates Voters Differently in High Turnout vs. Low Turnout Midterm Elections?
49:30	Advice for Anyone Trying to Craft Mobilization Strategies for Campaigns
53:18	Random Question: Which Winter Olympic Sport Would You Want a Gold Medal in?
57:06	Closing and Our Links

Transcript

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