Campaign Harm Assessment Framework

The Biden campaign developed a systematic approach to assess and respond to potentially damaging narratives during the 2020 election, shifting from reactive responses to strategic evaluation.

Core Assessment Framework

• Three key questions to evaluate narratives:
  • Are voters familiar with the story?
  • Do they believe it's true?
  • Would it make them less likely to vote for Biden?

Harm-Reach Matrix Analysis

• X-axis: Reach (how many people have heard the story)
• Y-axis: Impact (potential effect on voting behavior)
• Priority zones:
  • Bottom-left: Low reach, low impact - can ignore
  • Low reach, high impact - monitor for potential spread
  • Top-right: High reach, high impact - requires immediate action

Strategic Response Philosophy

• Shifted from "supply side" to "demand side" approach
  • Old approach: Respond to every attack
  • New approach: Only respond to narratives that align with existing voter anxieties
• Key principles:
  • Don't automatically respond to every viral story
  • Avoid elevating minor stories through engagement
  • Focus on preemptive understanding of damaging narratives
  • Prepare responses for high-risk scenarios before they spread

Response Triggers

• Stories that jump from niche platforms (4chan) to mainstream media
• Narratives reaching target voter segments
• Content that aligns with existing voter concerns about candidates
• Stories with potential to change voting behavior

Risk Mitigation

• Avoid responding to unverified sources
• Don't amplify minor stories through official responses
• Consider algorithmic spread when planning responses
• Focus resources on stories with verified impact metrics