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Travis N. Ridout tnridout

Ridout Speaks to NY Times on Inslee Presidential Run

“He’s a true believer,” said Travis N. Ridout, a professor of government and public policy at Washington State University and longtime observer of Mr. Inslee. “He’s identified with climate change. Other than that, it’s hard to — at least in my mind — come up with signature policy focuses. The positive of that is that it’s hard to think of the big scandals he’s been involved in either. He’s fairly low drama. He’s not a firebrand.”

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Ridout cited on fivethirtyeight.com

Travis Ridout was interviewed in this article on the impact of money in politics that appeared on the website fivethirtyeight.com.

“What’s more, Ridout said, ads probably matter least in the races where campaigns spend the most on them — like presidential elections. Partly, that’s because the bigger the election, the more we already know about the people running. It’s not like anyone went into the 2016 presidential race confused about who Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were, for example.”

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Ridout presents research on online advertising in 2016 campaign

Travis Ridout presented a paper titled, “All in Good Time: Comparing the Responsiveness of Online and Television Advertising in the 2016 Presidential Campaign” (co-authored with Erika Franklin Fowler, Michael Franz and Yiran Wang) at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association in Prague.

ABC News: Ridout comments on McMorris Rodgers-Brown race

“I think there is a chance Lisa Brown could win this race,” said Travis Ridout, a political science professor at Washington State University, told ABC News. “Right now, would I bet on her? I’m not saying that. But there’s a type of energy we haven’t seen from a campaign, really, in the 15 years I’ve lived in the district.”

He added: “In past years, most people wouldn’t have been able to name the Democratic candidate.”

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The Hill: Ridout comments on Republicans running ads against Clinton in 2018

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has been the subject of about 1 percent of all advertisements run so far, but all of those ads have also mentioned Pelosi, Wesleyan researchers found. More Republican candidates actually mention Hillary Clinton than Schumer, who remains unknown in much of the country.

“Even though [Clinton] is effectively out of politics now, Republicans continue to try to capitalize on their many voters’ dislike of the 2016 Democratic nominee,” said Travis Ridout, the Media Project’s other co-director.

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Comments on Facebook Ad Disclosure in NY Times

From the April 6, 2018, New York Times:

Facebook’s political-ad disclosures would in some ways do more than what is expected of television networks because the company would allow users to see all of the ads run by a group, said Travis Ridout, a Washington State University professor and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks political advertising.

Still, Facebook’s verification plans don’t seem foolproof, Mr. Ridout said. “It’s certainly a great step to take and helps to solve the problem of foreign influence,” he said. “But I would not be surprised if people get creative and find ways around those requirements.”

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