LdC: Mormon Pollster Gary Lawrence: We Want Negative Buzz

Preface: Before we get to the video, I'd like to leave a comment about our apparent loss in Maine. As the returns came in, some of the folks from the opposing side began leaving messages for me, like this one:

You guys ran a magnificent campaign, you completely out-organized and out-raised us.

Didn't matter in the slightest.

32-0.

And here's my response to that jab and to the Maine result generally:

With every vicious campaign that you guys run, you do more to advance our cause than we could ever manage on our own. Thank you for that, and I mean that sincerely.

Without folks like you and NOM, we never would've had the opportunity to run our ads showing the real families that are impacted by your campaigns. Fear is a powerful motivator, but in your case, you're relying mostly on fear of the unknown to motivate your voters. At the end of the day, voters in Maine, even the ones who voted against us this time, were afforded the opportunity to contrast the real people they saw on our side with the fictitious monsters described in your ads. Sure, still too many voted their fears, but you've now played a part in helping to dispel some of that fear. So, thank you again for your efforts.

With that, it's on to the Gary Lawrence Show:

The LDS pollster hired by two anti-gay campaigns (Yes on 8 in California and Yes on 1 in Maine) reveals his thoughts on how the Mormon church benefits from generating "negative buzz" ...

Mormon Strategy #4: We Welcome Buzz

People think, "Well, we don't like contention."

Of course we don't like contention. But buzz is when people start talking about us.

"Even negative buzz?" And I say, especially negative buzz ...

The question came up, "What if we have protestors?"

And I said, "Wonderful..."

Because if you don't have protestors at the temple, go down to the local Rent-a-Mob and hire some. We need local buzz. We need negative buzz.