The SNL Effect: 'Saturday Night Live' Political Skits Make Real Impact on Voters

Election Day Survey Finds 10 Percent of Voters Were Influenced by "Saturday
Night Live" Skits

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As voters went to the polls on
Tuesday, many had the recent political comedy of "Saturday Night Live" (SNL)
on their minds.  According to FirstView, a national public opinion survey
released today by Roll Call, Strat@comm and Fleishman-Hillard Public Affairs,
two-thirds of voters saw SNL's political parodies this election season.  

FirstView's results indicate that non-traditional influencers helped shape
voter opinions.  "The 'SNL effect' absolutely impacted the election," said
Mike Dabadie, FirstView researcher.  "We saw that 10 percent of voters said
they were influenced by the skits.  At the same time, the data shows that 59
percent of those who saw the skits voted for Obama and 39 percent voted for
McCain."

The survey also found that 6 percent of respondents indicated the skits made
them more likely to vote for Obama/Biden and 4 percent said the SNL skits made
them more likely to vote for McCain/Palin.

FirstView was conducted by former White House pollsters Dr. Dee Allsop and Mr.
Mike Dabadie.  It goes beyond exit polls by delving into a wide scope of
attitudinal and behavioral questions that motivated the voters to elect Barack
Obama and the 111th Congress. 

FirstView also found that while voters were primarily concerned about the
economy, they did not vote their pocket books.  Instead they were motivated to
change the world for future generations and to restore trust in government. 

FirstView surveyed 1,000 voters through a phone and online survey. Respondents
were triple screened for age, voter registration and participation in the 2008
election. The data is stratified by census region to represent the U.S.
population's actual ratios for gender, education and ethnicity.  These
measures assure a valid national probability sample.  The scientific survey
has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent at the 95 percent
confidence level. 


Full Survey: www.firstviewsurvey.com

About Strat@comm, www.stratacomm.net 
Strat@comm is a strategic communications firm that helps clients raise
awareness, enhance image, shape policy and build market share through
high-caliber strategic counsel and high-impact tactical solutions to drive
results. With offices in Washington, D.C. and Detroit, MI, Strat@comm is a
company within the Fleishman-Hillard Company global network. 

About Fleishman-Hillard Inc., www.fleishman.com
Fleishman-Hillard Inc., one of the world's leading public relations firms, has
built its reputation by using strategic communications to deliver what its
clients value most: meaningful, positive, and measurable impact on the
performance of their organizations. The firm is widely recognized for
excellent client service and a strong company culture founded on teamwork,
integrity, and personal commitment. 

About Roll Call Group, www.rollcall.com
Founded in 1955, Roll Call Group is the leading news source for coverage of
the people, politics and process that shape the legislative landscape. From
our daily Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call, to our legislative wire service,
CongressNow, to our centralized policy intelligence service, Briefing Room,
and our comprehensive legislative-tracking service, GalleryWatch, Roll Call
Group provides its readers with the tools, data and access to understand and
influence Congress.  Roll Call recently added Capitol Advantage to its stable
of properties.


SOURCE  Strat@comm

John Fitzpatrick of Strat@comm, +1-202-289-2001, jfitzpatrick@stratacomm.net