Don’t Talk About Those Unpaid Bills
It was not that these people were unwilling to donate money to political activity in general. Many of those facing economic insecurity are far from poor, and have at least some discretionary income. But the appeals that specifically reminded them of their own financial constraints reduced their willingness to donate.
.. People who were personally affected but not working, like retirees, however, were up to 500 percent more likely to donate their time in response to the same insecurity-related message.
.. In short, political messages based on insecurity can backfire precisely because they remind people of their difficult circumstances. I call this self-undermining rhetoric — rhetoric that brings to mind considerations that undermine the very goals the rhetoric aims to achieve.