Aggressive Campaign Metaphors Boost Or Bust Voter Turnout—Depends On Your Personality

Campaigns often use aggressive metaphors to motivate voters. This research shows these messages have different effects based on voter personality traits. Two US survey experiments reveal a key pattern: aggressive language mobilizes voters high in aggression but demobilizes those low in it. For instance, strong partisans with high aggression were energized by such metaphors while their less aggressive counterparts felt disengaged. This finding highlights two things: first, how powerful metaphor choice can be; second, the overlooked role of personality in political engagement—even nonviolent forms like voting. The implications are significant for understanding campaign effectiveness and voter behavior.