This method, it was called the "love-in" [1], was used by the Canadian government in 1995. It was illegal as hell as it was a blatant violation of election spending laws.

Some people say it was counterproductive but the proof is in the pudding I guess.

[1] https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-r...

Directionally accurate, but in the example you've chosen it's more about economics than demographics, so they'd hug and then vote to separate anyway.

I'm not on their side, but they should have announced it was invalid and that the results don't matter, promoted unity and then secretly committed fraud they could expose. They could have posed as pro independence units preventing no voters from voting (recorded "secretly" on a smartphone). Then they could spin the separatists as dirty playing and corrupt.

What're they going to do when Catalan goes underground and high tech with their voting?

As a northerner who lived in the South I can unequivocally tell you this doesn't work. Southerners who do this come off as saccharine and insincere. It's incredibly transparent and irritating (which I always felt was the point) to people who don't agree with you. You aren't fooling anyone.

That's what my momma said, too.