“Obama Does It Better”
Sasha Issenberg
November 5, 2014
Obama Does It Better
GOP Behind Dems in Data-Driven Targeting
The Republicans are hoping to benefit in 2012 from the new, and more
sophisticated voter targeting strategies pioneered by Obama and the
Democrats in 2008.
GOP Still Behind in Data Race
Despite their enthusiasm, GOP strategies (and Conservative political
operatives like Ralph Reed) have thus far failed to grasp or effectively
use new data-driven targeting strategies.
Obama Does It Better
GOP is Missing: Various Cutting Edge Voter Targeting Models
Look-Alike modeling
Microtargeters often describe their project as “look-alike modeling,”
because the goal of using statistical algorithms is to discern patterns
in an existing sample (like people on a church list) that can then be
used to find people who resemble them in other populations, about
which there is less Information available.
Obama Does It Better
Rise of Democratic Targeting Strategies
To beat the Republicans, the Democrats:
- The reached out to consumer marketers, private-data warehouses
and social scientists (political scientists, behavioral psychologists).
- Learned about the importance of randomized “field experiments”
(Death of the Hunch)
- Learned how to use targeting models to “predict individual
preferences.”
Obama Does It Better
Democratic Targeting Strategies: Two Phases
1. Change Opinions: Educate them about Candidates
2. Change Behavior: Use psychological Strategies to get them to vote.
Both of these strategies can be developed based on experimental research
from the field.