Jul 22 2014 30 mins
It’s time to review what may become the most important words in the 2014 Midterm and 2016 Presidential campaigns.
These words are not immigration or gun control or employment. They’re neither liberal or conservative
The most important words just may be microtargeting. Data mining. Analytics. That’s because the science of campaigning is hitting an all new level.
Not only can politicians and campaigns target you through direct mail and online – through websites, social media, blogs and more. They are now combining data about what you buy, wear and read with television – yes, what you watch. And not just which channel, but which show: Every click you make. And while big brother can’t connect all of this data down to you personally – at least not as far as we know – the science of campaigning is innovating at record speed.
What does this mean for the future of campaigns and voter turnout? How exactly will politicians deliver the right messages to the right voters at the right time? And while it’s all surely fascinating, is it good?
Alex Lundry is one of the political world’s foremost campaign scientists. He served as Director of Data Science for Mitt Romney in the 2012 campaign. He is now co-founder of Deep Root Analytics and Chief Data Scientist at Target Point Consulting, helping define the vanguard and intersection of political and technical development…