GOP Got More Bang For Its Billion

GOP Got More Bang For Its Billion

"Two relatively small expenditures stand out for their impact: the $546,000 ad buy by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the Bush campaign's $3.25 million contract with the firm TargetPoint Consulting. The first portrayed Kerry in unrelentingly negative terms, permanently damaging him, while the second produced dramatic innovations in direct mail and voter technology, enabling Bush to identify and target potential voters with pinpoint precision."

Not going to get too deep into the Swift Boat thing other than to note that was all about subtext. Many others have discussed Vietnam as Civil War, the conflict that won't end politically until the generation dies off. While it was ostensibly about what Kerry did during the war, the REAL importance of the Swift Boat ads was bringing up his later protest activity. Since the whole Kerry strategy was vets-as-secret-weapon, it was a body blow.

But I'm not a message guy. In politics I deal in demographics and data. The Democrats need to do some serious catch-up work in this department. Iowa keeps getting touted as a model for data-based mobilization. But we've had unpleasant experiences with lists prepped by the state party the last couple cycles and ESPECIALLY at the caucuses.

One of the great strengths of the GOP this cycle was going local. Instead of relying on 527's and paid staffers, the Republicans build a huge network of local volunteers - friends and neighbors. We Iowa Deaniacs learned the hard way that the fresh-faced enthusiasm of a volunteer who's trekked halfway across the country to "make a difference" can backfire.

We need to match the GOP volunteer for volunteer, precinct by precinct, red states and blue states. And this can best be done not at the national or state level, bot locally. Put simply, we need a database geek in every county. The broad base of the netroots has proved that Democrats with computer skills, savvy, and vision are everywhere, and this resource can be put to better use.