Looking for the math of politics
17th Nov 2006, 03:23 GMT
I'm on the hunt for political animals who do the math, who use databases to target voters with customized ads and calls. This seemed to be the rage in 2004, with Karl Rove's team cherry-picking voters in the exurbs. But this year, I haven't heard much about it, even in this very good round-up on the Personal Democracy Forum (ex Doc). Here's a discouraged Chuck DeFeo, who managed Internet operations for Bush's reelection campaign: In the political treatise Flying Upside Down Joe Gaylord coined "E=MC2: Election = Message times Candidate squared." People vote for a candidate they trust with the right message. In this difficult election Republicans never found their true voice and the message on why they should have stayed in power. Technology could not make up for their deficiency. He's not the only discouraged one. I was hoping that these elections would bring some mind-bending political quant to the surface. I need one for my book. And all I hear about is the message! I welcome any and all ideas. They don't have to be in the U.S.