Home › Blogs › Soren Dayton's blog ›

Obama campaign blocks and tackles so well

Submitted by Soren Dayton on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 17:14
in

While I think that technology is very important, I generally take the position that the basics of electoral politics aren't that different today than they used to be. You build volunteer organizations, you communicate with them, and you do direct voter contact, etc.

But today at PDF, I was really struck by something that Joe Respars from Barack Obama's campaign said. He said that they are currently surveying their volunteers to figure out what practices worked in developing the best relationships between field staff and volunteers.

This is one of the things that having an existing volunteer organization from a 50-state primary allows. This stuff terrifies me.

0
Your rating: None

Comments

Lack of real world experience

Submitted by Sean Hackbarth on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 18:53.

That's the benefit of Rospers coming from Facebook and the business world. Sounds like they're applying research techniques they used in the "real" world.

Ironically the party that's supposedly in the pocket of business, the Republicans, hasn't emulated such business techniques. That's due to the fact that many consultants jump from one campaign to the next instead of going into the commercial world and learning from them.

I think it's more than that.

Submitted by davidfarrar on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 22:48.

It's interesting you don't see the Democratic Party engaged in this kind of cybernetics, and yet you instinctively blame the Republican Party for not "applying research techniques they used in the "real" world."

The truth is, neither political party wants anything to do with this kind of "activism". The last think they want or require is an informed and activated membership.

ex anmo

davidfarrar

They are now

Submitted by Sean Hackbarth on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 23:48.

It's interesting you don't see the Democratic Party engaged in this kind of cybernetics

Since Obama is the nominee and he now controls the DNC they are doing that kind of important research now.

FWIW, I have no idea what you're talking about whenever you mention "cybernetics." If it has something to do with internet-powered direct democracy leave that for Ross Perot and go read some Edmund Burke. If it's something else enlighten me.