Republican Advantage: Microtargeting

Yes, it’s true that right now the Republican Party is just a punch line; a pitiful group that gets less respect than Rodney Dangerfield. But DON’T get complacent. Republicans still have one huge advantage: Microtargeting. This involves poring over billions of data on millions of targeted voters. They use this data to target very specific groups of voters, with the purpose of getting them to the polls on Election Day. The Republicans are light years ahead of the Democrats in this department.

Republicans have always surpassed Democrats when it comes to voter turnout. If the traditional get-out-the-vote campaign is a Model T, microtargeting is a Ferrari.

Republicans have the expertise at mircotargeting, and they’re spending most of their campaign money on local races. They’re running scared on Iraqmire, the crippling deficit and our encroaching police state. Their only hope is to campaign on local issues and dig up as much dirt as they can on Democratic candidates. The Republican party has tens of millions of campaign dollars to spend on their microtargeting expertise. They’re going to be a vicious opponent, no matter how hated and dissed they are.

And this year like any other, “getting out the vote” is easier said than done; especially when it’s a non-presidential election. If you’re a blogger, pundit or news junkie, you probably have a tendency to think everybody is obsessed with the upcoming election. Unfortunately, there are tens of millions of Americans who are only marginally interested. Sure, they tell pollsters that they’re in favor of this or that candidate, Iraqmire was a colossal blunder, we need to “stay the course,” whatever. But for them, political issues are number 157 on their list of priorities. They’re caught up in their jobs, families, neighbors, doctor appointments, car payments, plans for the weekend, you name it. They may or may not make it to the polls on that crucial day. They need to be motivated enough to make voting a high priority. Can the Democrats do this?

Rightwing/Christian/“Values” voters have always had the highest voter turnout. Yes, we’ve all seen stories about squeaky-clean holier-than-thou types saying they’ll sit out this election because they’re suddenly disillusioned with Republicans. But is this true?

“Christian” leaders and rightwing bloggers are falling all over themselves, groveling and begging their audiences to vote Republican because the sky will fall and the terrorists will win if the Democrats take over Congress. How many voters will fall for this?

In these final days before the election, it’s crucial for Democrats to get out the vote. Republicans are spending tens of millions of dollars targeting — mircotargeting — millions of their voters. They’re digging and scraping and clawing for every piece of dirt they can find on their Democratic opponents, and airing select pieces of this dirt to specifically targeted voters. Their entire purpose is to get these voters out to the polls on Election Day.

Are the Democrats ready and able to do this? If they aren’t, it won’t matter that this Republican Congress is the laughingstock of the world.

Cross-posted at Bring It On!