Organizing for Action has become a practically invinsible political machine. Through the use of data mining and tailoring messages that fit their target demographic, OFA has created an anti-Republican coalition. This anti-Republican alliance is what fueled Obama’s 2012 win. That said, it’s an unstable alliance that if you target certain groups in thet alliance and peel off a significant portion, OFA’s anti-Republican coalition would fall apart. But doing so requires building infrastructure and identifying an issue that can divide that coalition. In the meantime OFA is now claiming its non partisan which is a joke. It is the glue that holds the anti-Republican coalition together.
To counter the OFA machine, the RNC is finally putting together a digital strategy. They are now seeking a Technology officer to build and coordinate this new digital infrastructure.
As part of a rebuilding effort after its 2012 electoral losses, the Republican National Committee on Tuesday announced plans to put an enhanced digital strategy at the center of its operation, led by a new chief technology officer.
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The R.N.C. aims to hire its new technology officer by May 1, after a search that will include Silicon Valley executives and experts in data analysis. Extensive political experience is not necessarily a requirement. The ideal candidate, Ms. Kukowski said, could be someone who “maybe has been an outsider and is maybe able to come in and change the way that we think.”
Republicans learned the hard way in 2012 how valuable a robust technology operation can be, as the Obama campaign used Web analytics, voter data, social media and online fund-raising to more effectively organize voters, drive turnout and increase donations. The Obama campaign also hired a chief technology officer, Harper Reed, from the tech sector and a team of engineers to build a technology infrastructure to drive the president’s re-election effort.
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Reince Priebus, the committee’s chairman, turned to party elders like Ari Fleischer and Haley Barbour to conduct the so-called Growth and Opportunity Project – a point of derision among younger, more tech-savvy conservative activists. But, said Ms. Kukowski, fresh from a meeting about the review, “a recurring theme throughout this report is getting the youth influence.”
They key is to get younger views into the GOP hierarchy. This will require a change in the current culture of the GOP. Too many in the Republican party are dismissive people under 40. This has allowed the Democrats to create an advantage among younger voters. By bringing younger people to the table, many of whom are tech savy, they will get a more accurate view of what sells with different elements of the electorate. The best organizations combine experience with new talent. I do not know if the GOP’s answer to OFA will be effective in time for 2016, but it is a start. The next thing the GOP needs to do is eliminate the Corrupt Consultant Class who are only interested in making money and not winning elections. People like Karl Rove need to be kicked to the curb.
I wish the Republicans had taken this approach a few cycles ago, but at least they are now trying to rectify this situation. The key is not only to match OFA, but to surpass them. OFA’s fatal flaw is that the people who run it are arrogant Hipsters who believe they are superior. I will in the future do a post on how to rip the anti-Republican coalition apart. It’s much easier than most people think, but it will require a major change in outlook from Republicans.
(Hat Tip: Legal Insurrection via Eaglesoars)
