WASHINGTON POST: The Republican Party is turning to the Democratic den of Silicon Valley to launch a start-up — laying plans to open a new office there and hire dozens of software developers tasked with reinventing the GOP’s technology operation for the 2014 midterm elections.
Officials say the multimillion-dollar program would give Republican candidates the ability to amass more detailed information than ever about individual voters. The data would help candidates narrowly tailor appeals for votes and money. The system would, in many ways, try to mimic many of the digital innovations that helped President Obama’s reelection campaign last year.
The move follows a scathing spring review by the Republican National Committee, which assailed the party and the campaign of its 2012 presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, for falling short in digital marketing and voter outreach. The report called for more “intellectual curiosity” and for party members to be “more sophisticated” with data and to improve collaboration. In short, it said, “Republicans do not do this very well.”… (more)
EDITOR: The Republicans will try to do exclusively with money what the Democrats do with the aid of an army of volunteers.
