Today's Wash Post featured an article by Edsall and Grimaldi analysing the strategy of both Parties in spending near equal amounts on the campaigns. The verdict? The GOP essentially ate the Dems lunch
regarding effective, media savvy fund allocation.
From the Post:
But despite their fundraising success, Democrats simply did not spend their money as effectively as Bush. That is the conclusion of an extensive examination of campaign fundraising and spending data provided by the Federal Election Commission (news - web sites), the Internal Revenue Service (news - web sites) and interviews with officials of the two campaigns and the independent groups allied with them.
In a $2.2 billion election, two relatively small expenditures by Bush and his allies stand out for their impact: the $546,000 ad buy by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the Bush campaign's $3.25 million contract with the firm TargetPoint Consulting. The first portrayed Kerry in unrelentingly negative terms, permanently damaging him, while the second produced dramatic innovations in direct mail and voter technology, enabling Bush to identify and target potential voters with pinpoint precision.
Those tactical successes were part of the overall advantage the Bush campaign maintained over Kerry in terms of planning, decision making and strategy. The Kerry campaign, in addition to being outspent at key times, was outorganized and outthought, as Democratic professionals grudgingly admit.
"They were smart. They came into our neighborhoods. They came into Democratic areas with very specific targeted messages to take Democratic voters away from us," Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) Chairman Terence R. McAuliffe said. "They were much more sophisticated in their message delivery."
The ultimate test of the two campaigns is in the success of their efforts to increase turnout from 2000. Kerry and his allies increased the Democrat's vote by about 6.8 million votes; Bush increased his by nearly 10.5 million. In the key battleground of Ohio, Bush countered Kerry's gains in the metropolitan precincts by boosting his margin in exurban and rural counties from 57 to 60 percent, eking out a 118,457-vote victory.
A supposed strategic advantage for the Democrats -- massive support from well-endowed independent groups -- turned out to have an inherent flaw: The groups' legally required independence left them with a message out of harmony with the Kerry campaign.
From the Ringmaster's perch, these conclusions only boost Simon Rosenberg's currency in his potential bid for DNC chair. A bit of a latter day Philoctetes, he's on record going back to 2000 prophesying political doom if the Democrats don't recognize and emulate the ingenious Rove media machine tactics. The GOP strategist's masterful use of targeted niche market messaging to tap into and siphon off soft Dem base support regionally was, and is, years ahead of anything the Dems have even dreamed of; till now that is. Note to Dems: get with the program!
Here's hoping that hindsight is indeed 20/20 for 06, 08!
Peace