How Obama’s Data-Crunching Prowess May Get Him Re-Elected

In July, KDNuggets.com, an online newsite focused on data mining and analytics software, ran an unusual listing in its jobs section.

“We are looking for Predictive Modeling/Data Mining Scientists and Analysts, at both the senior and junior level, to join our department through November 2012 at our Chicago Headquarters,” read the ad. “We are a multi-disciplinary team of statisticians, predictive modelers, data mining experts, mathematicians, software developers, general analysts and organizers – all striving for a single goal: re-electing President Obama.”

The job listing caught the attention of Alex Lundry, a Republican data-mining expert at TargetPoint Consulting. He tweeted a link to the ad, commenting, “The Obama campaign is taking #bigdata seriously; what about the GOP candidates?”

The question almost answers itself. So far in the presidential election of 2012, there is only one campaign that is doing cutting-edge work with data.

Obama may be struggling in the polls and even losing support among his core boosters, but when it comes to the modern mechanics of identifying, connecting with and mobilizing voters, as well as the challenge of integrating voter information with the complex internal workings of a national campaign, his team is way ahead of the Republican pack.

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