Associate Professor David Wilson, Political Science and International Relations; Assistant Professor Lindsay Young, Communication; and UD senior Sarah Lazar (Communication) discussed the November 6, 2012, election results. This episode featured fascinating analysis of how the Obama and Romney campaigns used data, social media, and micro-targeting to get their candidates to the polls. We also discussed the effect the media had on some voters, how voters’ affinity with different groups affected the national results, and the Tea Party. Is “micro-targeting” a new term for you? Then you’ll be fascinated with Hoffman’s and Wilson’s explanations of how the two campaigns used broadcast and social media and database analysis to reach out and make individual voters feel involved.
Listen to the interview
David Wilson and Lindsay Hoffman (11/8/12)
30:13
29.0 MB
About our guests
David Wilson, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations, and Lindsay Hoffman, Assistant Professor of Communication, joined us on November 8 to discuss the 2012 general election results. Wilson and Hoffman reviewed national results, discussing the media factors that shaped the returns, voters’ group affinities, and the ways successful candidates conveyed their message to the voters.
Wilson and Hoffman are both nationally recognized experts in American politics: Wilson in social groups, political opinions and political behavior; Hoffman in media effects and citizen engagement with politics and their communities, especially using Internet technology.
Both also hold hold appointments in the University’s Center for Political Communication: Wilson is the Center’s Coordinator of Public Opinion Initiatives; Hoffman is the Center’s Coordinator of Research in Politics and Technology.
Sarah Lazar, a Communication major at UD, joined us to read the results available to us at the time of the broadcast on November 8. She plans to graduate in May 2013 and pursue a career in broadcast journalism. As we went into the studio, Lazar and Professor Wilson realized that he had been the professor for her First Year Experience seminar in fall 2009.
Learn more
- University of Delaware Center for Political Communication
- University of Delaware Communication Department
- University of Delaware Department of Political Science and International Relations (POSCIR)
- Professor Wilson’s POSCIR profile
- Professor Hoffman’s Communication Department profile
- Election Discussion: Professors Wilson, Hoffman to discuss election results on WVUD (UDaily, 11/2/12)
Photo Credits: Photos of Wilson and Lazar, collage–Sarah E. Meadows;
Photo of Hoffman–UD Office of Communication and Marketing.