Analysis of the President Campaign through Market Research Process - Essay Example

Other (s) Analysis of the President Campaign through Market Research Process ment of the Problem The United States will conduct its presidential elections in November 2012. Presidential electors will have a chance to officially elect both the President and the Vice President of the United States. President Obama who is the incumbent is running for his second term while his main challenger is Mitt Romney who is a former Governor of Massachusetts. There are, however, two other candidates in the Presidential race, namely the Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson and the Green Party nominee Jill Stein. On the Election Day, voters will have a chance to cast their votes for both the President and the Vice President. In the process, they will also be able to choose the electors who will represent their respective states in the Electoral College. With just around 30 days left to the U.S presidential elections, it is important to analyze the presidential campaign of each of the main presidential contenders using a market research analysis process. This paper will also discuss the main voter constituencies as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each of the presidential candidate before finally predicting the winner. Objectives of the Market Research Process The primary objective of this market research analysis is to develop a logical interpretation of the data regarding the potential electoral victory of any of the two main presidential contenders in the forth coming elections. The analysis will also evaluate and measure the attitudes of voting behavior of the U.S population and finally use this analysis to predict the likely winner of the November 2012 presidential elections. Research Project Design The analysis of the presidential campaign using market research process was through a number of methods that sought to determine the opinion of both the U.S citizens and interested parties all over the world on the November 6 U.S presidential elections. One of the key methods used was online review of recent publications regarding the key issues of the forthcoming elections as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each of the top contenders. Another method that was employed was an analysis of the social media profiles of the two main candidates to provide important insights into what the voters and supporters are saying about them, as well as the likely key issues that may shape the forthcoming elections. The Twitter and Facebook account data of both president Obama and his top challenger Mitt Romney were closely followed and recorded as shown below (Summers 4). Obama vs. Romney Buzz Volume (Twitter Accounts) During the Last One Month Analysis of Data 1. Major Issues The data collected from both the social media analysis and the online literature review revealed a significant amount of information that can help in the prediction of the likely winner in the forthcoming elections. According to the analysis of the literature review, the major issues in the November U.S presidential elections include the issue of economy, the war in Afghanistan and instability in Iraq, social issues such as gay rights, abortion, guns and the healthcare system. Concerning the economy, the probability of wining the November 2012 election will significantly be influenced by the economic policies of either of the main presidential contenders. In this regard, if the economy regains some strength within the next few remaining days, then it will be a boost for President Obama. On the other hand, if the economy continues to falter, then Mitt Romney may experience a substantial increase in the popularity polls. Another important issue in the forthcoming elections is the war In Afghanistan and the increasing political instability in Iraq. Generally the American people have grown tired of wars and the Republicans are not likely to attack President Obama as being soft on the fight against terrorism. This is particularly because Obama has high ratings on his foreign policy with regard to some of his victories such as the death of Osama bin Laden. Another serious issue that may influence the presidential race is healthcare. Obamacare has drawn considerable opposition from the republicans although Mitt Romney himself is being accused of having massed the same healthcare system when he was a governor for Massachusetts. This will make it difficult for him to attack the President on this issue. On the other hand, the social issues such as gay rights and guns are considered major issues, although they will not play a key role in determining the winner of the November presidential election. Lastly, the main voter constituencies in the November presidential election include students, Hispanics, swing voters and the undecided conservatives. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Candidates The collected data from the review revealed a number of strengths and weaknesses on the two main presidential contenders. Beginning with president Obama, the data reveals advantages such as incumbency, charisma and eloquence, good fundraising abilities, the killing of Osama and the fact that he has slightly improved the economy. Obama’s main disadvantages include the sluggish economy and his failure to close Guantanamo bay prison as he promised during his 2008 pre-election campaign (Jackson 2). On the other hand, the Republican nominee also has his shared advantages and disadvantages as far as the forthcoming elections are concerned. In terms of his advantages, he has substantial funding due to the support of the super PAC and his own wealth. Lastly, he also appeals to moderates and independent voters. Romney’s major weaknesses include his flip flopping on key issues such as abortion, his Mormon faith, his too moderate style of leadership, and his Medicare plan is almost identical to Obamacare, and the fact that he is not liked by many voters. Conclusion In conclusion, the results of both the social media data analysis and the literature review of current journals and publications revealed a significant insight regarding the perception of the voters. For example, the interpretation of the Twitter buzz for both candidates confirmed that Obama followers are generally more active on Twitter as compared to Romney’s supporters. Obama’s Twitter account generated 20 million followers while Romney had only 1.2 milllion followers. This is a likely suggestion that Obama is more popular than his main challenger. Additionally, an analysis of the location of the followers revealed that Obama has a significant number of followers outside the United States as compared to the other candidates. Together with the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the two presidential contenders, I predict that Obama is likely to win the forthcoming elections by a margin of between 2–7 percent. Works Cited Jackson, David. “Its Official: Obama Clinches Democratic Nomination.” USA Today. April, 2012. Web. 4 Oct. 2012. Summers, Juana. “Candidates Face off on Twitter.” Politico. July 20, 2011. Web. 4 Oct. 2012. Read More