Democrats' Data Mining Stirs an Intraparty Battle (Ickes, Soros)

[iconocrastic]

Democrats' Data Mining Stirs an Intraparty Battle
With Private Effort on Voter Information, Ickes and Soros Challenge Dean and DNC

By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 8, 2006; A01

A group of well-connected Democrats led by a former top aide to Bill Clinton is raising millions of dollars to start a private firm that plans to compile huge amounts of data on Americans to identify Democratic voters and blunt what has been a clear Republican lead in using technology for political advantage.

The effort by Harold Ickes, a deputy chief of staff in the Clinton White House and an adviser to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), is prompting intense behind-the-scenes debate in Democratic circles. Officials at the Democratic National Committee think that creating a modern database is their job, and they say that a competing for-profit entity could divert energy and money that should instead be invested with the national party.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/07/AR2006030701860_pf.html

edit to expand title

[babylonsister]

1. I welcome all efforts to move this party! NOW! nt

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. "data mining" they are trying to equate it with the illegal searching

the shrub is doing.

Of course, this "data mining" is legal....

[Orangepeel]

3. maybe, but data mining is a marketing term

the term is used correctly, so the motives of the reporter are not necessarily sinister.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. You are right... it's a PR term, but

in the minds of the public I hope it is connected to the spying. Frankly, I don't like the facts that companies are keeping such tabs on us either. But you know, reality sucks.

[iconocrastic]

5. Data mining - term is also computer-jargon

The ability to query very large databases in order to satisfy a hypothesis ("top down" data mining); or to interrogate a database in order to generate new hypotheses based on rigorous statistical correlations ("bottom-up" data mining).
www.inproteomics.com/nwglosde.html

[M155Y_A1CH]

6. But is this safe?

They had better do a good job of securing their communications first.

I don't mind sending the Dems info about myself, but
they seem to get hacked, tapped and bugged too often for me to trust
that the VRWC won't be sharing too.

[madfloridian]

7. They are starting this outside of the DNC.

.

[RazzleDazzle]

8. This is so wrong. Too bad they can't help the PARTY

instead of their own little king-making, profit-making efforts. What an insult to Dean, to the DNC, to the party faithful. Democrats for profiteering. Wonderful, just wonderful.

I'll bet the DLC loves it.

[Just Me]

9. I'm confused. What's wrong with creating an accurate database,...

,...of Democratic voters? :shrug: That database would assist us in being far more effective in reaching out, educating and assisting those who identify with our platform.

I don't get the conflict? Is it only about securing the data? If so, that can certainly be built in.