Ghosts of Elections Past…. Poor Project Management?

Well, America is looking at yet another presidential election and many will remember the pointless shock and awe of failed project management during the 2016 election when Trump won. Of course, it was only a project failure for the Democrats. The 2016 pre-election analysis was a whirlwind of predictions, projections, and punditry that captivated the world’s attention. This was certainly the most controversial presidential election in US history. In the months leading up to November 8, 2016, a myriad of factors, from shifting demographics to economic anxieties shaped the narrative surrounding the race for the White House. Today, we will take a closer look at this because it was a failed project for some, but a successful project for others.

Ghost of Elections Past

First and foremost, the candidates themselves set the stage for a campaign season unlike any other. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton emerged as the frontrunner, if you believe that bullshit. Clinton’s campaign emphasized continuity with the policies of the Obama administration. It promised to build on the progress made in areas such as healthcare reform, climate change mitigation, and economic recovery.

However, her candidacy was not without its challenges regardless of the project management approach. This included controversies surrounding her use of a private email server while Secretary of State. There were also perceptions of being an establishment figure out of touch with the frustrations of working-class Americans. People would like to believe it is the best person that wins, but it is the best marketing and project management.

On the Republican side, the primary season witnessed the rise of Donald Trump. Trump, who was known as a real estate mogul and reality television star, had an unorthodox style. However, his populist rhetoric resonated with a significant segment of the electorate. Many of these people associated with being the forgotten man who was white, single, and educated, but couldn’t get a job. Despite facing skepticism and opposition from within his own party, Trump’s message struck a chord with voters disillusioned by traditional politics and eager for change.

A Dream Lost to Project Management Failure

As the general election approached, pollsters and analysts grappled with the challenge of forecasting the outcome. Project management needs data and traditional polling methods, which relied heavily on telephone surveys and demographic models, faced scrutiny for their perceived inadequacy. This perception was specifically related to capturing the preferences of certain voter groups, particularly those who were less likely to participate in surveys or who resided in key battleground states. Additionally, the proliferation of social media platforms and digital communication channels added layers of complexity to the task. Several incidents of online discourse and misinformation campaigns exerted influence on public opinion.

She Can’t Lose

Basically, the whole story was there was no way anyone could beat Hillary. With the lack of critical thinking in America, nobody really looked at the source of the data. This may have ultimately backfired on Hillary because often if people think that the situation is already decided, then why go vote? This is much the case in Russia, but Hillary is not Putin. Instead, in typical sore loser fashion, she didn’t even concede the election that night even though she knew it was lost. A common source of project management failure has always been assumptions.

On that election night, the world watched with bated breath as the results rolled in. However, defying many of the predictions and projections that had dominated the pre-election analysis, Trump won. People were planning to celebrate the first woman president of America but never got their chance. As already stated, they lacked critical thinking skills and counted on the media to tell them what was true. Thus the views of that uneducated and undisciplined world were shattered.

In a stunning upset, Donald Trump emerged victorious, clinching the presidency with a series of narrow victories in battleground states and defying the odds to secure an electoral college majority. The outcome sent shockwaves through the political establishment and prompted soul-searching among pundits and analysts who had failed to anticipate the depth of support for Trump’s candidacy. Even college students who had never met Hillary and were to be the future leaders of America cried their eyes out hugging puppies and coloring instead of taking their final exams.

Conclusion

I really shouldn’t point the finger at this particular election project management situation since logical thinking is thrown to the wind every day. However, it will certainly come up since Trump is running again. This is a competition and that is all it is.

Whether it is a sports team, an election, or a war, we always have to break things down to their basic elements. Critical thinking was ignored last time and a real market analysis was not completed. I would like to say that I have hope that this time will be different, but I do not. Maybe our readers will have an advantage though no matter what the outcome is.

Let’s Git-R-Done this week!