Obama's secret microtargeting operation

Time's Michael Scherer describes how the Obama campaign used data and analytics to successfully appeal to voters and raise money. By investing in a large technical support staff, they had the resources to remake voter files with more valuable information than they had in 2008. "They created basically a holistic system where they could not just target people, but figure out the best ways to target people," says Scherer.

One realization was that the ideal way to reach out to voters was with contact from someone locally, and even better if the person wasn't a stranger. Using the data from people who had downloaded the campaign's Facebook app, they were able to tailor their messaging and decide the optimal messenger.

Read more about about what the campaign revealed to Scherer during the exclusive interview.