How the Trump Camp's Data Inexperience Helped Propel His Win

It was late afternoon on Oct. 5, two days before a leaked "Access Hollywood" recording of Donald Trump boasting about his sexual exploits would erupt into scandal. Key Trump campaign players Kellyanne Conway, Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Dave Bossie and others sat in a conference room at Trump Tower overlooking Fifth Avenue. The mood was calm, the discussion orderly and methodical. Trump staff including Digital Director Brad Parscale had brought in a handful of media vendors and data analytics wonks hired by the Republican National Committee to talk campaign data and media strategy. Yet, beneath the business-like veneer of the meeting was a palpable sense of urgency. Really, this media strategy huddle should have happened months ago.