Republicans had a financial edge in the 2006

Republicans had a financial edge in the 2006 midterm elections and Democrats still swept control of Congress, though the Republican get-out-the-vote operation did save several seats.A modern-day political campaign is run with the sophistication of a corporate marketing effort. Gone are the days when candidates simply appeal to voters and they, in turn, follow through with their civic duties. Now, voters are identified through a series of behind-the-scenes efforts and relentlessly encouraged to show up at the polls.

Democrats have invested millions in their targeting operation, giving campaigns the ability to identify voters with scalpel-like precision, strategists for both parties said, while the Republican approach this year is more akin to a sledgehammer.

In Missouri, where Republicans are engaged in one of the country’s most competitive Senate races, along with several House contests, the state party received a fraction of its previous support from the national party. The positions once occupied by paid campaign operatives known as field marshals, who previously managed volunteers across the state, are now held by volunteers because the party cannot afford to pay the workers.