The Strategy-Project Link: Can Politics Teach Us Something?

Watching recent Presidential candidate debates made me wonder about the management of candidates election campaigns. These massive project management efforts are a curious combination of sales, marketing, operations, and finance within a wildly fluctuating and changing environment. Whether they call it a PMO or not, there is a centralized inner circle deciding which projects to start, which ones to pour more money into, and which ones to cut. Given the intense oversite of the media and constituents, a well run campaign cannot afford to do anything that does not line up with the constantly changing strategies of candidates.

The best companies cut any project that does not line up with a company strategy. Political campaigns seem to require quicker response to changes in, and execution of, strategies. Can companies learn something about strategic alignment and acceleration of projects from the most adept and agile political campaigns?