May 3, 1999

Presidential hopefuls blaze new trails in Cyberspace

By Anne West
CyberCaucus 2000 News Service
Drake University

TV commercials, yard signs, and local appearances - what do these things have in common? They are all tactics used by politicians to get your vote. And now presidential candidates have a new frontier for the 2000 elections, sites on the World Wide Web. The next elections will not only bring presidential hopefuls to a town near you, but you can find them blazing new trails in cyberspace, too.

Although this medium was used in the previous elections, the 2000 web sites are a far cry from the digital brochures of the 1996 campaigns. Candidates are utilizing the Internet and paying for it, too. Early reports have projected that the key players will spend as much as $20 million in maintaining and promoting their sites.

Not all sites are created equal, though. You can expect to see the usual: photos of candidates with kids, a red, white and blue motif topped off with a chance to contribute. With this new frontier in campaigning, some innovations and some additions appear to be just silly. Here are a few examples:

Elizabeth Dole - www.edole2000.org
The boot-up page of Dole's site features a picture of Liz looking her best and the statement, "The United States of America deserves a government worthy of its people." The home page, which resembles a news site, is basic and straight-forward. Here you can read press releases, follow her on the campaign trail and even send a virtual Elizabeth Dole post card via e-mail.

Steve Forbes - www.forbes2000.com
This inventive and interactive site has some unique features. Forbes is using his web site to create "e-precincts," which are started by supporters who are rewarded by a point system when they recruit other volunteers. Forbes is trying to start a large grassroots campaign and is relying on the Internet for a lion's share of work. This is a good example of how a candidate can truly utilize his web site for more than just rehashed news articles and flashy icons. Another nice point to the Forbes2000 site is a link to voter registration information for all states.

George W. Bush - www.georgewbush.com
The George W. Bush for president site reads, looks and acts like a mailer one may receive titled "George W. Bush for president." It has all your basic "so you want to run for president Internet kit" amenities: profile, speeches and a volunteer link. This site is also available in Spanish.A

Al Gore - www.algore2000.com
Al Gore is taking advantage of the Web's usefulness as a forum. At Gore's interactive "town hall," individuals can post a comment or question on the discussion board. Periodically, Gore will reply to these questions on the site. Also, Gore holds interactive chats in this area on his site. Gore's site is frequently updated and well-maintained. There is even a forum for kids. It has informative content, but it is not overdone. This site is also available in Spanish.

These are just a few examples of the many out there, but what does this actually mean for the election? There is not much differentiation between the top candidate sites. In their own ways, though, some are using this medium effectively, and others need to rethink their schemes.

People who turn to the Internet to look at the candidates want more content than what they can see on TV. The sites, when used efficiently, use informative content. For instance, most sites have video and audio clips of the candidates speaking; that is nice for show, but how many will really take the time to download the software to view them? Although this technology has become increasingly more available and common since the last elections, it is still seems more trouble than it's worth. Forbes has simulcast several campaign events on the Web site.

E-mail newsletters also are featured on most sites. Die-hard supporters will probably take the time to register to receive these. For those who do register, this gives the campaign your name, e-mail address, and the other bits of info that reside within.

With regards to personal information, a California-based political software company, Aristotle, has collected data about every registered voter in America and matched it with Internet subscriber information. With technology such as this in place, candidates can do more than just targeted advertising; they can hit the spot. As reported in the Washington Post, "For the first time ever, candidates can restrict who sees their Internet ads to specific, targeted voters. For instance, a candidate could design ads that only Democrats over 30 who have voted in three of the past five elections in the 3rd Congressional District of Maryland would see."

How do hits translate into votes? Some political analysts question the effectiveness of digital politicking, but in close elections, the technology may make a difference in the outcome.

Contributions are another candidate Web site feature. The one problem here is that direct credit card donations are not eligible for Federal Election Commission matching funds. Some sites are still taking them, but there is also a plea to contributors to send checks, which are eligible for federal matching funds.

It is still early in the game, and it is hard to say what effect, if any, a Web site will have on the outcome of the elections. One thing is for sure, though: Those who don't use this medium effectively are already behind.