Will Stumping on the Web Win the Presidency?

The fact that 4.8 million viewers have watched the CNN/YouTube presidential debate only hints at how much influence the Internet now has on politics. Just ask the 1,500 attendees of YearlyKos 2007, where seven Democratic candidates participated in the Presidential Leadership Forum, or one of Hillary Clinton's 135,000 MySpace friends (as of press time). Or check out one of the ongoing MTV/MySpace webcast candidate chats, where participants e-mail or IM questions to both parties' front-runners and get answers live. But does the mushrooming number of blog posts, candidate video diaries, and highly interactive viewers have any real influence come election day?
 
The epicenter of the online political explosion continues to be the political blog. Sites like The Huffington Post and Daily Kos are changing the political discourse not because they're edgy, but because they understand that readers want to be heard and, accordingly, include forums on their sites. 
 
"Media consumers are making blogs political destinations because they're able to participate in the political dialogue," said Amani Channel, a video blogger at MyUrban Report.com. These days, online citizens have a wealth of information at their fingertips, as well as the tools needed to connect, discuss, and organize. "We really can't stress enough how many different ways there are to participate [online]," said Abbi Tatton, CNN's Internet rreporter, "whether it's making an attack ad on YouTube, discussing the debates online, or participating in online polls."

 

Strength in Virtual Numbers
Texas Congressman Ron Paul's supporters speak particularly loudly. The Republican presidential candidate's online base regularly propels him to the top of online polls on sites like ABCNews.com, MSNBC.com, and Drudgereport.com, even though he barely registers more than three percent in traditional polls like Gallup. Congressman Paul has won straw polls in Alabama and New Hampshire and garnered nine percent in the Iowa Straw Poll thanks to his fervent online base. "Ron Paul supporters are definitely a force to be reckoned with," said Alex Wellen, senior producer at CNN.com. "After the Republican debate, we received a flood of feedback in support of Ron Paul that we simply were not prepared for."
 
Some Web-savvy candidates, such as Illinois Senator Barack Obama, have tapped into the Internet's fundraising potential, soliciting donations via Web sites with incredible results. Not only can Obama boast more than 144,000 Facebook supporters (as of press time), but as of April he had raised $6.9 million over the Internet, from more than 50,000 donors, putting him on par with Hillary Clinton, the Democratic fundraising leader.
 
Besides giving candidates a bump in the polls and adding to their coffers, online supporters can create candidates out of thin air. Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel's constituency got him added to the New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Debate, to which he initially was not invited. His supporters organized using the forums at www.gravel2008.us and posted the contact information of CNN and MSNBC media officials so that they could demand that Gravel be allowed to enter the debate.

Raising the Level of Conversation (Sort Of)
Journalists and bloggers aren't the only ones with messages to spread. Some Web-engaged candidates are talking back. For instance, presidential candidate Fred Thompson blogs regularly from his site (www.imwithfred.com) on a variety of political issues, including President Bush's tax cuts (for), gas taxation (against), and states' rights (for). His columns have also appeared on other conservative sites such as Red State and the Pajamas Media blog. And the ads announcing his candidacy directed people to his Web site.
 
Other candidates have embraced this form of direct democracy through more high-tech channels such as video sharing. New Mexico Governor and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson responds directly to users' questions via a series of YouTube videos entitled "Ask Bill." Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee posts dispatches from his campaign bus to his site, and Dennis Kucinich has submitted more than 90 videos to his YouTube channel.
 
But has the fundamental dialogue between politician and constituents changed, or just the medium? MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough said of the YouTube debate: "It was a good candidate forum. The downside was that the moderator missed opportunities to create a debate. It was a glorified, high-tech town hall."
 
Shawn Alexander Colvin, press secretary speaking for presidential candidate Mike Gravel, told us that, "The new debate format has to move away from sound bites and speak directly to the people without interference from politicos or TV personalities." And quick to fill that spot has been the MTV/MySpace chats, which expect to attract millions of participants and viewers.

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