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The main innovation of 2002 IMHO is the use of the Internet for volunteer coordination and involvement. Many of the practices in leading statewide campaigns (MN in particular, sadly Wellstone.org) will find their ways into the early presidential primary races. I'll save my analysis for after the election. Here are some news links: 'Get out the vote' goes wireless http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/business/technology/4436957.htm Handicapping a Net election http://www.msnbc.com/news/830387.asp More Candidates Turn to the Internet - AP http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&ncid=1212&e=10&u=/ap/20021101/ap_on_hi_te/internet_campaigns&sid=95573501 Elect to Surf Early, And Often http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55496-2002Nov2.html US Voters Surfing Web Ahead of Election Day http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20021031/wr_nm/politics_internet_dc_2 Say, does anyone know of a text-messaging or e-mail source for election result highlights around the country? Steven Clift Democracies Online Newswire ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2002 17:51:31 -0500 From: politicsonline <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Analysis of Internet & '02 Campaign Nov. 4, 2002 More info: Phil Noble Internet and Campaign 2002 Analysis Office: 843 853 8190 by Phil Noble, founder of PoliticsOnline Mobile: 843 296 1490 [EMAIL PROTECTED] From Novelty to Necessity: No Breakthroughs but Broader, Faster, Quicker, Smarter …and More to Come Campaign 2002 did not see a lot of startling new developments or fancy gee-wiz technology innovations but it was still an important year as use of the Internet technology has now gone from a novelty to a necessity. There were no 'great leaps forward' but the revolution continues and a number of factors are coming together to make 2004 a very big year. The 2002 campaigns saw the current iteration of Internet politics become almost routine but the current technology is being used more broadly, more completely and more effectively. A few examples: a.. Websites - In 2002, 70% of major candidates for major races (Congressional and above) had websites as opposed to less than 60% in 2000. b.. Online fundraising on campaign sites went from under 25% in 2000 to over 55% this year and preliminary estimates are that the amounts of money raised about doubled. c.. Online tools - Traditional online tools such as campaign newsletters and action alerts are now a standard feature of most major campaigns and they have become visually very appealing. These are the first meaningful steps toward truly, widespread online organizing which has enormous potential. d.. E-mail - Although most are still using in-house list, campaigns have figured out the cost benefit (almost free) of using email and they are frequently mailing every name they can find, occasionally with the 'mass personalization' that will become commonplace. e.. Rapid Response - In the past it was only presidential campaigns that were know for their near instantaneous response to their opponents' charges and the media's questions. With the ability to access email from virtually anywhere, rapid response is now standard in most major campaigns. Significant developments did occur with this election cycle though they were not necessary new. There are several other components of e-campaigns which have happen at least once or twice before that are now starting to take off and we expect they will become major components of campaigns very quickly. a.. Online ads are beginning to pop up here and there. America Online reported selling ads to about 20 statewide candidates in 2002 and none in 2000. b.. Wireless communications have surfaces. Campaigns are sending information to supporters PDA and also uploading walking list and voter responses to their central database. Lamar Alexander is sending SMS messages to supporters reminding them to vote. c.. Independent online 'parties' are taking off. The first such group, MoveOn.org was born out of the Clinton impeachments but it has successfully transitioned to broader causes. They raised $4.1 million from 110,000 supporters for 22 candidates this cycle. They generated $1 million in 48 hours to Congressmen who oppose the Iraq war resolution. Even such tightly focused new comers as YDemsCan.net which raised $60,000 online from 2000 members for 10 candidates under 40, are having great success. Campaigns today are still using the new media in the old ways. While campaigns are using the new technology to do traditional campaigns tasks more effectively and quicker, they aren't using it in truly new ways. For example, for the first time many major campaigns put their campaign TV commercials on their web site, great. But, putting TV ads on a campaign website is simply dragging the old media into the new. It's like in 1950 putting a new television camera in front of a radio newsreader behind a microphone and calling it TV. We haven't really begun to use the new media in new ways. But we will, and in 2004 we will likely see a great leap forward for a combination of reasons. 2004 Campaign, A Great Leap Forward - There are three independent factors which will be converging in 2004 to make it a really big year for Internet and politics. They are: a.. Greater interest - Presidential campaigns always generate the most pubic attention and in recent history the greatest technological innovations have come in presidential years 1992, 1996 and 2000. b.. Universal access and broadband - Although over 80% of voters are now online, the advent of broadband will mean new and richer possibilities for truly two way communications. By election time 2004, an estimated 40% of voters' homes will have broadband access. Broadband will see a richer communications flow between politicians and voters and will open up a lot of new possibilities. c.. More money - For the first time, real money will be spent on Internet and new technology. As the new McCain Feingold law comes into effect, there will be big changes in how the current $1.2 billion in soft money will be spent and one effect will be the channeling of vastly more money to Internet and technology based tools and campaigns. The soft money ban on party advertising and the 'Internet exemption' in FEC law, will result in at least a 300 to 500% increase in spending online. This new spending will be a huge accelerator to innovation and new online developments. The big picture in all this is often lost. Skeptics say that the Internet is not really having a major impact in politics. I say it's a revolution ! In reality it is only 12 noon on the first day of the revolution - we have only begun. a.. 1994 the first political websites were created for Ted Kennedy and Diane Feinstein. b.. 1996 the first presidential campaign web sites went up. c.. 1998 Jesse Ventura said he would not have been elected had if not for the Internet. d.. 1999 Bill Bradley raised $1 million online for his Presidential campaign. e.. 2000 saw the first legally binding online election in the Arizona Democratic Presidential Primary. f.. November 2000, for the two weeks of the Florida fiasco, the Internet became the dominant political new source in the US with audiences larger than television, radio or newspapers. In six years the political Internet went from 'did not exist' to 'dominate political news source in America'. And, you ain't seen nothing yet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any and all of the above may be quoted in whole or in part with attribution to Phil Noble, founder of PoliticsOnline. About PoliticsOnline Founded in 1996, PoliticsOnline is the oldest political Internet company and is the premier company providing Fundraising and Internet Tools for Politics. Among the company's many products and services are an award-winning Website, the Internet Campaign Manager CD-ROM, Instant Online Fundraiser v2.0, a daily news and information service, and NetPulse, the Bi-Weekly e-Journal of Politicking on the Internet. In conjunction with America Online, PoliticsOnline recently launched their 21st Century Campaign Headquarters, available at AOL Keyword: political tools or at www.aol-politicsonline.com *** Past Messages, Discussion http://e-democracy.org/do *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To UNSUBSCRIBE instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please forward this post to others and encourage *** *** them to subscribe to the free DO-WIRE service. *** *** Please send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
