[For those interested I've put relevant links at the end of the story.]
Politics Is National in Local Web Campaign A novice politician from Kansas has turned a Web comic filled with techie humor into one of this year's most unlikely fund-raising successes. By STEPHANIE SIMON Wall Street Journal July 29, 2008; Page A8 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121729442687591943.html?mod=2_1571_topbox Novice politician Sean Tevis spent two weeks trudging door to door through the outskirts of Kansas City, touting his qualifications for the Kansas state Legislature, and what did he have to show for it? A few slammed doors and one lonely $25 donation. So Mr. Tevis pushed aside his persona as an aspiring statesman, pulled a chair up to his Power Mac G5 desktop computer and unleashed his inner techie. Thus began what may be the most unlikely fund-raising success story of this campaign season. Running to represent a mostly lower-middle-class district with just 11,000 registered voters, Mr. Tevis has raised more than $95,000. The astounding sum hasn't come from his neighbors, but from kindred spirits nationwide. Systems analysts, programmers and Web designers have showered him with donations in appreciation of his offbeat online fund-raising plea, which consists of a stick-figure comic strip "Running for Office: It's Like a Flamewar With a Forum Troll, but With an Eventual Winner." (Translation: Campaigning feels a lot like trading online insults with a guy who enjoys picking fights.) Online fund raising has been hot for several years. Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama has used it to especially good effect. But this may be the first time a candidate has specifically targeted such donors. "I never expected this," said Mr. Tevis, a 39-year-old Web designer. "My game plan for the campaign was to send out a couple postcards and print up a nice brochure." Using a secret come-on buried in his Web programming code, Mr. Tevis has enticed strangers from as far away as Pittsburgh and Madison, Wis., to open their checkbooks -- or click over to the online payment system PayPal -- to support his campaign for Kansas House District 15, representing the city of Olathe. In Atlanta, law student Scott Lange spotted the fund-raising appeal on a Web site popular with programmers. He had never donated to a candidate for local office before, much less a candidate in another state, but when he read the comic, he was sold. "I felt a connection," he said. "We had something in common. It doesn't matter where he is." Mr. Tevis, a former newspaper reporter, launched his campaign when he realized he was tired of hearing himself complain about his state representative. He is running as a Democrat in an overwhelmingly Republican district. He hit upon the fund-raising idea as he plodded along fruitlessly in sensible shoes, polyester pants and a button-down shirt that (he hopes) doesn't show sweat stains. Back at home, Mr. Tevis spent 40 hours creating a fund-raising pitch that closely mimics XKCD, a stick-figure comic popular with programmers that mines algorithms and operating systems for humor. He posted his appeal on a friend's private Web forum for computer programmers July 16. Mr. Tevis's coup de grâce was to embed a hidden message, in the source code. He knew that only fellow techies would bother scrolling through the dense lines of programming, so he rewarded them with a message asking them to tack an extra 88 cents on to any donation so he would recognize them. Nearly 20% of his 5,700 or so donors have done that. Mr. Tevis has become such a fund-raising machine that he is fielding calls from legislative candidates in other states asking for advice. First, though, he has to film his mom telling embarrassing stories about his childhood. On a lark, Mr. Tevis promised a thank-you DVD featuring his mother to any donor who sent in $500, the maximum allowed under Kansas law. To his chagrin, four people did. His mom is preparing her presentation, including baby pictures. He says his most popular campaign pledge is that he will work to abolish the state sales tax on food. In large part, he is running because he wants to oust the incumbent, three-term state representative Arlen Siegfreid, a conservative Republican. Mr. Siegfreid has favored restrictions on abortion and supported construction of two new coal-fired power plants in Kansas. Mr. Tevis disagrees with those stances, among others. Mr. Siegfreid, 61, raises money the old-fashioned way, from lobbyists and corporations. Voters from his district pitch in, too, but their donations are small, accounting for perhaps $3,000 of the $35,000 he expects to raise. Mr. Siegfreid intends to make his rival's fund raising an issue in the race. "I will ask them if they want to have a campaign in their district financed by people from all over the United States," he said. Mr. Tevis responds that he would rather be funded by e-friends than by lobbyists with interests before the Legislature. "When it comes to a song-and-dance routine and putting out blogs, I can't compare," Mr. Siegfreid said. "On the other hand, when it comes to tax policy or energy policy...I think I'm well-qualified." Though he knows he won't be able to match Mr. Tevis's war chest, the veteran Republican says he has his own secret weapon for the campaign: shoe leather. "My feet don't cost anything," Mr. Siegfreid said. "Except that I just had knee surgery a couple weeks ago, so I'm a little gimpy...but even if I have to do it on crutches, I'm getting out there." Links...... Campaign site with cartoons: http://seantevis.com/kansas/3000/running-for-office-xkcd-style/ Serious site: http://seantevis.com/ ================================ George Antunes, Political Science Dept University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204 Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927 antunes at uh dot edu ******************************* * POST TO [EMAIL PROTECTED] * ******************************* Medianews mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
