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On The Download
Your 2006 election season dispatch on Politics, Multimedia and the Internet
The Hotline scours the internet to find the best and worst of what political campaigns are doing online. These posts are also available On Call. Have a suggestion or news tip? Please write us.
Who Is The Internet?
November 3, 2006
*So just who exactly is on the other end of those series of tubes? Two recent studies show internet users are older and more conservative than some might have thought:
The Nielsen/NetRating survey announced Wednesday that 36.6 percent of adults online are Republicans, compared to 30.8% Democrats and 17.3% Independents.
The sites with the most Republicans are RushLimbaugh.com (84.8% GOP audience) and NewsMax.com (65.4% GOP audience) with BillOReilly.com, Drudge Report and Salt Lake Tribune (65.4%, 59% and 57.9% respectively). For Democrats, the most popular sites were BlackAmericaWeb (79.9% Dems) and AOL BlackVoices (64.8% Dems) with BET.com, Salon.com and Village Voice (58.6%, 55.3% and 55.2% respectively).
Another study by GWU's Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet from October showed who are political blog readers. Out of the more than 7,500 people took the survey online, 40 percent said they look at political/news blogs at least one a month but only 9 percent said they visited every day. Those daily readers are more likely to be male than female (75 to 25 percent).
The average age of all the respondents was 49 years old -- about the same as the surveyed people who said they read blogs daily. No surprise here that the daily readers are highly partisan on both ends, though the greater picture shows more daily readers call themselves "strong liberal" than "strong conservative." For more information, check out the full study.
*Mobile Alert! Three new mobile campaigns surfaced this week.
Dick DeVos' campaign has taken text one step further and has a twelve-second video clip of DeVos for cell phones. Users can only sign up at the campaign's special mobile Web site because some carriers charge.
The RNC launched a mobile campaign to deliver election news for cell phone users. The political group also plans to allow voters in target states to look up their polling place through their cell phone.
Liberal Michigan Coalition for Progress has TV spot up aimed at younger voters featuring SMS. The ad shows an Instant Message conversation with a young woman asking her friends to join a young voter coalition.
Weekend Bytes:
*Web Ads Everywhere: RNC asks John Kerry for his Apologies, Ned Lamont has Bush and Lieberman on Iraq, the Michigan Democrats shows Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous.
*Wall Street Journal added a poll to their Washington Wire blog. Place your bets.
Betting The House
October 27, 2006
Just more than a week after Congress and President Bush made gambling online more difficult, OTD is betting the House -- and the Senate, and the '08 field. We've collected your best bet sites for midterm wagers:
For office pools, nothing beats Washington Post's Midterm Madness interactive online game. The WaPo is known for having one of the best newspaper Web sites (and IT staff) in the country, but dot-com team outdid themselves this time with interactive flash and graphics.
The gambling type can also create office pools for '06 at the less flashy and easy-to-use Predict06.com. The site also features open response forms to play pundit with the upcoming election.
Fantasy Congress lets users "play politics" literally by drafting a Congressional dream team and getting points when your players, er - members, move bills.
What are the odds? Intrade.com has an exhaustive list of markets, from the chances George Allen will win the presidency in '08 to whether the GOP will retain control of the Senate in '06.
Finally, for the White House: The Iowa Futures Market started out as a research tool, but has earned a reputation for predicting the '08 field.
Weekend Bytes:
*Potential Presidential candidate Senator Chris Dodd launched his PAC's Web site ChrisDodd.com and joined the handful of other '08 candidates in making his own "DoddPod" casts. According to his PAC, the site was designed by Wired for Change with open source software Drupal for its content management system. The e-operation at Dodd's PAC is overseen by internet director Tim Cullen, who previously managed new media for Dodd's Senate office.
*IT News source Cnet.com is running a series on candidates' Web sites, including the ten worst sites in Congress and the best party with Web standards.
*Republican Web firm Bivings Group has done a study on which Senate candidate has the most popular Web sites, according to Alexa.com's traffic rankings. The number 1 and 2 spots are held by Lamont and Lieberman, with Jim Webb, Hillary Clinton and George Allen next in line.
*The League of Women Voters has its election site up with loads of reliable voter resource information.
*The NRSC put up TicTacTester.
*Web Ads: DNC's "Stay The Course" has had a whopping 215,000 views this week. The NRSC's web video on Clare McCaskill is called "Misplaced." Kinky Friedman for Texas Governor's put up "Time to Vote Again." Arnold Scharzenegger's campaign depicts "The Phil Angelides Playbook: Character Assassination." Ned Lamont makes Sen. Joe Lieberman fade into Richard Nixon in this video.
One Campaign Blitz
October 24, 2006
Hollywood is returning it to politics in a big way with more than $1 million in ad time -- for free. The One campaign -- a coalition of non-profit humanitarian organizations aimed at allocating one more percent of the U.S. annual budget to anti-poverty causes -- has secured more than $1 million in free ad time on most of the major networks last night, in addition to getting the front page on the RNC, DNC , YouTube, MySpace, AOL and Yahoo! home pages today. The 30-second spot appeared on MTV Networks channels last night followed by time on CMT, Comedy Central, MTVu and News Corp's channels until Election Day and on the big screen at Times Square.
The ad features actor Matt Damon alongside a bipartisan montage of notable Red and Blue state celebs and politicos: Julia Roberts, New England quarterback Tom Brady, country star Toby Keith, actor Don Cheadle, actress Alfre Woodard, evangelical pastor Rick Warren, African-America faith leader Bishop Blake, former Clinton Press Secretary Mike McCurry and Bush advisor Jack Oliver.
Midweek Bytes:
*The man formerly known as Mystery Pollster Mark Blumenthal has a relatively new Web site in beta, www.Pollster.com, that maps all the major polls into easy-to-use chart format categorized by race.
*Points for creativity: Michigan Gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos announced the winners of his online video contest.
*Imagine the door-knocking possibilities: CNET.com reports that Google is imposing a Congressional map onto its Google Earth software.
*More Web Ads: RNC's Tax Man and NRSC's Ford Unhinged.
*Happy Halloween from the NRSC, which put a spoof site about scary Jim Webb Monday.
October 20, 2006
SMS Politics
Mobile politics seems to be catching on everywhere but the United States as cell phone users mobilize in the U.K. to Save the Seals or spread the word on where to protest in South Korea. That's because Americans just don't rely on their phones in the same way as we do. As mobile politics guru Justin Oberman told the Internet Advocacy roundtable Thursday: "For them, their introduction to the internet is through their phone."
This also means the marriage of SMS and politics is not the save-all for any American campaign or organization, but the technology does have other uses that existing popular media like e-mail can't compute. Oberman says activism via phone can be done on-the-go, compared to stopping life to check a Web site or donate.
But so far, many political have shied away from the technology because it's expensive and for the most part untested. An aggregator (the middle-man between the carrier and the campaign) charges $500 a month for a random SMS code, or $1,000 a month for a "vanity" code. For many races that isn't a big price tag, but because there's no immediate profit coming from the technology yet, e-mail seems more attractive and less expensive by comparison. The FEC has yet to rule on using cell phones to raise money in politics. Much to Chairman Michael Toner's surprise, no one has asked for an opinion yet on using technology to fundraiser. Even so, phone carriers take on average 40 to 60% out of the donation -- one heck of of an overhead cost for any campaign.
So what exactly is SMS good for in American politics? Oberman answers OTD's questions below:
1. What's the best use of mobile technology you've seen for a candidate running for office? Dean tried it during his campaign. They created a mechanism in which a person could sign up on the web to receive SMS alerts but it failed to attract a lot of attention. So I guess you could say that the Democrats have already been the first. However, when you consider that what they did was nothing special, in that they just took an old internet model and adopted it to the mobile medium, its hard for me to give them the credit needed for me to call them an "early adapter."
Specifically for a candidate running for office, it has not happened yet in the United States. It is happening a little bit during the 2006 elections but nothing I have seen has impressed me thus far. It will definitely be harnessed during the presidential election so we will have to see. Hopefully, the candidates will realize that the mobile medium is a real great medium for action and change and will use it beyond the "getting alerts from the campaign trail model."
Internationally has been another story however. There is the Spanish elections of March 14th to look at and the SMS Get Out The Vote campaign that South Korean President Moo-Hyun used to make a major comeback from behind the polls.
2. You said at your presentation that the consensus is mobile texting is going to explode suddenly for the U.S. market. What are a few examples of what kind of events could do this? Just as the most successful mobile campaigns abroad are on the grassroots level, the future of mobile politics in the United States will be the same. Because the mobile medium is a medium you have with you at all times, the location where these devices are used determines a lot. There are so many local issues for campaigns to "mobilize" around and each community already has its well-established networks of peer-to-peer communication to make this possible.
The mobile medium is really just a perfect tool for activists, especially when you consider how you could use mobile technology to coordinate at events where people are away from their home and or their place of work. Mobile can perform a really useful function there. And people at home watching the event on TV or the Internet can even use their mobile devices to chime in. The educated middle classes that are often the target of Internet activism already have the Internet they are used to. And for that population, the only time when mobile really makes sense is when you are on location, as you saw at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. At the RNC and DNC protesters used SMS bulletin board like services such as Txtmob and Upoc to coordinate strategy in real-time and proved to be extremely successful. That is one place where it makes sense to be coordinating physical Meetup like activities over mobile.
3. Is there any use for mobile politics for voter persuasion? For example, can a campaign use SMS in a way to reach an undecided voter? Or is mobile politics really only good for the super volunteers, i.e. the kind of supporter that will answer to call to action? Earlier I said that mobile is not a persuasion tool, but text messages from friends are more likely to be read. If the mobile medium is tapped for its viral friend-2-friend nature, then it's a good way to get messages to people that are usually outside of your political networks. I mean, say I got a ringtone of a tapped conversation of a candidate doing something illegal. You can bet that I am sending that to my friends on both sides of the political spectrum.
4. How effective is mobile technology for GOTV operations in America? What are some examples? Rock The Vote tried it and it failed. They just did not do it right. And it may have been to early in terms of SMS adoption. Mobile Voter is doing this now. They have had some success. We will have too wait and see.
5. Do you foresee the price of mobile technology (monthly fees) ever becoming more affordable either by carriers lowering their fees or finding a better way to fundraiser? In terms of SMS bulk rates I think that most campaigns will already find them very agreeable. And those have more to do with aggregators then the carriers. In terms of fundraising via SMS, it's an issue now. Depending on the carrier they take 40 - 60 percent of the cut and stop you at $10-20 dollars a month per customer. There is a lot of talk within the Mobile Marketing Association and CTIA to lower this rate for non-profits. It will happen one day, I am sure of it.
6. Do you think political fundraising via cell phones will ever take off? Why or why not? There are advantages and disadvantages to doing mobile fundraising now and even after they suspend there large fee. Its really great for venues where large groups of people are gathered and also a great way to give people an incentive to opt in. But in a way it also creates an "I already gave mentality" when an organization could have gotten more money via a cold call. I would be happy to talk to anyone interested about this.
Bytes for the weekend:
*ProgressOhio has posted OhioMoneyTree.org, a tool created by Plunderbund to visually map links in campaign contributes.
*GOP Web ads abound: NRSC's "Hang-Up Harry's Chain Gang" and RNC's "The Stakes."
October 17, 2006
Fast Forward Together PAC
When pundits talk about former Virginia Governor and presidential candidate Mark Warner's office, they describe an ample, organized Forward Together PAC with more than enough people to mobilize two years away from a Presidential election. The same applies to their e-team, also based in Alexandria and run by MyDD blogfather Jerome Armstrong. Warner's internet campaign had six people, including Armstrong, on staff and was about to bring on three more workers before Warner announced he was dropping out in a sudden press conference Thursday. Due mostly to the fact that Armstrong kept the internet department in-house, Warner's e-campaign was the largest in the '08 field.
So what's going to change at Forward Together now that Warner isn't running for President? According to Armstrong, there's "less urgency" to roll out new ideas, programs and avatars. "The focus has shifted," he said. Warner is heading to the San Francisco Bay Area tomorrow to meet and talk tech policy with net execs, including Craiglist.com founder Craig Newmark and blogging software giant Six Apart VP Anil Dash. While these meetings were scheduled before Thursday's sudden announcement, Warner's background with the IT community and his active e-campaign might shed light on Forward Together's next phase.
Armstrong wouldn't say what was next for him personally, but that in the short-term he wanted to continue to make technological solutions for Democratic organizations. The sought-after internet director made a special point to say he liked working with Warner because the e-operation was based in-house instead of relying on relationships with vendors. For that reason, he said at the moment he's more interested in developing a platform solutions for Democrats instead of working for a particular candidate.
*In other news, New York State Democrats became one of the first state parties to develop a statewide mobile action network. Using the Rights Group (whose client list also boasts John Edwards' One America Committee), New York Democrats are planning to use the technology to tell local activists about candidates in their area, recruit volunteers and poll mobile phone users.
The latter, in particular, is especially interesting - but not because cell phone text polls are at all accurate. In fact, mobile technology is so new to politics the United States that there's no consensus yet if it's cost effective for campaigns. But polling users is a great way to trick or treat the super-volunteers into feeling more involved in the party -- building loyalty and eventually donors. Yet it's important to note that donating via mobile phones is still not feasible for politics because of potential legal problems with phone companies. Just ask Michigan Gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos' campaign, who attempted to raise money on cell phones by text messaging in $4.99 increments last week only to have T-Mobile call three days later and ask them to take it down because of potential legal issues.
On that note, check back later this week for a closer look at mobile technology this year. In addition to reporting the expertise of mobile politics guru Justin Oberman, we'll also be taking a look at when it might be possible to raise money on cell phones.
Bytes:
*Dick DeVos launched a web page made especially for blackberry addict voting bloc: Devos.mobi. The page has a lower bandwith and compressed graphics for easy-surfing from mobile devices. No word yet from the campaign on how many hits the news site received since it was launched early last week.
*Conrad Burns has a new Web Ad up, "Jon Tester's Montana."
*Unabashed lefty film maker Sim Sadler has finished his hip-hop style 2-minute PSA, "Take Back The Capitol."
October 11, 2006
Santorum On MTV
With less than a month left before E-Day, Sen. Rick Santorum's campaign went live with www.RSiteonline.com, an alternative site aimed at the under age 35 voting group with corresponding ads on MTV. The flash site boasts pseudo-news segments featuring two Pennsylvania College Republicans discussing opponent "Bobby Casey Jr's" track record on issues such as attendance and immigration. Shorter versions of the spots will appear as spots on MTV.
It's an interesting strategy to try to close the loop between YouTube and the Boob Tube crowds. Total communication integration results in a sum greater than its parts because it drives more traffic to the Web site. But in terms of actually getting young voters to the polls, it's a tough call for advertising on MTV. Plus the average age of the station's voters is just over 21, and while known for being politically active, the youngins' are completely unreliable at the polls. Nevertheless, it's the first effort to reach the YouTube generation on multiple media fronts.
Mid-week Bytes:
*Keeping It In The Family: The Sunlight Foundation just finished a report of 19 Congressional spouses,"The Congressional Family Business Project," who were paid by their partner's campaign committee. The table is a result of a "distributed research project" (read: anonymous internet users submit their findings).
*Want to play dress up with the Governator? CA GOV Phil Angelides has set up an animated flash site, "Bush Buddies," to dress and package Schwarzenegger. Now just try to get that image of the leopard print briefs out of your head...
*Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's new Web Ad seems like an extended version of a TV commercial, but it's part of a larger "E-debate" between all of the candidates on YouTube.com.
*Ironically or appropriately, Sen. Joe Lieberman has also released his first Web Ad on Ned Lamont's Negativity.
*The NRSC also has a video featuring the "Menendez's Bob And Weave".
*Hablan Espanol? The DSCC now does, joining the DCCC, RNC and DNC. But according to the NRSC, Sen. Debbie Stabenow knows how to speak Spanish, Chinese and Canadian French.
*It looks like someone forgot to reserve www.SherwoodforCongress.com.
October 6, 2006
Send It In A Letter
*Attention Staffers In The House Of Representatives: Don't think, just send. You have nothing to fear but your own typos. The House does not record electronically transmitted messages sent to other name@house.gov or outside e-mail addresses. And that's not a new development either. Apparently the House Administration Office has never kept tabs on e-mails or any other electronic communication, for example instant messages. So if an aide or house member, for example former Rep. Mark Foley, deleted an e-mail or instant message on a House computer, it's gone. Forever. Good luck with that one, FBI.
*ActBlue is going into the private software business. The two minds behind the Democratic online fundraising powerhouse, Benjamin Rahm and Matt DeBergalis, have incorporated "Auburn Quad," a private version of their software available to selected clients. Does that name sound familiar? It's actually a mix of the two founders' street names, but maybe you've seen that logo on Gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick's contributions page. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Massachusetts Democrat has raised more than a million dollars online -- a record in the state according to Patrick's campaign.
Boston-based ActBlue partners said they started the company out of necessity because Massachusetts law didn't allow them to set up an ActBlue account for Patrick. But now Auburn Quad is reaching out to new clients, and first on the list is Forward Together PAC. Mark Warner's PAC and ActBlue have been cozy in the past -- Warner even did a fundraiser for them a few months ago. The format is still in the works, but expect the similar personal fundraising page organization for Forward Together.
In related news, the Republican answer to ActBlue, ABC PAC's "Right Roots," is still raising. RNC Chair Ken Mehlman sent out a donation plea to the astoundingly large GOP e-mail list earlier this week. Since going live in August, Right Roots candidates have raised almost $200,000. Diane Irey, running against Rep. John Murtha in Pennsylvania, brought in the largest chunk at $20,000.
Weekend Bytes:
*Apparently Foley wasn't the only government employee using the internet for inappropriate, uh, activities. The AP reports a study came out this week that shows their workers had 4,700 logged entries in one week onto gaming and sexually explicit Web sites.
*Rick Santorum's e-team is at it again: They've launched yet another anti-Casey alternative site, www.CaseyForAmnesty.com. But for a good time, we recommend the "Where's Bob Casey?" map, which has real photos of Casey from across Pennsylvania.
*The not-so-camera-shy Dick DeVos, running for Governor in Michigan, has launched a create-your-own-ad contest for supporters. The prize is (wait for it...) a video iPod.
*Democratic Congressional candidate Rick Bolanos has filed a lawsuit against Rep. Henry Bonilla's (R) campaign for illegally buying a dozen Web Sites addresses that he said he would have used for his campaign, otherwise known as "cybersquatting."
*Yes, now you can even register to vote on Facebook.com, thanks to a partnership with Rock The Vote. The program is part of larger effort by Young Voter Strategies to register 350,00 young voters in 2006, thanks to a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts.
October 2, 2006
The Mommy Track
Sen. Hillary's Clinton's Senate campaign site launched a new online social community, "Moms for Hillary," that includes both editorial and user generated content. It's not quite a blog (although her camp said that's a future possibility), but New York Moms can send their personal stories to the campaign and have them posted on the site. So far Clinton's staff has recruited six volunteer Moms from around the state to serve as an editorial board for the site. Moms for Hillary also boasts a moderated forum for Empire Moms to showcase ther personal stories, ask Clinton a question or read an interview with celebrity/supporter Mom Edie Falco.
Clinton internet director Jesse Berney and grassroots director Nancy Eiring produced the online effort. Since Clinton hired Berney a few months ago, the political internet community has been waiting to see what kind of shape her internet outreach would take. It's well known that she gets a lot of flak from the lefty blogs for some of her more hawkish positions. So is this the first sign of where her e-campaign is headed? It's a shrewd move considering she's targeting new ground on the internet: The Soccer Moms. Middle-aged females, in particular mothers, are one of the fastest growing groups of internet users and the so-called "Mommy Blogs" are uncharted poltiical territory. If Clinton is looking to organize a solid online constituency for '08 (er, '06), this might be her prime target.
September 29, 2006
The Running Man
*Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign has launched a personal home page program, MyGovernor.com . It's a lot like MyGOP.com, but with a better design and more features. Kintera hosts the platform where supporters can set their own fundraising and recruitment goals, and choose their own page design.
OTD can only imagine what kind of information this gives the campaign on the back end. If this program takes off, Schwarzenegger's campaign will have a very good sense of who their supporters are and how much effort they're willing to put into the campaign (i.e. recruit 5 people versus fifty, raise $20 versus $200). Users also have some basic choices on what kind of content goes on their personal page, for example if they want a statement about immigration or the economy -- also information for the campaign about which issues their core supporters care about.
The site is still working out a few snags, for example the features on the right margin are jumbled in Firefox, but not Internet Explorer. But it's one of the most detailed personal political pages out there. After supporters send along an e-mail, they can monitor their e-mail buddy's activity on the site, such as how many links they've clicked on the page or if they've ordered a Schwarzenegger catalog.
*It seems MySpace.com is getting into the activism business just like Facebook.com. The site launched a "Declare Yourself" campaign this week aimed at guiding its young users through the voter registration process. Declare Yourself, which started for the 2004 election, uses third-party program ElectionImpact.com for the process.
Best of the Web bytes for the weekend:
*You called me what?!?!?! Check out Slate.com's George Allen Insult Generator.
*OTD is unusually motivated by Deval Patrick's Web spot, "Victory." Must be that inspirational music in the background... It's worth a look and listen, if only to check out the user-friendly video platform on DevalPatrick.tv.
*If ProgressOhio wasn't enough lefty netroots activism for one state this week, Ohio Democrats have put up PaintOhioBlue.com.
*CongressIn30Seconds is an video contest which asks users to create a half-minute webmercial about Congress.
*Colin Delany has published 43-page electronic handbook on online politics including everything from MySpace to e-mail lists.
September 26, 2006
Work In Progress
Today, the liberal echo chamber in Ohio suddenly got louder.
A new Web site, ProgressOhio, is launching with a massive e-mail list and an ambitious goal. It aims to be a hub for grassroots liberal bloggers, a clearinghouse for local causes and information, and a link between opinion drivers in the state and an army of activists.
More broadly, ProgressOhio wants to direct the energy of the liberal blogosphere, already a potent force in Ohio politics, to concrete political and legislative tasks. Yes, it's just another liberal Web site.
But ProgressOhio, set up as a 501(c) 4 organization under the tax code, is the first affiliate of a wildly successful experiment in Colorado, ProgressNow. When gubernatorial candidate Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-CO) mistakenly implied that the abortion rate among African Americans was 70 percent, Progress Now pounced and within hours of that statement having been published, had sent an e-mail alert to about 100K activists in the state and to dozens of reporters who monitor the site. ProgressNow hammered Beauprez's running mate for sketchy comments about bestiality, driving coverage of that story. It set up BothWaysBob.com, which prompted Beauprez's campaign manager to dismiss the group as a bunch of "bed-wetting liberals."
There are dozens of successful liberals blogs in Ohio but little communication or coordination among them. Liberal net strategists have pondered for a few years about how to strengthen bonds between blogs, and a few successful ventures, like an advertising cooperative, have taken off.
That's the niche Progress Now, founded by Mike Huttner, a former Clinton administration lawyer, aims to fill, nationally.
"Our goal is to be an organizer of the blogs," Huttner said. And if ProgressOhio makes a difference, he hopes to expand the model to other states.
ProgressOhio will be run by Brian Rothenberg, a former communications director for the Ohio Democratic Party. Over the past few months, he's collected more than 170,000 e-mail addresses. At its core, the site will link neighborhood groups to blogs and grassroots activists to like-minded folks in the same area.
The site contains several tools that mimic the organizing model used by the national Republican party. Within a few weeks, users will be able to create their own groups by geography and political concern. Gay rights activists in Akron, for example, can easily draw up a webpage, as can progressives worried about health care in Canton. Users can tag themselves with keywords and will be able to join as many groups as they want. That way, says Huntner, "organizing goes from a one-to-many model to a many-to-many model."
Within a week and a half, members will be able to track political donations to candidates by geography.
Rothenberg already has one notch on his belt. On Friday, he distributed a web feature featuring a clip of an aide Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) appearing to dismiss complaints about the new Medicare plan's "donut hole." Rothenberg said he sent the clip to 35K Ohioans in Pryce's district around Columbus, and by the weekend, had enticed 1,200 activists to view it.
Huttner says he will judge ProgressOhio a success if it grows beyond its birth size and by the number of groups its members form. In the long-term, he hopes the endeavor will be financially self-sufficient. Collectively, ProgressOhio will cost Huttner about $500,000, about half of which has been raised from out of state donors. At full strength, it will have a staff of four. BlueStateDigital, the liberal internet behemoth, wrote the software.
Because of its tax status, the site can't endorse candidates That doesn't bother Rothenberg.
"We're issue oriented and we're going after issues that are of interest to progressives, and sometimes, there will be occasions when we're aligned with different [non-Democratic] candidates."
In October, Rothenberg said he expects to spend a lot of time on the site monitoring efforts to make sure voters are able to cast their ballots without interference or confusion.
More Bytes For The Road:
*Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner launched his youth voter registration drive using mobile phones. He made the announcement at a Concord, NH, high school where he asked students to turn on their cell phones and dial "75444" and the keyword "Warner" to start the voter registration process. The contest is facilitated by TxtVoter.org, and is part of Forward Together PAC's larger "YouthRoots" program, which includes a blogs, YouTube videos and a Warner Facebook group. Mobile phone users will compete through September by creating their own voter registraion campaigns with their own key words. YouthRoots will keep a tally of who has registered the most voters, and the winners get iPod products.
*The World Wrestling Entertainment is also using TxtVoter for their "Smack Down Your Vote" campaign. So if you're not Mark Warner friend, text "75444" with the keyword "WWE." And if you're looking for a good laugh, please check out WWE stars asking you to register to vote.
*Bernie Sanders' campaign has a "Bernie Arcade Game," where the congressman must dodge obstacles like the Right Wing and Mudslingers to earn points.
*Dick DeVos for Governor has scary footage of Gov. Jennifer Granholm up on their new opposition Web site, www.GranholmsLostJobs.com.
September 22, 2006
Podcast In Stone
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? If a politician releases a podcast and no one listens to it, does it make sense to keep recording them? Politicians do keep making them -- about one third of Senators record some form of podcast. And while it's difficult to find a consistent measure for comparison, most podcasts find subscriber numbers in the low hundreds. Political campaigns see even worse numbers, which leads OTD to ask, "Who's actually listening to political podcasts?"
"I have not come across a candidate podcast that has been like, 'Oh my gosh, did you hear that podcast?'" said former online communications director for Westly for Governor (CA) Joel Bush. He said the three podcasts they created were listened to only a couple hundred times, and chalked up poor numbers to not putting the spots on iTunes. By contrast, Westly's most popular video on the Web site got 6,000 views as a result of pumping it with robo-calls and putting it on YouTube. "It's not just people subscribing. It's that focus on communicating with people consistently that's important" he explained.
But according to Bush, at least someone was listening: The opposition. He said he knew Phil Angelides' camp was listening to the casts by from their IP address. "It's a common thing that's a lot of what of what's on your site is viewed quite heavily by the opposition," said Bush.
There's no consensus on a way to rate who has the most-listened-to podcasts, but there are typically two sets of numbers: Subscribers and downloads. Rob Walsh, a general podcasting expert who operates Podcast411 and does podcasting for John Edwards and Bill Richardson, said it's tough to get anyone to talk about their podcasting statistics. ""Nobody is making their stats public," he said. "Some of them are mis-interpreting their numbers or over-stating their numbers."
Walsh said podcasters can track their popularity in three ways. He hosts Edwards' podcasts for a small monthly fee with
Here's another issue: Most podcasters use Feedburner to track their listeners instead, and oftentimes users confuse the total number of listeners with each time the feed hits up pings the source, which could be as much as once an hour, or 24 times their actual number of downloads.
And don't count on iTunes as your metric: Walsh says iTunes doesn't rank podcasts by most popular subscriptions, but rather the most popular in the last week, weighted to favor the last 24 hours. Until early summer 2006, iTunes ranked political podcasts in their own category as a top 100. But when iTunes re-organized their categories and put politicians' podcast into the "News and Politics" section, up against the likes of the New York Times and Real Time With Bill Maher, nearly all pol-related podcasts dropped off the top 100. Now the last one continuously in the top 100 (and top 40) is Barack Obama, whose podcasts iTunes pumps features on their front podcast page. For an undetermined reason, other politicians' podcasts were sidelined to the "Government and Organizations" section, where Pres. Bush's speeches are on top and Sen. Hillary Clinton not too far behind the podcaster-in-chief.
"When a candidate or a PAC or an organization says they have a number one podcast on iTunes, that does not mean they have the most popular podcast," according to John Edwards' One America Committee internet director Ryan Montoya. "iTunes ranks them on a 24-hour period. When we released the Jimmy Carter podcast, we were ranked number 86 of all podcasts. But that doesn't mean we're 86 all the time." Montoya said when they started the podcasts about 2 years ago in the pre-iTunes era, only a "few thousand people" subscribed. He maintains that top political podcasts only have about 3,000 listeners.
That number might surprise Senator Bill Frist, one of the most active politician-podcasters around. According to VOLPAC and and Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds, when Frist recorded his first podcast on the Avian Flue last February for Reynolds' blog it was downloaded 1.2 million times. No one denies that Frist likes reaching out to the blogging community, but that number is by far the highest downloands OTD heard in our queries. According to internet director Stephen Smith, Frist's typical VOLPAC podcasts have "thousands" of subscribers, with his "best guess" between 4,000 and 7,000 downloading any given podcast.
"I can tell you right now they didn't get 1.2M subscribers" said Walsh. He said based on his conversation with Feedburner, which Reynolds also uses, no political podcast has more than 100,000 subscribers. One of the most popular podcasts on the web, according to Walsh, is "This Week In Tech" with Leo Laporte only gets 330,000 downloads. He said on average, all podcasts (political and otherwise) have 60 to 70 subscribers and only a "handful" have more than 100,000 subscribers.
One of the more hyped podcasts, the "JackCast" with Rep. Jack Kingston's (R-GA), only claims to have 300 subscribers. Former communications director David All said he got that number by looking at how many times the XML file was downloaded. All understands why podcasts like those by NRP or Slate have taken off, while politicians' casts have not. "I would probably be your guy whose mostly to subscribe and listen to podcasts and I don't," All said.
September 20, 2006
We Know Where You Live
*In what marks the beginning of the beginning of GOTV preparation, the RNC has launched a "new" set of corresponding e-tools to go with its ground efforts (For more about the field operation, read these tips from the NRCC) The e-tool triumvirate includes: Setting up a personal GOP e-mail list, developing a local volunteer team, and hosting a GOP House Party.
To be fair, the tools aren't completely "new" because the RNC has used very similar setup and format in the past for its MyGOP and volunteer portals. But one new and interesting feature is the ability to see who in your neighborhood is registered with the GOP with full name, address and phone numbers. This not only hints that the RNC is way ahead of the field in terms of correlating its e-mail list with its voter files, but also show guts in how much control they're willing giving anyone with an internet connection. The question is, will this bother a the timid conservative who doesn't want the super-activist knocking on their door and saying they got their contact info from the RNC? Maybe it's a risk to put this much information online -- just as MySpace about that one.
*After congressional internet ace David All left the Hill for Mike Bouchard's Michigan Senate campaign, we know we'd be watching to see what he could do to turn that race around. No surprise here, All is pushing Bouchard by reaching out to national bloggers to re-start buzz about the race. Bouchard's video appeal to the right-leaning blogs to donate money to his campaign is popping up on Human Events, Redstate, Townhall and Right Wing News
*Pennsylvania Senate candidate Bob Casey must have found sucess with his TV ad featuring a working mother's personal appeal to opponent Sen. Rick Santorum. They have a second longer video up by another supporter, Arkecia Morris, who describes what Casey was like as a teacher in her school.
*The RNC has a new Bookcast featuring former chair Ed Gillesplie disussing "Winning Right: Campaign Politics and Consevative Policies."
*Democratic candidate for Illinois' 6th Tammy Duckworth has put together a two-minute montage of her personal story. Former Senator Bob Kerrey (D-NE) narrates the video by web firm Liberty Concepts, which is also doing blogs ads.
*Missouri Democrats are keeping with their e-active tradition in launching www.No-Talent.com. Much more impressive, colorful and useful is www.ThePryceIsNotRight.com produced by the DCCC. Harry Mitchell's House campaign for Arizona's 5th launched Truthwatch.org (Lucky hit: Who would have thought that domain was still available?).
September 15, 2006
All Mapped Out
You've seen presidential candidates get intimate with all of the Iowa and New Hampshire statehouses already this cycle, but former Virginia Governor Mark Warner is the first to take that relationship public online. Hey, he couldn't actually spend every weekend in Des Moines and Concord until 2008 -- that would be way too, well, forward. So he's launching his second candidate fundraising contest, Map Changers: IA and NH edition, this weekend at Sen. Tom Harkin's ritual Democratic Steak Fry in Iowa.
This time around, eight Iowa state Democrats will receive a total of $30,000. And because the PAC has already maxed out on all of the New Hampshire state Senate candidates, 15 statehouse democrats will share more than $10,000 in donations. The original Map Changer winner, Bill Winters (CO-06), got a Warner visit and Forward Together funds. Lefty blogfather Jerome Armstrong leads the effort and Warner's six-person e-team. It's a relatively large staff for more than two years to go before '08, but that's probably why they have what some consider the most active Dem '08 internet campaign so far.
Also in Warner world, the PAC is the first campaign to buy this ad on The Facebook as part of the popular social network's Election 2006 Initiative. Facebook's program allows political candidates to buy advertisements on Facebook, now 8 million users strong, for much less than their corporate advertisers. If you haven't already checked out the Election '06 initiative, it's worth your while to do so. Sign on and search for co-workers as "Election 2006" to see the 1,600 candidate profiles running for office across the country.
Yum, bytes:
*Texas Governor Rick Perry is promoting his "Perry Alliance Network," a social network where supporters can compete for points by doing activities like volunteering and recruiting others (both 100 points) to get "prizes," like an "Exclusive Alliance Member Bumper Sticker" (200 points). It's similar to VOLPAC's and the GOP's incentive-based online communities.
*Ted Kennedy sent a 3-minute-long video on Net Neutrality out to his 200,000 person e-mail list. Although Kennedy is not known for his own technological prowess (remember the "computer letter" comment to Arlen Specter during the Alito hearings?), he's built up strong internet backing over the years which helped make that video the 83rd most viewed on YouTube today.
*The DCCC is out with a new Web ad, "No Regrets."
*South Carolina Gubernatorial candidate Tommy Moore has put up a new Web site, designed by home state firm The Rackes Group.
*Scharzenegger's e-team is out with a new Web ad on the "Tractor Tax."
September 13, 2006
Texas Picture Show
Texas Governor Rick Perry launched an internet ad buy Monday for 15-second videos before video on news Web sites. According to the Governor's ad firm, Broadband Enterprises, Perry is the first political candidates to run this type of full-length ad before video news stories. The ads, known as "pre-roll," are based on Perry's existing TV ads. For an example of a Netflix pre-roll, click here.
A spokesperson from Perry's campaign, Robert Black, declined to comment because of what he called a longstanding policy not to discuss ad buys. He said Broadband enterprises put out a press release without their knowledge or permission.
Although many candidates make ad buys on internet news sites, so far mostly corporations have found sucess with the pre-roll format. The market is certainly ripe for politicians: Newspaper Web sites viewers are usually education, informed and probably likely voters. But will this induce any voter/viewer backlash? Users can't click through this ad to watch the video, so there is a potential for negative reactions. If viewers change the channel when a TV ad comes on the screen, how much easier is it to close the entire window?
*Two new Web ads: The DNC released "Bin Laden Been Missing" Friday and Gov. Ted Kulongoski's re-election campaign in Oregon has released a video response, "Ted's Accomplishments (In 10 Seconds)." For more, check out Web AD-dict.
*AZ Senate candidate Jim Pederson has re-launched his Web site.
*Joe Lieberman's campaign has launched a new blog, "The Full Lamonty," dedicated to posts on Democratic opponent Ned Lamont.
*In lieu of the five year anniversary of 9/11, more than a few statewide campaigns suspended their Web sites all day Monday. Specifically, the Web sites of Sen. Bob Menendez's and Rep. Ed Case's Senate campaigns went dark all day. Sens. Rick Santorum, Conrad Burns and the DSCC put up splash pages noting the anniversary as well. Nearly a dozen other statewide candidates, almost evenly split Republicans and Democrats, had graphics and statements on their cites to commemorate the day.
September 8, 2006
We Want To Pump You Up
*Arnold Schwarzenegger's e-campaign has created a Web site, www.PumpUpTheVote.com, to follow the Governator's 8-day tour of southern California. Starting Saturday, users can sign up for text messages, check out Govcasts, video blogs and photos from the tour on the site.
*The RNC has launched the "America Weakly," an extensive Web site and print publication that mocks Democrats on National Security issues. An RNC spokesperson said the site has had one of the most high-trafficked days out of all the RNC and its affiliated sites this year.
*The RNC e-team launched another alternative site this week, www.DemFacts.com, on Democrat's attacks on the new Senate Intelligence Phase II report.
*The DSCC is out with an alternative site of their own, www.GrandOldPhotos.com, where users catch match pictures of Pres. Bush, VP Cheney, Karl Rove and Jack Abramoff with any Republican currently running for Senate. Also of note, last week the DSCC launched online blogger kits for each of their Senate candidates.
*Politics Online announced its list of nominees for the Top 10 Organizations Who Are Changing Internet and Politics.
On The Download is doing an occasional Q&A series interviewing politech players and strategists. Our first Q&A is with Shmuel Rosner, the Chief U.S. Correspondent for Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel. Rosner created an online ranking system to grade the '08 presidential candidates on how friendly they are to Israel. On Call already looked at Rosner's metholodolgy, which includes eight panelists and Haaretz's resident pollster, each of whom judge each candidate monthly on a scale of 1 to 10 on how "friendly toward Israel" he or she is. It's obviously a complex system, considering not all the candidates have votes or vetoes to count -- and some don't even have much of a foreign policy record (ahem, #14 Mark Warner). But as Rosner explains, he's picked a bi-partisan and balanced panel with difference views on Israel and presidential candidates.
Shmuel Rosner, in his own words on "The Israel Factor: Ranking the presidential candidates":
Why did you create the system? The Israel Factor is an experimental journalistic feature, reflecting the enormous role the U.S. plays as Israel's most important - some say the only - ally. For Israelis, American presidents can sometimes be as important as their own Prime Ministers, but so far their ability to differentiate between the candidates and their policies has been very limited. We thought we should create this educational tool to help both Israelis, and people in the U.S. who care about Israel, see the differences between candidates and understand the implications that their election might have on American foreign policy towards Israel.
How do you think Israel will play into the 2008 presidential elections? I don't think "Israel" will play a very big role in the elections - however, the Middle East in general definitely will. The issues at play will include some of great significance for Israel: how to deal with nuclear Iran, radical Islam, rouge states like Syria, fragile regimes like Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority etc.
What would change your prediction? Many things could change my prediction: another war between Israel and one of its neighbors, the emergence of new policies aimed to solve the Palestinian problem, a growing sense of isolationism in the U.S., a growing existential threat from Iran and more.
Has anyone done this kind of ranking system now or is doing so currently? Why is yours better? This new project is the only one of its kind I'm familiar with, and I believe it to be somewhat revolutionary. I think we'll see more rankings like this coming from other countries in the future. Constructing a balanced ranking system - though not perfect - was a major concern for us. We chose 8 experts, both ex-officials and academicians, and tried to make sure that they represent both right and left. The main challenge for each of the panelists and for us is to define what "good for Israel" means - and the different definitions and beliefs of different panel members forces us not only to rank the candidates, but also to explain to our readers the mechanism with which the panel reached its conclusions.
Political observers have commented that the Jewish vote has become more conservative in the past decade. How do you think the Jewish vote change from 2004 to 2008? The Jewish community is still one of the most liberal groups in the U.S. and will generally vote for Democrats. However, two trends are in play which can benefit Republicans. 1. The growing more Orthodox Jewish community (bigger families, less assimilation) who tend to vote Republican. 2. A rising sense among people that some parts of the Democratic Party are becoming more radical, and develop some hostility toward Israel (this was evidently in play in the Lieberman-Lamont race). Nevertheless, even in such cases most Jews will choose to stick to the Democrats and fight from within for what they believe are the right policies.
Which candidate surprised you the most in the panel's rankings? Why? The biggest surprise, as far as I'm concerned, was the ranking of Senator Obama who came last in our first ranking. Next week, I will try to explain why and how it happened, but I think it was not what the panel really wanted, and that it will correct itself in the next round.
Who has surprised you the least? Why? I was not surprised to see Giuliani emerging as the "best" candidate. He is enough of a right winger as to be liked by the more hawkish panelists, but enough of a liberal on some domestic issues (abortion, gay rights) so as not to scare the more dovish panelists. And most of our panelists believe that he genuinely loves Israel - and not just saying it for political calculations.
Do you think Gingrich's (#2 most friendly to Israel) theory that we are beginning World War III is competent political strategy? I don't know. Gingrich, I suspect, is a shrewd enough politician to know better. However, I did react to Gingrich's claim that the Lebanon war was the beginning or part of World War 3. This is what I wrote for Slate: "War is a terrible thing, but this one—contrary to the grandiose prognostications of Armageddon-obsessed pundits—will not bring about World War III or the end of the West or the defeat of extremist Islamism. It is now clear that the war in Lebanon is a limited, contained war, with modest goals and rational expectations."
Why do you think evangelical Christian candidates (and their supporters) care about Israel? This is a question on which there is more than one answer. David Brog, in a book he wrote about this subject, makes a credible case that Evangelicals no longer support Israel because they want doomsday to come early but because they really believe that the Holy Land was promised to the Jews. Other scholars are more skeptical about this - and there's always the possibility that different Evangelicals support Israel for different reasons.
Is evangelical Christian support good for Israel? Israeli officials generally believe that we can't afford the luxury of rejecting the support of Evangelicals. In the American Jewish community the debate is more serious, as this support might come with a domestic price. Thus, some Jewish groups reject it altogether, while other tries to cooperate on Israel while maintaining the differences on other topics.
For which candidate is being pro-Israel an asset? Why? In past years, and for all people who run for national office in America, supporting Israel is a political pre-condition. This can change only if public opinion turns toward a more isolationist foreign policy, or toward ultra-realism with no regard to past alliances and to shared values.
For which candidate is being pro-Israel a liability? In the Democratic Party, a small but vocal minority is turning against Israel in a more visible way, something that can hurt the more centrist candidates of this party in the primaries. However, Israel is not the big concern of this group, and the problems it will create for the candidates will be on matters related to the bigger issues of the day like Iraq and the war on terror.
September 5, 2006
Faith, Politics and A Cup of Joe
*Joe Lieberman's new Web site went up last night with yes -- a blog. The campaign confirmed they hired Liberty Concepts to do its web work for them. The firm does internet for Jim Pederson's campaign and worked on an older, now-defunct version of Ben Cardin's Senate campaign site.
Lieberman's Web site went down on Primary Day, August 8th, and had not shown more than a splash page until last night. MediaPost reported in late August that two Democratic firms had turned down Lieberman's inquiries, namely Plus3 and Blue State Digital.
*Christian Democrats are no longer losing their religion. Instead, they're trying to find it online. Internet Christian Community FaithfulDemocrats.com went live yesterday with the goal of re-energizing religious progressives. The site features left-leaning leaders discussing and blogging on faith and public policy. There's an action center to direct volunteers and donors to campaigns, provide talking points and a campaign blog.
Amy Sullivan, an analyst on religion and politics who contributes to the site's campaign blog, said the goal is highlight relgious efforts by Democrats in state campaigns, such as reaching out to Catholic voters. "Because the national party now understands it needs to reach out to religious voters, but it doesn't have a clue how to do it and hasn't invested any resources at all in doing that," Sullivan said. "But the state parties are way ahead."
The first featured politico is Pennsylvania Senate candidate Bob Casey, with the following candidates ready and waiting for faithful fundraising: Ted Strickland, Harold Ford, Claire McCaskill, John Spratt, Kathleen Sebelius and Heath Shuler. Ex-DNC chair David Wilhelm and Chicago-based Executive Director Jesse Lava conceived the site, which has received 50,000 unique hits so far. Other participants include Sens. Tim Johnson, Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Reps. Rosa DeLauro, James Clyburn and Gov. Tim Kaine, with Paul Begala, Bill Press, Minyon Moore, Mara Vanderslice, Mike McCurry, Cynthia Rotunno, and Wilhelm on the strategy team.
A Few More Bytes:
*Phil Angelides re-vamped his Web site with a new blog, "Voices of California."
*See Dick DeVos Run for Michigan Governor, curtesy of the state's Democratic party and produced by Joe Slade White.
*Sen. Jim Talent has a video version up of his Missouri Values Tour.
*Maryland Senate candidate Michael Steele shares screen time with Rudy Giuliani, while MD Dems are up with The Real Steele.
*Gov. Rod Blagojevich is celebrating Labor Day. *Wondered if former CNN achnor Judy Woodruff was outside potlics? She's not. Instead, she's collecting video and text questions to ask Sen. John McCain.
*The NRCC points out that if you google "Nick Lampson," his old congressional district, TX-02, comes up in the description of his campaign Web site.
*So you missed the NOI conference last week? Check out PoliticsTV.com's briefing from conference speakers on motivating the online "Super Volunteer."
*DNC released a new podcast: An interview with Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones on Hurricane Katrina.
August 30, 2006
Party People
The DNC launched Party Builder, its online social organizing and fundraising tool, last Friday. It's the answer to MyGOP.com. Both programs offer similar features, but most notable is how the GOP uses a homepage as its base (think MySpace), while the DNC's new tool looks a whole lot like The Facebook. Why re-invent the wheel, when it already runs so smoothly? MySpace and Facebook are in the top 20 sites in the country.
A quick comparison of what can be done with both sites: *The DNC has put all of its action tools under the Party Builder, except for the blog which can be accessed via the main home page too. Supporters create a profile, join groups, make "friends," create/join events, fundraise, sign petitins and send letters to the editor. Unlike the RNC's blog, users comments are a free-for-all under the post while the RNC's blog comments are listed by user. *The RNC's Action Center and itsMyGOP.com portal are seperate features on the site, but link to many of the same functions. At the Action Center, users can host a party, take a survey, contact their Rep., call talk radio, get GOP paraphenalia, join teams, recruit volunteers and register people to vote. At MyGOP, supporters can do all the above and show off their progress.
In the simplest of political theories, each party's tool is reflective of their respectivie philosophies. Talk about competitive market: RNC users compete to get points, dollars and yes, the elusive "official" GOP ipod. With what is most like an intentional emphasis on competition, MyGOP users how much money they've raised (up to $200), voters they've and volunteers they've recruited. The DNC's Party Builder is all about building and communicating within a community.
Most important is to check out how each party gathers information about the user. The RNC has different logins for different features, such as the blog, personal homepage and volunteer recruitment center. It's a model for different levels of engagement and getting lots of names without shoving committment into a user's face -- and typically getting a larger drop-off rate in return. The DNC takes a different approach. By singing up with Party Builder, the DNC gets basic information in the login and then collects information through the user's profile, signed petitions, signed letters to the editor and their network/group memberships. So why do we care? These users are the party's next loyal supporter and volunteer. And how much information the parties have on these folk will determine the strength of their online activism in '06 and '08, which is conveniently transferable to field staffs across the country.
*For more Web Ads, check out Web AD-dict. In the meantime, a few bytes: An anonymous Ohio Democrat has visualized "This State" of GOP politics. Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is starting weekly video message to supporters. Roy Temple's Fired Up Missouri thinks Jim Talent has a few good friends. The Minnesota Republican party tells Mike Hatch "That's what friends are for", and describes Amy Klobuchar's "Hostile Work Environment." TN Democrats are out with www.bigbrysondoubletalk.com, while the AZ Republican party ask "What's the trouble with Harry?"
August 25, 2006
Crossover Artist
First, some final post-facto analysis on the news that former Dean for America Webmaster Nicco Mele has promised to work for McCain's Straight Talk America PAC. On the surface, the relationship actually makes so much sense. McCain had a strong internet presence in 2000, and he needs someone like Mele to tranlate his crossover appeal into an online social network. But as skeptics like Michael Turk, former e-campaign director for the RNC and Bush '04, say, it's likely not the best decision for either of them. "For the conservative base, it puts McCain in league with the Internet guy for the most liberal Presidential candidate since Carter," said Turk. "For Nicco, it puts him in league with a Republican who supported the war, and who, despite opinions within the GOP, is actually very conservative." To prove Turk's point, the lefty New Organizing Institute issued a press release late Thursday night saying they had removed Mele from their advisory board.
Here are some Web bytes for the weekend:
*Voto Latino is launching its first national voter regiration drive with text messaging with the help of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and actress Rosario Dawson. The nonpartisan campaign is powered by Mobile Voter's TxtVoter (see 6/28's On Call). To participate, text the key word "Represent" to the SMS code 75444 from your cell phone.
*Two new Web videos for you: Jim Webb's campaign is changing the subject with "97 Percent George!", and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has a long-winded biographical video on his Commonwealth PAC's site.
*RNC has a new webisode of its faux-news cast, Mercy Schlapp's "In the know."
*Haven't seen enough of Huckabee Rock? The Hotline has set up a YouTube account.
August 23, 2006
McCain's Web Team. And Nicco Mele.
Over the past several months, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has quietly recruited for his presidential campaign some of the most influential online strategists in the country, including one of the main architects of Howard Dean's '04 Web site. McCain chief pol strategist John Weaver confirmed 8/23 that Dean for America Webmaster Nicco Mele is among those who have committed to help. Mele's firm, EchoDitto, lists more than twenty major Democratic and liberal firms and candidates as clients.
Mele responds in his blog 8/24 that he worked "closely" with McCain on the McCain-Feingold bill and after the 2000 primary, he traveled with him gathering support for the capmapign finance reform. Mele: "I have long admired Sen. McCain's work on campaign finance reform and his independent streak. If Sen. McCain runs for president, he's got my support."
More from Mele's blog: "While I currently don't know what role I'd like to have in 2008, if Sen. McCain runs I hope to be helpful. This is a personal decision for me based on my own first-hand experience. I like Sen. McCain - I think he should be president!" Mele clarifies that the company he founded and for which he is the current CEO, EchoDitto, "has not in the past, does not now, and will not in the future do any work for Sen. McCain in any way."
Weaver also confirmed New Media Communications' Mike Connell, who designed, developed and managed Pres. Bush campaign's Web sites in '00 and '04. McCain's '00 webmaster Max Fose is also on board, along with Campaign Solutions CEO Becky Donatelli, who helped to coordinate online fundraising for McCain in '00. Weaver: "We're honored such top professionals in this field support a potential McCain candidacy."
The range of experiences brought by these consultants suggests that McCain's web strategy will be integrated with the campaign's message, donation and political operations -- just like Dean's was in the primary, -- and certainly hewing to example set by the Bush campaign in 2004. Bush raised more money from the ‘Net than any candidate in history and campaign used its website to track thousands of volunteers and motivate Bush supporters.
McCain himself is not especially comfortable with the Internet, but he has reached out in substantive ways. His PAC now pays prominent conservative blogger Patrick Hynes a consulting fee and his CoS has blogged, uninvited, on Huffingtonpost.com. McCain has participated in podcasts with Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds and his wife Helen Smith, and he has contributed to the Porkbusters online effort to reign in government spending. McCain '01 manager Rick Davis helped to corral the current roster of talent.
In the days after his New Hampshire primary victory in 2001, McCain's team raised more than $1M off the Internet -- then a record setting performance. And he held one of the first online fundraisers, participating in a web chat with donors who ponied up $500. Connell's addition means McCain has now attracted top talent from nearly every major division of the Bush-Cheney campaign. Bush pol direction Terry Nelson will probably take a major managerial role in McCain's 2008 campaign. Bush media guru Mark McKinnon consults for McCain on strategy. WH/Bush campaign comm dir Nicolle Wallace will help McCain and her husband, ex-Dep. Bush manager/UN ambassador Mark Wallace gave advice before he entered the government. A gaggle of major Bush donors and fundraisers are also on the team (On Call, 8/23).
August 21, 2006
Where Did You Go, Joe?
1. His poll numbers might be up, but Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-CT) Web site is still pretty much down -- minus (ironically) a YouTube video explaining his Indie bid.
2. If you signed up for Gov. Arnold's Schwarzenegger's text messenge campaign this weekend, you might see a few extra charges show up on your cell phone bill. The campaign asked supporters to sign up by texting the word "GOV" to 5055 to keep them updated with ongoings at the California Republican Party State Convention this weekend. When The Hotline signed up, we received no less than NINE text messages over two days. A little intense, especially given SMS number five (1:30pm PST on Saturday) asked us to donate over the phone.
3. Check out this series of WIKI articles on '08 called "Can the Internets make me president?" brought to you by New Organizing Institute. Founder Zack Exley plans to publish the series as a booklet after '06.
4. The polls are is up to vote for your favorite Democratic candidates for both the DCCC and Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots Fund. Has anyone else noticed that only Democrats (Warner, Edwards, and Boxer to name a few) do this kind of fundraiser contest? Is it because conventional wisdom says there's more Dem fundraising action on the internet? Or because after continuous losses in both houses, they think it's better left up to internet voters to decide? Discuss amongst yourselves.
Other bytes to keep you satisfied:
August 16, 2006
Internet Killed The Video Star
In the wake of Ned Lamont's inaugural YouTube campaign and the Macaca video, it's time to discuss what kind of candidacy works on Web video and who should be leaving their camcorder at home. Instead of convincing a viewer for your vote (or at lest remember your name), most web video consultants will say a Web ad should either generate free media, or make a viewer want to forward it on, or solicit donations to the campaign. Creativity is more important than message because a campaign's supporters are always the first to tune in online. Let's look at a few campaigns that use video well for a few different reasons:
PERFORMANCE: Because this candidate is just that charismatic -- well, compared to his or her opponent. Florida Gubernatorial candidate Rod Smith is as energetic as a Baptist preacher and saying all the right things to his Web audience. And because the Web audience has a longer attention span than a campaign usually has dollars for media buys, Smith comes across well in the less-than-two-minutes speech category as well. Lynn Swann for PA Governor is the same way. This guy used to be a sportscaster, so he knows how to make love to the camera, and his screen shots are reminiscent of his famous football career.
LOL: But humor is easier said than filmed, and the best clips rarely seem to come from the campaign itself. No campaign does this better than Kinky Friedman, but his candidacy certainly lends itself to be adventurous with video. Also, if you've ever been lucky enough to see Friedman on camera, he isn't very suave or even on message. His campaign does a phenomenal job of using video to reinforce campaign messages without showing the candidate all that often, except, of course, in cartoon or action figure form.
VIRAL POTENTIAL: If anyone has seized onto the Lamont YouTube model, it's the Webb campaign. They haven't even posted the infamous "Macaca" video on their own Web site (Webb's camp has sent it out in an e-mail, but the link connects through Webb's site straight to YouTube). It's the same kind of viral campaign that ensures it gets forwarded over and over again. Webb's campaign probably saw the value of sending their videotaper to follow Allen -- check out these bloggers bothering Joe Lieberman. It's a page right out of the "let's follow our opponent until he does something offensive" and use YouTube's easy-to-forward URLs to cause a media exploitation -- er, explosion.
So who's not coming across so well in online video? If you've heard of Richard Tarrant, the wealthy executive running against Bernie Sanders for Vermont Senate, it's not from his creative internet presence. All five of his Web video are attack videos on Sanders in the style of negative TV ads -- not the kind of clip that's going to get e-mailed around.
Had enough yet? Here's what else is new On The Download:
*Amy Klobucher has redesigned her Web Site.
*Chuck Poochigian, an Attorney General candidate in CA, is out with a new Web Ad called, "Jerry Brown: Good for Business?"
*Tarrant for Vermont Senate launched www.berniesrecord.com.
*PA-04 candidate Jason Altmire is out with the Web Ad "No Wonder."
*In the PA Senate race, Bob Casey has a video response to Sen. Rick Santorum's Polka TV AD on Social Security.
*The DNC has quietly launched a site for volunteer activists, "100 Actions." The task for today is "Visit Candidate's Websites." And who knew there were so many Democrats in the J. Crew catalog? [SHIRA TOEPLITZ]
August 14, 2006
Free Beer...If You Live In Oregon
1.Gov. Ted Kulongoski's campaign is also out with new guerilla-style Welcome video. More interesting is the"Interns for Ted" video, not because the shaky camera angle isn't cool, but because they advertising free beer at the event. For more, check out Web AD-dict.
2. And here are some video bytes for the road: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is out with his second Web Ad on Phil Angelides called "Tax Man." Ben Cardin's Senate campaign thinks it's good to be "Alive." In the race to politicize the war on terror, DSCC is out with the Web Ad, "Secure."
3. Time magazine is out with its annual collection of the 50 Coolest sites Web sites. Some notables from the "News and Information" category: Tailrank.com, which claims to find the best of the blogs, and In The Hot Zone, on which veteran war correspondent covers "every armed conflict" in the world for a year.
August 9, 2006
This Is Your Captain Speaking
1. Sen. Bill Frist's VOLPAC launched the next phase of its web activist system this week: "iFrist Volunteers 3.0." The portal lets users obtain points by doing tasks online, such as commenting on the blog (one point), contributing (three points for every dollar) or singing up to be an iFrist volunteer (a whopping 100 points). Points will increase your rank, which in turn earns you benefits -- think T-shirts, a consult with the Web team or a pin denoting your rank (either "Organizer," "Captain," or "Leader"). Alright, so it's a little intense even for the blogosphere -- especially given the whole military (or perhaps even Star Trek?) motif. But you have to hand it to PAC that's already starting to train its volunteers -- all 1200 of whom have already signed up for the program according to their internet director -- years before an election.
2. Both PACs from John Edwards and Barbara Boxer released their online poll winners for '06 races within two hours of each other yesterday (but who would coordinate something like that anyway?). Edwards is giving his PAC dollars to Patty Wetterling running in MN-06 and ex-Rep. Nick Lampson in TX-22, while Boxer is donating to MO Senate candidate Clare McCaskill.
3. PersonalDemocracy.com reports that new political mobile firm MobileElect is doing SMS for Harold Ford's Senate campaign, which according to Ford's Web site, plans to send out at least one text message a day with campaign news. Seem like a little much? Blogger Justin Oberman agrees Mobile Accord is using SMS the best way it can in the given circumstances: frequent reminders of a "call to action" to a campaign's core supporters.
4. Other small bytes:
Jim Webb for Senate re-designed its new Web site and launched a new volunteer site, http://bornfighting.com.
Missouri Dems are touting an anti-Jim Talent Web ad on FiredUpMissouri.com.
Finally, Bob Casey's campaign has released a revised version of their "Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive And Dodge" video of Rick Santorum.
August 7, 2006
Because The CT Senate Primary Will Not Be Televised
1. In honor of the Lamont/Lieberman show down tomorrow, here is all video on the race you could ever ask for from lefty PoliticsTV.com. And for the Connecticut Democrat on your Christmas list this cycle, it's never too late to send them an anti-Joe ring tone for their mobile phone.
2. Sen. Maria Cantwell, a former RealNetworks exec and National Journal's pick for most vulnerable Senate Dem, send out an email over the weekend asking for supporters to sign a petition to "Help Protect Net Neutrality." But the Senate is on recess, and the Net Neutrality bill was last seen in Ted Steven's tubes. Yep, this means Cantwell is probably gathering e-mail address to grow listserv now that her campaign is up and running, given her first petition-signature effort on the issue yielded a hefty 21,000 e-mail addresses.
3. Ohio Republicans are up with the alternative site for Rep. Ted Strickland's gubernatorial candidacy: www.whoisted.com. I'll give it a C rating: The flash intro is minimally cool, but the rest of the site is yawn-inducing.
4. The Bivings Group came out with a study last week on how the top 100 U.S. newspapers are using the internet. Check out the top 20 highlights full study here, or get the here.
August 04, 2006
Plugged In
Welcome to the official beta launch of On The Download -- your almost-daily dispatch on politechs: Politics, Multimedia and the Internet. Perhaps you've seen us here before looking oh-so-fine in our red and white logo. Now you're going to see us here a little more often in a hand-dandy list format, as well times when we're just going to look at a single issue (Next week: Why politicians' podcasts aren't catching on). Check On Call for the On The Download's favorite links and internet stories of the day. Have a comment or suggestion? Send us an email.
1. Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Barack Obama's (D-IL) bill creating a "google" for government spending was just voted out of committee and heads to the Senate floor. The new government feature, courtesy of the OMB, creates a single searchable database that lists the amount of taxpayer dollars received in the past 10 fiscal years and an itemized breakdown of each spending project (thanks to Rightmarch.com for the email pointing this out). Five words: What took them so long?
2. Oops, we've ranked the Web Ads again -- and it appears creativity reigns in our almost-new Top Five. Check out our database (archives for subscribers only), but here's our number one single to tempt your palette.
3. Check out Take Back The Capitol, Youtube's first "open source political video project and clip contest." Users send in their own short clips in response to the question "Why must we overturn Republican control of Congress?" and the winners gets a few hundred bucks. The clips are mashed into a longer, jazzier music video.
4. Unfortunately this little Green gem of a web video didn't make it in time to for Web Ad-dict's top five, but it's still pretty damn cool. Produced for Rep. Mark Green's (R) gubernatorial campaign and by Wisconsin-based JRP Inc, it's one of the best uses of video e-mail this year.
5. The DSCC launched the Fudgereport.net to highlight stories and other media on GOP candidates. Hmmm, maybe the DSCC will mispell words on purpose just for the effect...
July 28, 2006
Going Mobile
Mobile Voter, a San Francisco based not-for-profit, has started a voter registration drive program through text messaging called Txtvoter. The program, which is intended to register younger voters, was done with grants from GWU's Young Voter Strategies and the Pew Charitable Trust. Oh yeah, and it's pretty much free.
Here's how it works: Mobile phone users can text the word "voter" to short code address 75444 and answer a series of questions via text message to complete the voter application process. A few weeks later, a completed voter registration form arrives at their doorstep. The user just needs to sign it, date it and send it back. Mobile Voter, for better or worse, keeps track of the mobile user every step of the way. If they see you haven't finished the registration process, they will send you a text message reminder. They even have "planet coding" on the snail mail envelopes to see when your voter registration is sent back in the mail. The final step? Txtvoter will send you an email on Election Day remind you to vote and where your precinct location is.
Alright, so the cellular version of big brother might be watching -- and texting -- you. So here's where a campaign's new cheap voter registration drive can happen: The site's newest feature lets users create accounts in which users can invite others to register to vote. For example, if you text the word "Hotline" to the short code, Txtvoter would take care of the registration, and we would be able to keep track of your progress. Txtvoter gives away recruits' registration information (name, address and if they register online, email) for free if they're going to individuals, c(3)'s and other non-profits who use the information in a non-partisan way. But political campaigns can get the same info for market price – around 10 cents a contact -- according to a company spokesperson.
It doesn't seem like a practical solution for large-scale campaigns, for example anything statewide. But for races on the cheap, for example local and statehouse races, it's a pretty good deal for a youth GOTV effort.
July 18, 2006
The Feline Sensation
Jim Davis might have thought he was tech-saavy when he told an elections board clerk to "google" him to find out more about his gubernatorial candidacy. According to a story by the Palm Beach Post, when Democratic Rep. Davis filing his papers at the elections office, he said to the clerk: "I'm a congressman from Tampa. Google me to find out more about me."Perhaps he should have given his direct URL. If you google "Jim Davis," the first result is famous Garfield cartoonist Jim Davis' Web site, author of "feline sensation" comic strip. Furthermore, the sponsored results on right return his primary opponent, state Sen. Rod Smith. Guess Smith's campaign googled Davis before he did...
June 29, 2006
Send An SMS To The World
The next revolution might not be televised or computerized -- try mobilized. As of Thursday, there are two national political figures starting text messaging campaigns. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and John Edwards are the first to implement it in a U.S. political campaign, although the technology has been talked about for years among D.C. technology circles.
John Edwards' One America Committee launched his text message campaign Thursday. Users can sign up on the Web site and give their name, email and cell phone number to receive periodic updates, according to a rep from Edwards' internet team. Their cell phone will receive a text message from "John" within a minute. Those who sign up for the service can expect to get a note from Edwards while he's on the road or a message to call their respective members of Congress about an important piece of legislation.
Santorum debuted his SMS campaign at a Women For Rick breakfast last week hosted by Mary Matalin, who demonstrated the new technology for the open event. Internet director Mindy Finn said they chose the all-female crowd because women tend to be busier and use their cell phones in more creative ways. Santorum's camp asked for cell phone numbers at the door, and later sent guests a thank-you message for attending. Starting in July, the campaign plans to use more of the technology with issue-based messages, such as a text on Santorum's work on immigration. They also have plans to integrate SMS into their direct mail and perhaps television and radio ads. As Finn put it, the opportunities are "limitness."
Limitless, indeed. There's been talk about using the technology for Get Out The Vote, targeting supporters through their area code to go to a nearby rally and sending short movie clips to phones suited for video. The next big mobile step? Donating to campaigns via cell phone, which currently isn't without its legal and technological glitches.
But the new medium comes with its 128-character-limit concerns. Primarily, will voters reject a message from a politician that they must pay for on their cell phone bill? And will only core supporters, i.e. not undecided voters, sign up for the messages? The platform is more expensive than e-mail, both in startup and transaction fees. But most supporters of the platform look to international examples to prove otherwise. South Korean youth used the new technology during last year's election to gather for rallies under the conservative media's radar. And because U.S. campaigns like Edwards and Santorum are only beginning to experiment with it, it will be months -- perhaps even until '08 -- until it's determined to be an effective medium for political communication.
Notes, Erratum
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