Candidates Turn to Web to Reach Voters

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., talks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington after attending a meeting between President Bush and members of Congress in this Dec. 6, 2006 file photo. McCain, at 70 considering a presidential bid, likes to make the case for experience by telling skeptics, "I'm older than dirt, more scars than Frankenstein, but I learned a few things along the way." (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) (Gerald Herbert - AP)

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is quickly building his own mailing list and using others' lists to raise campaign cash. He raised $800,000 for Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., this year using a MoveOn.org list.

But the recognized Democratic leader when it comes to the Internet is Sen. John Kerry, his party's 2004 nominee. He has a 3 million-plus e-mail list of supporters, donors and activists.

The Massachusetts senator sent e-mails to supporters more than 300 times between Election Day 2004 and Election Day 2006. He also has used his campaign apparatus to give away $14 million in donations to candidates last cycle. During a two-day period this year, he used his e-mail contacts to raise $900,000 for four Senate candidates.

"This represents the community of activists," said David Thorne, who organized Kerry's 2004 Web strategy and remains an adviser. "These are people who want to be active and supportive of progressive causes. There was no more important progressive cause than getting Bush out of the White House in '04."

Without a major polarizing figure among Republicans in 2008, Thorne doubts Democrats could recreate their Web success.

"I am dubious anyone can build the same kind of list in '08," Thorne said. "There won't be anyone that will create the passion and the intensity that George Bush did in '04."

Among Republicans, the enemy is Sen. Clinton. Anti-Clinton Web sites are popping up on the Internet even though Clinton has not announced she is running.

One site, StopHerNow.com, is devoted to "rescuing America from the radical ideas of Hillary Clinton." Its financial backer is a donor to New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a potential GOP candidate.

"It's an oldie. It's just not golden," said Ann Lewis, Clinton's Senate campaign communications director. "We've never doubted there are people on the other side who will try (to use the Web against us). The Web gives you an ability to respond quickly."

If past is prologue, Clinton will do more than play defense. The Web talent for her Senate campaign included Salon.com's Peter Daou, blogger Jesse Berney and former Democratic National Committee grassroots director Nancy Eiring.

"The way to look at what we might do is what we just finished doing," Lewis said.

Mike Connell, who ran President Bush's Web strategy in 2000 and 2004, said campaigns still do not spend enough on online efforts despite the obvious returns.

"Too many dollars are being wasted on traditional broadcast advertising," he said. "It used to be three major broadcast networks ... Now we've got an entirely fragmented market, people spread across the entire spectrum of content."

Campaigns are eager to substitute online video for a broadcast version.

"Clearly online video is rapidly chewing away at traditional TV time," said Nikko Mele, Dean's campaign webmaster from 2004. "We are taking time usually spent watching television and watching the Web. It's not clear how campaigns are going to take advantage of that."

The heaviest users of the online video are people age 18-34, according to an Associated Press-AOL poll from this summer. It is an age group with a low, not high, voter turnout record. Also people in this group generally do not give major donations to campaign. But they are the ones who can create a buzz.

"Every trend that existed four years ago exists double-so, triple-so now," Mele said. "There is plenty of opportunity online. It's going to require innovation, risk taking."