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DIGGing for votes: an analysis of 2008 presidential candidates' use of new media

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DIGGing for votes: an analysis of 2008 presidential candidates' use of new media

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DIGGING FOR VOTES
AN ANALYSIS OF 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES’ USE OF NEW MEDIA

by

Kanakara Navasartian

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)

May 2008

Copyright 2008 Kanakara Navasartian

ii

Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Dr. Daniel Durbin for encouraging, inspiring and
challenging me not only through the thesis process but also through my academic
program; this thesis could not have been written without his help. Thank you to
Jennifer Floto for guiding me through the thesis process and never accepting
anything less than my best efforts. I would also like to thank Dan Schnur for his
unprecedented expertise and endless and kind support.
I am also grateful to my family and friends for their encouragement and
support throughout my entire academic career.

iii

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ii
Abstract iv
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
Chapter 2: Literature Review 4
Chapter 3: Glossary of Common Terms and Theories 19
Chapter 4: John McCain: President Patriot 27
Chapter 5: Hillary Clinton: President Experience 43
Chapter 6: Barack Obama: President Inspiration 55
Chapter 7: Ron Paul: President Independent 69
Chapter 8: Conclusion 80
Bibliography 86
Appendix: Online Advertising 90

iv

Abstract
The 2008 U.S. presidential campaign has exploited Internet technology more
fully than any previous campaign. This thesis examines the online public relations
techniques employed by four presidential candidates: John McCain, Hillary Clinton,
Barack Obama and Ron Paul.
The thesis discusses the ways in which each Web site informs visitors about
the campaign, its activities, successes and goals. It then analyzes the ways in which
the Web sites involve and attempt to connect with visitors through interactivity.
Finally, it looks at how the sites mobilize supporters to send funds for the campaign,
generate buzz and influence others to vote for the candidate, as well as showing up to
actually vote for the candidate. The focus is on how each campaign team performs
these functions in targeting their audiences, branding the candidate’s image, and
designs the campaign Web site.
This study concludes with suggestions for future research on Internet
campaigning.

1

Chapter 1:
Introduction
The Internet has influenced communication and public relations strategies in
ways that were unimaginable even ten years ago. It has become one of the most
valuable communication channels for millions of people. As of November 2007,
66% of Americans consistently used the Internet.
1

The Internet is also a fertile ground for advertising and public relations in
many areas of marketing. It has proven a particularly vital tool in political
campaigns. Previous presidential candidates used the Internet to communicate with
constituents but in a limited manner compared to the 2008 presidential election.
While several candidates had a Web site in 2004, few took full advantage of its
power to interact with voters. Only now, with the creation of Web 2.0 and the rise of
social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, have 2008 presidential
candidates started harnessing the power of this new media. The Internet also serves
as a major source of news in the 2008 presidential campaign. In the race for the next
president, political campaigning has turned to the Internet in the form of Web sites,
social networks, emailing and blogs.
The public relations exploitation of the Internet for presidential campaigning
offers a potentially immense body of information on both political public relations
and the Internet’s value for public relations campaigns. A cursory glance at the Web

1
Internet World Stats: Usage and Population Statistics. Internet World Stats: Usage and Population
Statistics. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats2.htm

2

sites of presidential candidates shows that they overwhelmingly (almost exclusively)
target current supporters. For instance, each presidential candidate’s first page asks
for donations rather than informing visitors about the candidate. Also, the
candidates’ homepages overwhelmingly offer visitors ways of getting involved.
These are only a couple of examples of how the candidates represent visitors to their
Web site as already interested supporters. Though the Web sites do also inform
visitors, at a first glance, they mainly attempt to involve supporters. An analysis of
the public relations techniques employed by the campaigns should offer some insight
into why campaign strategists focus so strongly on branding candidates for audiences
who, presumably, already have a positive image of the candidate.
This thesis examines the online public relations techniques employed by four
presidential campaigns: John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Ron Paul.
McCain was chosen as he was the presumptive Republican nominee for president at
the time this thesis was written. Clinton and Obama have been selected as they are
the only remaining presidential candidates in the Democratic Party and because they
have made the Internet an integral part of their campaigns. Ron Paul was chosen
because his campaign is almost solely Internet driven. With almost no funds or
large-scale campaign, Paul’s public relations team has successfully pulled millions of
dollars into his campaign using, almost exclusively, his Internet Web site. Any
discussion of the 2008 presidential campaigns and the Internet would be incomplete
without the inclusion of Paul’s Internet presence.
This study focuses on an active campaign. As such, it will not have the

3

advantages found in analyzing a finished campaign in which the outcome is decided
and the campaigning completed. Public relations strategies are examined in real
time, as they are modified to meet changes in campaign dynamics, media coverage
and news stories. For a fair comparison among the candidates, all references to
specific numbers were made on the same date, March 20, 2008.
The analysis will focus on the targeting procedures of the Web sites,
consistent patterns in branding between different sites, and variations in physical
design among the sites. The variations in design will illustrate how the different
campaign teams target their audiences and shape the image of their candidate. The
targeting procedures should be especially illuminating since one might expect
candidates’ PR teams to exploit a new medium for targeting newer audiences. Yet,
campaign teams focus almost solely on already committed audiences. Finally, since
branding a candidate may well be the most important goal for any form of political
campaigning, an analysis of how the sites and social networks are used to brand the
candidate should offer considerable insight into how the Internet is being used in that
regard.

4

Chapter 2:
Literature Review
History of the Internet in Politics
This section will review the gradual development of online politics and the
use of the Internet in the 2004 presidential election in order to explain the strategies
of previous campaigns and how these strategies are employed in the current election.
Although the use of new technology in politics typically evolves slowly compared to
its commercial use, the Internet emerged in political campaigns about the same time
as it made its debut in American business. In 1992, the Clinton-Gore campaign
placed election-related information, such as texts of speeches, advertisements,
position papers and biographical information, on the Internet.
2
This is widely
acknowledged as the first use of the Internet in a presidential campaign. The first
campaign Web site was created for California senator Dianne Feinstein in 1994.
3
In
1996, the first presidential candidate Web site was established for Republican
nominee Bob Dole.
4
That same year, most candidates attempted to interact with
voters via email.

2
Davis, R. (1999). The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.

3
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.

4
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.

5

Specifically, “Seventy-five percent of sites included an option for sending an email
message to the campaign.”
5
In 1996, 23% of the U.S. population was using the
Internet.
6
After the 1996 presidential election, scholars concluded that “though the
Internet ‘has not fully arrived as a means of campaign communication, it certainly
has a foot in the door.’”
7
Widespread use of political Web sites was favorably
received by the American voting public. By 2000, about 33 million Americans
viewed political information online.
8
At this point, political professionals came to
“regard the campaign Web site as the intermediate stop in a three-part
communications process, the hub of a network of pathways along which their
message could become better known.”
9
By the 2004 presidential election, Raine,
Cornfield, and Horrigan report,
Fully 75 million Americans – 37% of the adult population and 61% of online
Americans – used the Internet to get political news and information, discuss
candidates and debate issues in emails, or participate directly in the political
process by volunteering or giving contributions to candidates. The online
political news consumer population grew dramatically from previous election
years (up from 18% of the U.S. population in 2000 to 29% in 2004), and
there was an increase of more than 50% between 2000 and 2004 in the

5
Davis, R. (1999). The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.

6
Jones, C. A. (2006). Campaign Finance Reform and the Internet: Regulating Web Messages in the
2004 Election and Beyond. In A. P. Williams & J. C. Tedesco, Eds. The Internet Election:
Perspectives on the Web in Campaign 2004 (pp. 5-20). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield
Publishers, Inc.

7
Davis, R. (1999). The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.

8
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.

9
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.

6

number of registered voters who cited the Internet as one of their primary
sources of news about the presidential campaign.
10

The 2004 presidential election certainly paved the way for the 2008 election. In
2004, each major candidate had a Web site. Also in 2004, “political advertising on
the Internet became a significant contributor to the weaponry of candidates.”
11
Both
George W. Bush and John F. Kerry’s Web sites hosted Weblogs. Both were used to
“inform people about the campaign and issues of the day.”
12
Although blogs have
been around since 1990, political blogs were used for the first time in 2004. The
number of people using blogs as a source of political information increased in the
2004 election.
13
Currently, the Pew Internet and American Life Project reports that
about a quarter (24%) of Americans use the Internet to learn something new about
the campaign.
14
Furthermore, “fully 42% of those ages 18 to 29 say they regularly

10
Raine, L., Cornfield, M. & Horrigan, J. (2004). The Internet and Campaign 2004. The Internet Was
a Key Force in Politics Last Year as 75 million Americans Used it to Get News, Discuss Candidates
in Emails, and Participate Directly in the Political Process. Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Retrieved January 20, 2008, from http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_2004_Campaign.pdf

11
Kaid, L. L. (2006). Political Web Wars: The Use of the Internet for Political Advertising. In A. P.
Williams & J. C. Tedesco, Eds. The Internet Election: Perspectives on the Web in Campaign 2004
(pp. 67-82). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

12
Trammell, K. D. (2006). The Blogging of the President. In A. P. Williams & J. C. Tedesco, Eds.
The Internet Election: Perspectives on the Web in Campaign 2004 (pp. 133-146). Lanham, MD:
Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

13
Raine, L. (2005, January). The State of Blogging. Pew Internet & American Life. Retrieved January
20, 2008, from http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_blogging_data.pdf

14
Kohut, A. (2008, January). The Internet Gains in Politics. Pew Internet & American Life. Retrieved
January 27, 2008, from http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/234/report_display.asp

7

learn about the campaign from the Internet, the highest percentage for any news
source.”
15

Role of the Internet in Politics
“The Web is an equalizer,” because it allows candidates who would have not
been noticed otherwise to gain public attention and have a voice in the election
process.
16

17
“With so many close elections this year, the Internet has played a
pivotal role in fundraising, organizing, and get out the vote efforts. Campaigns have
embraced Internet strategies to stay competitive,” stated Alexis Rice, Project
Director of CampaignsOnline.org and Fellow at the Center for the Study of
American Government at Johns Hopkins University.
18
However, according to
Michael Cornfield, a leading authority on politics and new media at the George
Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management,
While the Internet is a versatile thing and it appears to be an incredibly
efficient way to collect money, people still need to be led by the hand to
integrate their databases and integrate the Internet in all their messages. It’s
not as simple as buying a flat-screen TV to replace the 27-inch.
19

15
Kohut, A., Keeter, S., Doherty, C. & Dimock, M. (2008, January 11). Social Networking and
Online Videos Take Off: Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008. Pew Internet & American Life.
Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/384.pdf

16
Knowledge@Wharton. (2008, January 9). Marketing Presidential Candidates on the Web Goes
Mainstream: But Does it Get Voters? Retrieved January 17, 2008, from
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1874

17
Davis, R. (1999). The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.

18
Campaigns Online. (2006, November 7). Campaignonline.org Blog: A Project of the Center for the
Study of American Government at John Hopkins University. Retrieved January 20, 2008, from
http://campaignsonline.typepad.com/

19
Allen, M. (2007, September 19). Study Finds New Strain of e-activism. The Politico. Retrieved
January 17, 2008, from http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=1E859FEF-3048-5C12-
0061EF8EC5491D04

8

Others state that the Internet is “the greatest grass-roots organization tool ever
built.”
20
In addition, the Internet allows citizen journalists to challenge traditional
media.
21
They do so with the help of user-generated Web sites and blogs.
With a powerful Web presence, “a certain amount of control” is given up “for
a certain amount of visibility.”
22
Much of having a Web presence is about being part
of the message, rather than controlling the message. In traditional media (e.g.,
television ads), campaign strategists are able to control the message. Because
Internet users, especially in social media, control a degree of the messaging, they do
so with the candidate’s image as well. Campaign teams no longer create an ideal
image and push it in the public eye. Rather, to create an image and gain attention,
they must give up some control over that image. Being part of the message is an
image by itself. Some have identified this concept as “The Web Users’ Campaign”;
indicating that the general election is being profoundly affected by “outside
actors.”
23
Others have identified the 2008 presidential year as the “YouTube
Election.” Now, anything candidates say and do on the campaign trail reaches far
beyond those present at the event. Any good or bad moment can be and is taped and
almost instantly uploaded on YouTube, where millions of visitors play and replay

20
Napoli, L. (2003, March 13). Guarding Grass-Roots Privacy. The New York Times, p. G6.

21
Mehlman, B., & Vogel, A. (2007, May 8). Flip-Flopping in the Age of YouTube. The Politico.
Retrieved January 17, 2008, from http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=6D4D906A-3048-
5C12-0028B1C82DB28329

22
Klaassen, A. (2007, May 28,). Democrats Have an Early Lead…in the Web 2.0 Race. Advertising
Age, 78(22), 1,29.

23
Bai, M. (2007, December 9). The Web Users' Campaign. New York Times Magazine, p. 29.

9

and share these moments of success or embarrassment. YouTube, alone, is
“changing the political process in more profound ways…If campaigns resemble
reality television, where any moment of a candidate’s life can be captured on film or
posted on the Web,” then are candidates forced to be less authentic or does YouTube
“force candidates to stop being so artificial?”
24
In brief, YouTube has the potential
to either “democratize politics, or destroy it,” which makes it a very powerful and
important tool in today’s politics.
25
This study will take a special interest in the
delicate balance candidates seek to maintain between controlling and being the
message in a YouTube driven medium.
Internet Democracy
According to media critics, we live in the era of “Internet democracy.” Some
political analysts ask if this period will be “when the public will suddenly become
political activists due to their new capability to acquire information, register
opinions, and therefore directly make public policy.”
26
According to Richard Davis,
author of The Web of Politics: The Internet’s Impact on the American Political
System, “Internet democracy” will not allow the public to directly influence public
policy and hence truly serve as an equalizer. There are two reasons for this. First,
existing dominant players in American politics, such as the media, interest groups,

24
Lizza, R. (2006, August 20). The YouTube Election. The New York Times, p. 4.1.

25
Lizza, R. (2006, August 20). The YouTube Election. The New York Times, p. 4.1.

26
Davis, R. (1999). The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.

10

candidates and policy makers, are also using the Internet to push their own agendas.
Second, the public welcomes these traditional players.
Most Internet users are drawn to the sites of traditional organizations and
institutions – media, groups, parties, government – because they offer two
critical aspects of the information-gathering process that were missing in the
early days of the World Wide Web: organization and reliability.
27

Thus, the public may contribute to the source of information and news on the
Internet, but so do the traditional sources. The voices of traditional players are still
part of the resources on the Net.
Although the Internet may or may not result in the public directly influencing
public policy, Lawrence Grossman, former president of PBS claims that it allows for
formerly passive voters to become political activists. “In kitchens, living rooms,
dens, bedrooms, and workplaces throughout the nation, citizens have begun to apply
such electronic devices to political purposes, giving those who use them a degree of
empowerment they never had before.”
28

With the use of the Internet in political campaigning, the goal still remains
the same: to gain more votes than the other candidates and win the election.
According to David Sarno of the Los Angeles Times, “No one’s yet saying that a
candidate’s momentum online can carry him to victory at the polls.”
29
This paper
will seek to determine how presidential candidates are employing campaign Web

27
Davis, R. (1999). The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.

28
Grossman, L. K. (1995). The Electronic Republic. New York, New York: Penguin Books.

29
Sarno, D. (2008, January 13). Where the Youth Vote is: MySpace, Facebook: Virtual 'Primaries'
Are Popular with Users, and Campaigns Take Note. The Los Angeles Times.

11

sites to garner votes and whether strong presence on the Net might result in more
votes.
Internet Tools:
Web sites, Social Media, Emailing and Blogs
As mentioned, each candidate exploits Web sites, social media, emailing and
blogs. Before analyzing each element and its use in the 2008 presidential campaigns,
the following section will discuss the existing research about each technique.
Web sites: “A campaign Web site is a dynamic but passive publicity
device.”
30
This is because a Web site cannot attract attention on its own. People can
only view the Web site when they choose to be in front of a computer monitor and
know how to locate it or are directed to the actual Web page. However, studies show
that when people do visit a campaign Web site, they will spend as long as twenty
minutes on it.
31
Clearly, they are finding reasons on the Web site to continue
interacting with it. According to Richard Davis, political Web sites serve six
functions for campaign communication:
One, candidate symbol [to communicate to voters that the candidate is up to
date with current trends]; two, information dissemination [conveying
candidate, opponent, and issue information, as well as an image]; three,
opinion gauge [the Web site serving as a participatory forum, collecting
voters’ opinion through means such as “post comment”]; four, voter
reinforcement and get out to vote [to reinforce supporters of their decision
and encourage them to appear at the polls]; five, volunteer ID and fundraising

30
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.

31
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.

12

[inviting supporters to become activists and serving as a fundraising tool];
and six, interactivity [allowing voters to interact with either each other or
with the candidate].
32

Steven M. Schneider and Kirsten A. Foot argue that Web campaigning
employs four practices: informing, involving, connecting and mobilizing.
33
For
instance: Web sites inform by acting as a private media channel for the campaign;
they allow visitors to view speeches, position papers, television ads, etc.
34
Web sites
involve the visitor through interactivity; by asking the visitor to “comment” or “send
this to a friend,” the Web site invites the visitor to be part of the campaign. Web
sites connect visitors to the campaign or one another by emailing them campaign
updates and newsletters. Web sites mobilize visitors by providing them with tools to
volunteer and host fundraising parties to organize their friends.
Furthermore, a survey by SS&K and Advertising Age showed that “When it
came to overall interaction with campaigns, a candidate's home page was the number
one method with those under 30.”
35
However, according to the Pew Internet and
American Life Project, 2% of people who get campaign news online get it from

32
Davis, R. (1999). The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.

33
Schneider, S. M. & Foot, K. A. (2006). Web Campaigning by Presidential Primary Candidates. In
A. P. Williams & J. C. Tedesco, Eds. The Internet Election: Perspectives on the Web in Campaign
2004 (pp. 21-36). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

34
Ireland, E. & Nash, P. T. (2001). Winning Campaigns Online: Strategies for Candidates and
Causes (2nd ed.). Bethesda, MD: Science Writers Press.

35
Wheaton, K. (2008, January 28). In Politics, Web Surpasses TV for Under-30 Voters.
AdvertisingAge. Retrieved March 20, 0208, from
http://adage.com/campaigntrail/post?article_id=123398

13

candidate Web sites.
36
This percentage does not reflect the total number of people
visiting candidates’ Web sites, but rather just those who regularly or sometimes learn
about the campaign on the Internet. As the research indicates, a candidate’s Web site
is an important source of campaign news and information for the public.
Social Media: In January 2008, 66% of U.S. Internet users visited a social
media site, with the top three social media sites, based on total number of unique
visitors, being MySpace, Blogger [Google] and Facebook.
37
According to the Pew
Internet and American Life Project, in the 2008 campaign, “more than a quarter of
those younger than age 30 (27%) – including 37% of those ages 18-24 – have gotten
campaign information from social networking sites.”
38
The same report concluded
that “both MySpace and YouTube are sources of campaign information unique to
younger people.”
39
Specifically,
Nearly one-in-ten of people under age 30 (8%) say that they have signed up
as a “friend” of one of the candidates on a site. And the numbers are even
higher for each of these activities among young registered voters.
40

36
Kohut, A., Keeter, S., Doherty, C. & Dimock, M. (2008, January 11). Social Networking and
Online Videos Take Off: Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008. Pew Internet & American Life.
Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/384.pdf

37
Bulik, B. S. (2008, March 17). Wait. Isn't This the Same as Social Networks? AdvertisingAge.
Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=125708

38
Kohut, A., Keeter, S., Doherty, C. & Dimock, M. (2008, January 11). Social Networking and
Online Videos Take Off: Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008. Pew Internet & American Life.
Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/384.pdf

39
Kohut, A., Keeter, S., Doherty, C. & Dimock, M. (2008, January 11). Social Networking and
Online Videos Take Off: Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008. Pew Internet & American Life.
Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/384.pdf

40
Kohut, A., Keeter, S., Doherty, C. & Dimock, M. (2008, January 11). Social Networking and
Online Videos Take Off: Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008. Pew Internet & American Life.
Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/384.pdf

14

As research shows, social media is in the mix of mediums of campaign news for
voters, specifically young voters.
Email: According to Michael Cornfield, “e-mail, to date, is the most valuable
channel of communication the Net offers to campaigners.”
41
According to the Pew
Internet & American Life Project, in the 2004 election, 35% of Internet users, or
about 43 million people, said they used email to discuss politics.
42
Political
strategists note that a strategic and good Web site will encourage visitors to “pass
along” information to their contacts via email.
43
Receiving an email from a friend,
family member, co-worker or neighbor is more likely to be read than unsolicited
emails. In addition, once the reader passes on the email to his or her contacts, the
campaign’s message is being marketed virally.
Viral marketing is an especially powerful and valuable benefit emailing
offers. Viral marketing typically costs the campaign nothing beyond the human
resource cost of creating and sending the initial email. Yet, viral marketing could
potentially saturate the Internet market with the campaign’s message. Receivers who
post the message to a list-serve group of interactants may get the message into an
almost limitless number of sympathetic hands. Each of those receivers may,

41
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.

42
Raine, L., Cornfield, M. & Horrigan, J. (2004). The Internet and Campaign 2004. The Internet Was
a Key Force in Politics Last Year as 75 million Americans Used it to Get News, Discuss Candidates
in Emails, and Participate Directly in the Political Process. Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Retrieved January 20, 2008, from http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_2004_Campaign.pdf

43
Ireland, E. & Nash, P. T. (2001). Winning Campaigns Online: Strategies for Candidates and
Causes (2nd ed.). Bethesda, MD: Science Writers Press.

15

themselves, distribute the message to a near limitless number of people. While it
may be difficult, even impossible to fully trace the impact of viral marketing on the
Web, it is clearly a resource with profound potential for campaign public relations.
Blogs: According to Kaye D. Trammell’s “The Blogging of the President,”
“Blogs allow people to discuss thematic, big-picture issues in a very episodic and
anecdotal way.”
44
Due to this, political blogs are often not seen as political since
they seem to be “telling a story about real experiences.”
45

“Blogging has become an essential part of political campaigns, with
campaigns, special interest groups, and national political parities not only creating
blogs, but hiring paid bloggers to write on their behalf on ‘independent’ blogs.”
46
It
is important to note that there is a distinction between blogs created by the
candidate’s team and blogs created by third-party advocates or opponents. However,
the average voter does not necessarily distinguish between the two. On the
candidate’s behalf, one can either participate in a third party’s blog or create their
own, which may be linked to the candidate’s Web site. This paper will discuss blogs
created by the candidate or his or her team.

44
Trammell, K. D. (2006). The Blogging of the President. In A. P. Williams & J. C. Tedesco, Eds.
The Internet Election: Perspectives on the Web in Campaign 2004 (pp. 133-146). Lanham, MD:
Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

45
Trammell, K. D. (2006). The Blogging of the President. In A. P. Williams & J. C. Tedesco, Eds.
The Internet Election: Perspectives on the Web in Campaign 2004 (pp. 133-146). Lanham, MD:
Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

46
Campaigns Online. (2006, November 7). Campaignonline.org Blog: A Project of the Center for the
Study of American Government at John Hopkins University. Retrieved January 20, 2008, from
http://campaignsonline.typepad.com/

16

Editorial commentaries note that “blog-reading influencers may build buzz
about gadgets or movies, but when it comes to politics, bloggers are likely only
influencing one another.”
47
However, though “bloggers may represent a small
portion of the voting population, that slice is loud and passionate…they can point to
areas of concern that should be addressed.”
48
In 2005, the Pew Internet & American
Life Project found that during campaigns, more Internet users read political blogs
than during non-campaign years.
49
Among those who read blogs, they rate the
source as the most credible source of information available.
50
So, while the impact
of blogs on the volume of voters reached may be unclear in the literature, those who
actually read the blogs do perceive them as having relatively high authority. Even if
the impact is limited to fellow bloggers, it may carry sufficient authority to mobilize
those voters, getting them to put their preferences into action.
Additionally, blogs influence the news coverage of candidates, which then
affects the information voters receive. Research shows that blogs may be an
important source for mainstream media reporters. This is even more true for online
and television journalists who use blogs for “research/surveillance purposes and

47
Blogs Won't Win the Swing Voters. (2006, August 21). Advertising Age, 77(34), 13.

48
Blogs Won't Win the Swing Voters. (2006, August 21). Advertising Age, 77(34), 13.

49
Raine, L. (2005, January). The State of Blogging. Pew Internet & American Life. Retrieved January
20, 2008, from http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_blogging_data.pdf

50
Johnson, T. J. & Kaye, B. K. (2004). Wag the Blog: How Reliance on Traditional Media and the
Internet Influence Credibility Perceptions of Weblogs among Blog Users. Journalism & Mass
Communication Quarterly, 81(3), 622-642.

17

interactive communication.”
51
Moreover, journalists in managerial positions
“generally use blogs more frequently and perceive them more favorably, which
suggests blogs can be effective tools for individuals serving leadership positions that
require constant watch of issues and trends.”
52
Thus, voters are indirectly influenced
by blogs because, even if the impact of blogs on the volume of voters is unclear,
voters who read traditional media may be reading stories that are inspired or came
from blogs.
Research Results
All this research indicates a vibrant Internet campaigning community.
Campaign managers can effectively use the Internet to not only target new voters but
strengthen links to voters who currently favor their candidate. Since much of
political campaigning involves actuating or mobilizing voters who generally favor
the candidate, it is not surprising that the Internet may be as useful for targeting
current voters as potential future voters. Also, since candidates must, to a great
degree, rely on their supporters to spread the word for the candidate, to build support
through personal contact, and to fund the candidacy, targeting those voters seems an
especially effective approach to online campaigning.
This study will examine the ways in which McCain, Clinton, Obama and
Paul campaign strategists generate support through their Web sites. It will focus on

51
Chung, D. S., Kim, E., Trammell, K. D. & Porter, L. V. (2007). Uses and Perceptions of Blogs: A
Report on Professional Journalists and Journalism Educators. Journalism & Mass Communication
Educator, 62(3), 305-322. Retrieved March 24, 2008, ProQuest.

52
Chung, D. S., Kim, E., Trammell, K. D. & Porter, L. V. (2007). Uses and Perceptions of Blogs: A
Report on Professional Journalists and Journalism Educators. Journalism & Mass Communication
Educator, 62(3), 305-322. Retrieved March 24, 2008, ProQuest.

18

the ways in which support is generated, built and exploited through online public
relations. If, as Schneider and Foot aver, campaign teams employ four practices –
informing, involving, connecting and mobilizing – then, these should provide an
excellent framework for examining the various campaign Web sites, social media
sites, blogs and emailing strategies. Since the Web sites are the core campaign
medium, the focus of this study will largely center on them. Social networks, blogs
and email strategies will be discussed as they put Web site strategies to use and
broaden the campaign’s media for marketing the candidate.
The bulk of this thesis will examine the ways in which each Web site informs
visitors about the campaign, its activities, successes and goals. It will then discuss
the ways in which the Web sites involve and attempt to connect with visitors through
interactivity. Finally, it will look at how the sites mobilize supporters to send funds
for the campaign, generate buzz for the campaign, influence others to vote for the
candidate, and, themselves, get out to vote for the candidate. As each Web site is
discussed, consistent strategies for informing, involving, connecting and mobilizing
will be noted. The focus will be on how each campaign team performs these
functions in targeting their audiences, branding the candidate’s image, and in the
design of the campaign’s Web site.

19

Chapter 3:
Glossary of Common Terms and Theories
Any analysis of new media and technology will, of necessity, involve many
technical and new terms. For this reason, it will be helpful to define the following
terms (in alphabetical order):
a. Base–Motivation Model is the theory that political campaigns spend
about 80% of their resources, time, and money motivating their
supporters (“loyal saints”) to vote as in opposed to persuading and
motivating the undecided. The rationale for this theory is that it is
more efficient to motivate the already supporters to vote than
spending campaign recourses to both motivate voters to vote and vote
for the candidate.
53

i. Example: Bush-Cheney 2000 and 2004 elections. According
to Dan Schnur, the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2000 and 2004
was based on this model.
b. Blog, which is short for Weblog, at its most basic, is a personal home
page in diary format.
54
Blog entries may include commentary,
images, videos, and links to other Web sites; blog entries usually
invite feedback and comments.

53
Schnur, D. (2007, October 4). Getting the Message to the Voters. Journalism 458. Annenberg
School for Communication, University of Southern California.

54
O'Reilly, T. What is Web 2.0: Blogging and the Wisdom of Crowds. O'Reilly. Retrieved February
11, 2008, from http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-
20.html?page=3

20

A blog is “a Web site that contains dated text entries in reverse
chronological order (most recent first) about a particular topic. Blogs
serve many purposes from online newsletters to personal journals to
‘ranting and raving.’”
55

c. Brand in regard to consumer goods is defined as, “a name, term, sign,
symbol, or design, or a combination of these intended to identify the
goods or services of one seller or groups of sellers and to differentiate
them from those of competitors.”
56
In the case of a candidate’s brand,
the term refers to individuals associating themselves with a positive
message that differentiates them from their competitors.
d. Del.icio.us (del.icio.us) is a social bookmarking Web site allowing
users to bookmark anything online, access links from any computer,
and share their favorites with their personal contacts.
e. Digg (Digg.com) is a Web site for people to find and share content
with one another. This content includes Web sites, blogs and videos.
People can submit content to and view information on Digg.com. If
viewers like it, they can “digg it” and if a submission receives enough

55
TechWeb Network. Blog. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from
http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=blog

56
Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. (2006). Principles of Marketing (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice-Hall, Inc.

21

Diggs, it is advanced to the site’s front page for millions of other
visitors to see.
57
It was founded in late 2004 by Kevin Rose.
f. Eons (Eons.com) is an online community for an age group known as
the Baby Boomers, those who were born between 1946 and 1964.
Eons was founded in 2006 by Jeff Taylor, creator of Monster.com.
g. Eventful (Eventful.com) is a Web site that allows its users to create,
find and promote events. Events include “nearly four million events
taking place in local markets throughout the world, from concerts and
sports to singles events and political rallies.”
58
It was founded in
2004.
h. Facebook (Facebook.com) is a social networking site known to target
students, but everyone can join. It is made up of networks, “each
based around a company, region, or school.”
59
Facebook has more
than 64 million members. It was founded in 2004 by Mark
Zuckerberg.
i. Glee (Glee.com) is an online community, similar to other social
networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, catering mainly to
the gay and lesbian community.

57
Digg. Digg/About Us. Retrieved February 10, 2008, from http://digg.com/about

58
Eventful. About Us. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from http://about.eventful.com/

59
Facebook. About Facebook. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://www.facebook.com/about.php

22

j. Justin.Tv (Justin.tv) is an online place “to broadcast and watch live
video online while chatting with friends.”
60

k. LinkedIn (LinkedIn.com) is a social networking site to build
professional relationships. The site focuses on professional
relationships, rather than social connections.
l. Meetup (Meetup.com) is a social networking Web site that allows
people to find others with similar interests and organize a physical,
non-virtual location to meet up. Members can search Meetups by
topic, city or start their own Meetup.
m. MiGente (MiGente.com) is an online community, similar to other
social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, catering to
the Latino community.
n. MyBatanga (My.Batanga.com) is an entertainment site offering a
place where members can listen to music, watch videos, and create
their own radio station to share with their personal contacts.
61

o. MySpace (MySpace.com) is “the most popular social networking site
on the Web, especially for teenagers and people under 30.”
62

Members create a personal page to share information about

60
Justin.tv. Justin.tv FAQ. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from http://blog.justin.tv/2007/11/justintv-
faq.html

61
Batanga. About Batanga. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from http://music.batanga.com/en/faq.asp

62
TechWeb Network. MySpace. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from
http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=MySpace

23

themselves, invite friends, and keep in touch with their group of
friends. It was founded in 2003 by Tom Anderson and Chris
DeWolfe. As of February 2008, MySpace has over 300 million
accounts.
p. The Net, which is short for the Internet, is “an electronic platform for
establishing social connections.”
63
It is “a network of networks.”
64

The Internet is a set of interlinked computer networks, connected by
wires, cables, and wireless connections.
* It is necessary to distinguish between “the Net” and “the Web.” In
colloquial speech, the two terms are incorrectly used synonymously.
Also see “Web.”
q. Reflective Publicity is when older voters are supportive of a candidate
because they like that the candidate can relate to the younger/next
generation.
65

i. An example of reflective publicity in regard to the Internet is
in 1996, when Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole
announced his Web site’s address at the end of his first

63
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.

64
Center for Interactive Advertising at the University of Texas Austin, The. Differences between the
Internet and the Web. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from
http://www.ciadvertising.org/studies/student/00_summer/marlowe/paper/hist_netWeb.htm

65
Schnur, Dan. Online Campaigning. (2007, October 25). Journalism 458. Annenberg School for
Communication, University of Southern California.

24

presidential debate. In addition to inviting voters to learn
more about him after the debate, “the invitation was a subtle
reassurance [or rather a reminder] that he was futuristic and
not too old to be president.”
66

ii. “One Webmaster admitted that ‘most voters are not using the
Internet. We used the existence of the pages to show that the
candidate was in touch with current trends.’”
67

r. Social Networking Sites: A social networking site is a non-physical,
virtual community that allows people to connect with one another
worldwide on the Internet. It is a central location to connect with old
and new friends, and share interest and ideas.
s. StumbleUpon (StumbleUpon.com) is a social networking site that
allows Web surfers to one, share, recommend and rate Web sites
and/or two, discover new Web sites based on their interest. Members
are able to rate sites by giving a thumb up or thumb down.
t. Technorati (Technorati.com) is a “Web site that indexes blogs on the
Web and helps users find them by category and searches. It also
includes the latest news, popular books and music.”
68

66
Davis, R. (1999). The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.

67
Davis, R. (1999). The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.

68
TechWeb Network. Technorati. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from
http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=technorati

25

u. Twitter (Twitter.com) is a Web site that allows users to send and
receive messages via their account on the site, email, instant
messaging or text messages from their cellphones to a group of
contacts. It was launched in 2006.
Twitter was designed for people to broadcast their current
activities and thoughts. Twitter expanded ‘mobile blogging’
(updating a blog from a cellphone) into ‘microblogging,’ the
updating of an activities blog (microblog) that distributes the
text to a list of names.
69

v. Veoh (Veoh.com) is an online video distribution service allowing
viewers to watch major studio content, independent productions and
popular user-generated video.
w. The Web, which is short for the World Wide Web, is “an abstract
(imaginary) space of information.”
70
The Web is a collection of
resources, “a system for delivering and displaying multimedia
documents on the network of computers” (the Internet).
71
On the
Web, one finds any kind of information (i.e. documents, videos,
sounds).

69
TechWeb Network. Twitter. Retrieved January 28, 2008, from
http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=twitter

70
Berners-Lee, T. Frequently Asked Questions. W3 World Wide Web Consortium. Retrieved March
20, 2008, from http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/FAQ.html

71
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.

26

* It is necessary to distinguish between “the Net” and “the Web.” In
colloquial speech, the two terms are incorrectly used synonymously.
Also see “Net.”
x. Web 2.0-

Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected
devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make the most of
the intrinsic advantages of that platform: delivering software
as a continually-updated service that gets better the more
people use it, consuming and remixing data from multiple
sources, including individual users, while providing their own
data and services in a form that allows remixing by others,
creating network effects through an “architecture of
participation,” and going beyond the page metaphor of Web
1.0 to deliver rich user experiences.
72

Web 2.0 allows Internet users to connect to one another in an
efficient and easy manner, one that was not allowed before its
creation. Instead of one-to-many communication, Web 2.0 allows
many-to-many communication.
y. YouTube (YouTube.com) is a Web site allowing anyone to post and
share videos for private or public viewing. “Videos are streamed to
users on the YouTube site or via blogs and other Web sites. YouTube
provides specific code for playing each video that can be embedded
on a Web page of a third-party site.”
73

72
O'Reilly, T. Web 2.0: Compact Definition? O'Reilly. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2005/10/web-20-compact-definition.html

73
TechWeb Network. YouTube. Retrieved February 12, 2008, from
http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=you+tube

27

Chapter 4:
John McCain: President Patriot
John McCain’s campaign uses all the tools listed above, Web sites, social
networking sites, emails and blogs, to inform, involve, connect with and mobilize
voters. Through the campaign’s Web site, the remaining tools are used to
accomplish these four activities; at times, the Web site achieves most or all
simultaneously.
Informing
The first page of McCain’s Web site asks visitors to donate or submit their
email addresses. Once visitors move past this page, they see his homepage. As the
first page works to involve the visitor, it will be further discussed under “Involving.”
The homepage is the main source of information about McCain’s campaign.
The design and content of the page brand McCain in a particular way, which both
informs and moves to persuade the visitor. First, the design of the page subtly
implies that McCain is already the winner in this election. The site brands him as the
(All) American President. The site is patriotic in its color scheme. The McCain logo
displays a star, a symbol from the American flag. The star also resembles the star
used on military uniforms, reminding the visitor of McCain’s years serving in the
military and in a Vietnam POW camp. Without a word, the star brands McCain an
“authentic American hero.” This star image is repeated throughout the homepage
and Web site. The U.S. President’s seal appears in the background in shadow next to

28

McCain’s picture. These understated yet clear design patterns guide the visitor to
view McCain as the U.S. President.
Second, the content of the homepage is a learning experience for the visitor.
It is meant to both inform the supporter and persuade the “salvageable” to vote for
McCain.
*
The homepage displays McCain’s picture with the text “John McCain
Ready to Lead on Day One” to its right. This is another symbol branding McCain as
the candidate who is most prepared to be the President. This is followed by two
icons, “Why John McCain” and “On the Issues,” both of which inform the reader
about McCain (i.e. a common sense conservative) and his stance on different issues
(e.g. strong national defense, a smaller government). The “Why John McCain”
section is an attempt to target independent voters who have not made up their minds
yet. It aims to persuade these undecided voters to become McCain’s supporters. To
the right of his picture are campaign news and updates. For instance, on February
18, 2008, the viewer was informed that “George H.W. Bush Endorses John
McCain.” A link to learn more about this was provided. Below this section, videos
of McCain are posted. For instance, “Courageous Service,” a video about McCain’s
military service, is available for viewing. Without even playing the video, the visitor
is informed about McCain’s military service and the image of McCain as a war hero
is reinforced.

*
According to Dan Schnur, salvageable voters are the undecided, independent, moderate Republican
or/and center Democrat voters.

29

The second half of the page is filled with more information about the
campaign’s activities and successes. Specifically, the “2008 Delegate Counter”
notifies the visitor of the number of delegates McCain and his competitors have won.
This reinforces McCain’s image as winner. The “In the News” section
chronologically lists titles of news articles about McCain (each title is linked to the
article itself). “In the News” is a valuable tool to further inform supporters and
persuade undecided voters. It validates the information on this Web site, because it
uses the media as a third-party source to communicate his message credibly. The
“Supporter Spotlight” highlights key supporters and their message to the voter (e.g.
Joe Lieberman stating why as an Independent, he is supporting a Republican
candidate – this specific spotlight is strategic in its attempt to target independents as
well as Republican supporters). The homepage’s final effort to inform the visitor is
through the “Straight Talk Express,” offering information about the campaign trail,
McCain’s visits to different states and other past events. Yet, even the “Straight Talk
Express” brands as it informs. McCain is branded as the “honest” candidate, the
candidate who offers “straight talk.”
On top of the homepage, some of the tabs seem solely meant to inform the
visitor. But, once visitors are directed to the pages intended to inform, they are
offered ways to become involved, connected and mobilized. The “About” link is the
most informative page on the Web site. Categorized under “About” are “About John
McCain,” “About Cindy McCain,” “McCain Timeline,” “McCain Supporters,”
“Cindy’s Journal,” “A Cause Greater,” and “Courageous Service.” First, the viewer

30

learns about McCain’s service and leadership experience. While reading about him,
the reader is reminded of ways to become involved by donating and mobilized by a
link to email the page to a friend. Second, “About Cindy McCain” features her
biography. Notably, on this page is a section dedicated to “Cindy’s Recipes” (e.g.
mixed fruit tart). Of course, this seems an informative page, but in truth, it brands
McCain as a family man. By providing personal information about his wife, her
recipes, their children and grandchildren, the Web site creates a family image that is
generally valued by conservatives, his base supporters. Additionally, both McCain’s
and Cindy McCain’s biographies help form an emotional connection with visitors.
This connection is persuasive in getting either independent voters to become
supporters or supporters to become activists. Also interesting is “Cindy’s Journal,”
written in first-person narrative and updated about every 10 days, which lends a
diary-feel to the journal, keeps the Web site current, and connects to the reader on a
personal level. Cindy McCain mainly writes about her experiences on the campaign
trail, meeting voters, and her visits to different cities. In her entries, she also tells the
reader about their family birthdays and anniversaries. This section is more personal
than the rest of the Web site, but the messaging remains the same. It does more than
inform the viewer of Cindy McCain, her favorite recipes and family anniversaries. It
connects with the reader on a personal level and conveys a message about family
values to the voters, while building an emotional bond with voters.
Continuing to inform viewers about the campaign is the “News and Media”
page. This page acts as its own news channel for McCain’s supporters. It is

31

designed in an easy-to-follow format with various sections providing the reader with
different newsworthy items. For instance, “Top Story” highlights sections of a key
recent story. “In the News” lists headlines of articles in reverse chronological (most
recent first) order. The section “Press Releases” provides the reader with press
releases published on behalf of the campaign. These are also in reverse
chronological order. Following “Press Releases” is a short section dedicated to “Op-
Eds.” Then, the reader is able to read “Speeches” by McCain. These parts of the
Web site allow McCain’s fans to familiarize themselves with the campaign. They
also serve as a tool to notify those who are unable to take part in campaign events
about campaign updates and activities. On the right sidebar, one is informed about
key media endorsements and McCain’s main supporters. On this page, a link to
“Join the McCain Team” on the right is provided. Also on the “News and Media”
page is a mention of YouTube and Veoh. On McCain’s YouTube page, a list of
videos posted by his campaign is available. Videos include speeches and television
ads. Specifically, clips of endorsements, such as “Gov. Schwarzenegger and Mayor
Giuliani Endorse John McCain,” are posted. On McCain’s Veoh page, dozens of
videos are posted. These videos include “Iraq Speech Highlights,” “Straight Talk on
Spending,” “Reagan Tribute,” and clips of ads, such as “Service with Honor” and
“McCain Exchange of Ideas.” Veoh allows the viewer to share videos via email and
to make it part of the larger Internet community by “Digg” and “del.icio.us.” The
videos on Veoh and YouTube are also available on McCain’s main homepage.
McCain’s use of Veoh and YouTube to inform voters about the different sides of

32

him as a candidate is revealing, because it shows the campaign’s goal to paint a
younger image for McCain. Since typically users of Veoh and YouTube are young,
McCain is not only targeting this group of voters but also showing mainstream voters
that he can relate to the younger generation.
The “Issues” tab informs the reader about McCain’s stance on different
issues. “Upcoming Events” tells the reader about the various events scheduled for
the approaching months. The “Undecided” tab directs the visitor to learn more about
McCain. This section is unique, because unlike most of the other sections, the
“Undecided?” tab directly speaks to independent and swing voters. Each of these
three tabs is standard information available on candidates’ Web sites. The
“McCainSpace” tab directs the visitor to the “Sign Up” page to become a team
member. While these tabs all ostensibly inform the visitor about McCain and his
campaign, they also focus solely on messages that reinforce the brand image
strategists have worked so hard to create. In doing so, they also work to involve
visitors in the campaign (by following the McCain stories, if nothing else), connect
the visitor with the candidate and the campaign, and mobilize the visitor to actively
support the candidate.
Involving
Before even entering McCain’s Web site, the visitor is asked to become
involved in two ways: When visiting JohnMcCain.com, the first page displays a
black and white picture of McCain, his campaign logo on the right, a red icon to
“Donate Today,” and an email sign-up option. On the foot of the page, in small font,

33

the visitor is given the option to continue on to JohnMcCain.com. This shows that
the campaign team is assuming the visitor is already familiar with McCain and is
most probably already a supporter. Thus, the campaign’s Web site is targeting
supporters from its first contact with them.
Once on the homepage, a poll asks, “By how much would the Democrats'
budget resolution raise America's tax bill?” and allows one to vote for either $0,
$500 million, $200 billion or $500 billion. Once visitors vote, they are directed to a
new page with the correct answer, information about McCain’s position on fiscal
responsibility, and a page for viewers to sign a petition if they believe “that
Washington can and must get its house in order.” This poll first, connects with the
reader by allowing them to vote, second, it informs them about McCain’s fiscal
policy, and finally, it involves them further by asking them to sign an online petition.
Of course, it also implies throughout that McCain is the lone candidate responsible
enough to make Washington “get its house in order.” Thus, it brands the candidate
while it involves the reader. The petition is a creative and clever way of inviting the
visitor to become part of the campaign.
It should be noted that a standard black and white sidebar on the left is
displayed on almost all the pages of the Web site. On this sidebar, the campaign
managers attempt to involve visitors by asking them to contribute financially and/or
to become a team member.
Each of the tabs listed on McCain’s Web site works to accomplish one of the
four campaign goals. Specifically, the “Get Involved” tab directs the visitor to a

34

page showing the various ways a voter can become involved in the campaign and the
candidate can connect to the voter. The first option on this page is to sign up to
become a team member. Here, the viewer is asked to submit email, zip code, first
and last name. Other information, such as address and university attended, is
optional. With the sign up option, the campaign team involves visitors by giving
them the ability to create a McCainSpace personal Web site (a personal Web site
about McCain to be shared with family and friends) and to customize the appearance
of the main site. This may be the most overt and Web appropriate way to directly
involve visitors in the campaign. The McCainSpace clearly mirrors the concept of
MySpace, the most popular meeting site on the Web. Additionally, once viewers
sign up, the “candidate” connects with them by sending extra information about
events and appearances. This is the campaign’s attempt to stay connected with
voters on a constant basis. It is also a smart use of potential viral marketing.
Contacting supporters via email gives them a convenient way to forward these
emails to their friends and family. Strategists can use word-of-mouth on the Net to
communicate McCain’s messages.
The second option, “Action Center,” is the online headquarters for getting
involved. Here, supporters find many ways to participate in the campaign. For
instance, they can make a donation, sign up to make phone calls, become a team
member (described under Sign Up), create their own McCainSpace, download items
(e.g. wallpaper, buddy icons, banners), register to vote, write letters to the editor,
volunteer in their state, and join McCain on other networks, such as Facebook and

35

MySpace. These tools are ways of involving the viewer and inviting them to become
personally invested in the campaign. They also inform the voter that McCain is in
tune with new media and the creative use of the Internet. This is especially valuable
as reflective publicity.
*
Given McCain’s age, voters may question if he is the
candidate for the future. In employing new media tools, his team reminds voters that
though he may be old, he still can relate to young voters and is in tune with today’s
trends. It is critical that the campaign managers communicate this message, and they
do so by using new media elements. The third option, the “Join Our Team” page is
identical to the “Sign Up” center.
The fourth option, “In Your State,” informs and involves the viewer about
specific voting information and volunteering opportunities in a particular state. Also
on the “Get Involved” page is “Contact Us,” which connects with the viewer by
providing them contact information (address and phone number) and a template to
send in questions/comments. This information acts as an empowerment tool,
because it allows voters to voice their opinion directly to the campaign. Finally, the
tab “Contribute” directly asks the viewer to become invested in the campaign by
donating money. This section clearly targets supporters of the campaign, overtly
attempting to get them actively involved in the campaign.
Connecting
The McCain public relations team attempts to connect with the voter at
different points throughout the Web site. First, in the header of the page, visitors are

*
Term defined and explained in Chapter 2: Glossary.

36

given an option to submit their email addresses for regular email updates. Then, on
the “Get Involved” page, the visitor is given the option to “Get Plugged In,” where
visitors again can sign up to receive email updates. These options work to create a
means for the candidate to gain a direct (and stated) connection with visitors. Even
the statement “Get Plugged In” connects with the reader by appealing to supporters’
desire to become part of the campaign.
McCain’s Web site also links the reader to his campaign’s blog. Here, the
candidate attempts to connect with the voter through interactivity. On this page,
individual posts are stamped with a record of the author, and date and time the item
was uploaded. This page is image oriented and graphic and video heavy. A
summary for each of the last several blog entries is provided with the option to read
more about an entry. Once visitors choose to read more of a blog entry, they are able
to email, print, Digg, and/or del.icio.us the page. More importantly, the campaign
promotes interactivity by allowing the reader to post a comment. It is an open-thread
post. Each comment is also marked with a record of the author, date and time the
comment was posted. The blog is an opportunity for site visitors to have a
conversation and contribute to the message. This is significant because the campaign
allows for a conversation to occur without controlling it. This is an example of how
new media allows a campaign to be part of a message rather than be the message
itself or fully controlling the message.
John McCain’s homepage does not provide links to any of his social
networking profiles. Only by searching the Web site at length can one locate

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McCain’s social network connections. It is mentioned in “Action Center” and it is
hyperlinked in a press release titled “John McCain 2008 Launches New Online
Efforts,” found under “News & Media,” then “Press Releases.” In this press release,
one learns that McCain uses Facebook and MySpace. Not linking McCain’s social
networking profiles in a clear way is disadvantageous to McCain’s image. Since
most visitors will likely not spend long enough on the site to find McCain’s use of
new media, the campaign team is missing an opportunity to connect with potential
voters and show that McCain is savvy and in tune with current technology regardless
of his age.
McCain’s Facebook page is traditional and fits within the standard Facebook
style. His picture is conservative and traditional. He is wearing a black suit, blue
shirt and orange tie. In the left column of the page, under his picture, his party and
the office he is running for is announced. Under “Information,” seven Web site
links, basic biographical information (gender, birthday), interests (e.g. hiking,
fishing and boxing), work history, education and contact information are noted.
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The biographical information stated helps Facebook members connect with him on a
personal level. Following the “Information” section is “Discussion Board,” a section
with over 200 topics posted and discussed by supporters. Topics include “Blaming
conservatives for why they don’t like McCain isn’t going to help McCain” and
“McCain and Romney not Mike Suck-A-Bee…!!!” Continuing on the right column

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See (http://www.johnmccain.com, http://phonecalls.johnmccain.com, http://store.johnmccain.com,
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Calendar/, http://www.myspace.com/johnmccain,
http://www.youtube.com/johnmccain).

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is “Mini-Feed,” the section where McCain’s official campaign posts campaign
achievements, events and general comments. It must be noted that comments posted
by “John McCain” refer to McCain in the third person. For the savvy Facebook-er,
this is a clear indication that McCain’s PR team is posting these comments.
Although many are aware that the candidate does not log in daily or post items
himself, referring to McCain in third person creates a false persona and limits the
profile’s goal of connecting with other Facebook members as “one of them.” On the
left side of the page is “The Wall,” where Facebook members have posted 10,571
comments (as of March 20, 2008), such as “Voting for my ticket…I believe this man
is the only one who can beat those socialist powerhouses Hillary and Osama [sic].”
“The Wall,” a feature of Facebook, is an example of McCain giving up control to
gain visibility. Although most of the messages are positive, the negative messages
do alter his image. On the right column, the visitor has the choice to click on the link
“Become a Supporter” and “Share with Friends” (a tool for Facebook members to
invite their friends to join McCain’s group). The site shows that McCain has 94,268
supporters (as of March 20, 2008). Below the supporter pictures is “Posted Items”
(videos of endorsements, television ads and speeches), “Notes” (same items posted
as in “Mini-Feed”), Video (news coverage videos), “Photos” (one album of photos
from the campaign trail), “Causes” (two subgroups called “John McCain for
President” and “John McCain 2008 Presidential Campaign,” each listing members
who have collected more supporters and donated money), and “Events” (section
listing events such as rallies). These different sections allow McCain’s campaign

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team to inform Facebook users who may have not visited his Web site about the
campaign. It is an opportunity to deliver McCain’s message to this group of voters.
McCain’s Facebook profile is redundant in the information it has posted. His
profile acts more as an informative tool than a medium to connect with voters, which
is the goal of having a social networking profile. While informing voters about the
candidate and his campaign is a goal of having a Net presence, it should be mainly
achieved on the Web site. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, are more
effective as a medium for campaigns to be part of the message and connect with
voters. Specifically, the users of Facebook tend to be from the younger demographic
and a profile that informs rather than connects runs the risk of appearing “fatherly.”
Again, given voters’ possible concerns about McCain’s age and his ability to connect
with the younger generation, his Facebook profile does not succeed in alleviating this
concern.
McCain’s MySpace profile is conventional in its color and design. The
background is dark navy, almost black, with shadows of the U.S. flag stars. Even
though this may seem boring, it brands McCain as authoritative. On the top,
centered, is the McCain logo. On the left is a headshot of McCain smiling along
with his biographical information. Below the picture are ways in which the viewer
can contact McCain (send message, add to friends, forward, etc.). Here, campaign
strategists once again inform voters about McCain and provide tools for voters to
connect with the campaign. Next, the viewer finds “John McCain’s Interests”; this
section is short and general, which is an opportunity missed to connect with voters

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on an emotional level. “John McCain’s Details” lists information about his marital
status, hometown, ethnicity, zodiac sign, education, and so on. This section is also
kept general and short. “John McCain’s Schools” lists his education background.
On the right side of the page, one is informed that “John McCain is Celebrating a
Great Victory in Florida.” Then, links to “John McCain’s Latest Blog Entry” are
made available. The most obvious and noticeable part of McCain’s profile is “John
McCain’s Blurbs: About Me.” In this section, large colorful hyperlinked pictures (if
viewers click on the picture, they are redirected to McCain’s Web site) connect the
visitor to the latest campaign achievements and news, such as “McCain Gets Two
Major Endorsements: Schwarzenegger and Giuliani.” These hyperlinks are
important because they entice the reader to learn more about each topic and connect
the visitor to McCain’s Web site, a place where visitors can become supporters and
involved in the campaign. Then, dozens of McCain videos are posted. These videos
reinforce McCain’s image as the patriotic and courageous candidate; most of the
videos highlight his years in military service. Since the medium is free, the
candidate has an opportunity to post longer versions of ads as well. This is an easy
way for interested parties to view more about McCain. Half way down the page is
“John McCain’s Friend Space”; McCain has 48,584 friends (as of March 20, 2008).
Concluding the page is “John McCain’s Friends Comments,” where MySpacers have
posted more than 6,000 comments, such as “McCain all the way,” “John, wishing
luck in this upcoming election…,” and “Congratulations Senator McCain. The ring
is all yours now. Time to kick some Hillary Obama ASS!!” Comments such as

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these help build a base of supporters for McCain. Undecided voters navigating
through the profile page are able to hear directly from supporters, which adds
credibility to the message and helps build momentum.
Both McCain’s Facebook and MySpace profiles are consistent with each
other in regard to overall design and content. Both pages refer to McCain by his first
and last name. This creates a formal experience for visitors. The purpose of these
profiles is to connect with voters. McCain’s profiles are able to accomplish this task
but with some drawbacks. Although referring to McCain by either his first and last
name or only his last name strengthens his authoritative image, it also limits the
profiles’ objective to connect with voters in a personal and informal way. These
sites, by nature, direct McCain’s campaign to be part of the message and be visible
on these platforms, while giving up some level of control over the message.
Mobilizing
While informing, involving and connecting are important aspects of the Web
site, McCain’s Web site also tries to mobilize the visitor through the “Recruit Your
Friends,” which asks supporters to reach out to new supporters by talking to friends
and getting them involved. This is a great method to organize supporters to mobilize
their personal contacts and given, the power of the Net to accomplish this task,
McCain’s Web site does not exploit it as fully as it might.
Brief Synopsis of JohnMcCain.com
As the above content analysis demonstrates, McCain’s official Web site
primarily informs visitors and, by doing so, involves, connects and mobilizes them.

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The Web site is a great source for viewers to learn about McCain and his campaign.
This shows that McCain’s campaign managers realize that not all visitors to the site
are supporters or ready to become involved. However, as noted, all the informative
messages on the site also disseminate McCain’s brand and perspective. Hence, even
when appearing objective, the content seeks to persuade and motivate.
The Web site fails to connect with supporters and possible voters, especially
young voters, by not providing easy access to McCain’s profiles on social
networking sites. Given McCain’s age, which serves as a barrier for him to connect
with the younger generation, and the value found in reflective publicity, one would
expect McCain’s campaign team to better promote his involvement in sites such as
MySpace and Facebook. Not only is his use of social networking sites limited, but,
even on the sites where he does have a profile, the Web site’s homepage does not
note it. This is a missed opportunity to connect with different groups of voters.
Although he is the projected winner for the nomination of the Republican Party, a
better presence on the Internet might serve his campaign well in the general election.
With a better Web presence, McCain can fully take advantage of the Web site
acting as a mobilizing tool. The sought after “word-of-mouth” effect is not being
fully used because of the campaign’s limited Internet presence.

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Chapter 5:
Hillary Clinton: President Experience
Hillary Clinton’s Web site also uses social networking sites, emails and blogs
to inform, involve, connect with and mobilize voters. At times, most or all of these
four actions are accomplished simultaneously. It is important to note that Clinton’s
site is “Pagina Bilingue.” This shows that she is in sync with the demographics of
her supporters and uses new media to target them.
Informing
Clinton’s first page works as an attempt to involve visitors, so it will be
discussed in the following section. Clinton’s homepage, after skipping the sign up as
a supporter option, presents a fusion of tools to inform, involve, connect and
mobilize visitors to the site. First, the viewer is informed about upcoming primaries.
Second, the section “Spotlight” highlights two of the most recent stories or
statements made by Clinton. Both these items brand her as the candidate with the
authority and experience to make statements about national and international matters.
They imply that she has the substance to publicly comment on matters that a
president would. For instance, “Statement from Hillary Clinton on Fidel Castro” is
interlinked to a page-long statement from Clinton. Following this section is “Latest
Videos.” Here, visitors to the site can view the latest campaign ads. The “Spotlight”
and “Latest Videos” section help her communicate different messages, even indirect
ones. For instance, after the February primary losses and before the Junior Super
Tuesday, when buzz about Obama’s momentum was at its height, these sections

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highlighted the support Clinton has been receiving from different supporters.
Specifically, spotlighted is “Texas Women Stand Up for Hillary,” which shows her
committed supporters and helps demonstrate an ongoing momentum for the
campaign. Stories such as this propagate a necessary message that she is still in the
running for the nomination. Next is “On the Blog,” where headlines of the latest
campaign blog entries are interlinked to longer versions of the posts. “On the Blog”
informs the visitor about endorsements and Clinton’s statements about recent news
items. The campaign team takes advantage of the blog to combat criticisms of her
and change her public perception. For instance, the posting “Live, from New York”
allows visitors to watch and share her March 1, 2008 appearance on Saturday Night
Live (SNL). Of course, it was her actual appearance on SNL that helped alleviate her
“superior” image, but the blog allows supporters who have not seen it on TV to view
it, share it with friends, and comment about it. Without the campaign managers
having to directly state the purpose of the video, supporter comments such as, “It
showed her personality and sense of humor. It turned lemons into lemonade. I think
people are realizing she has gotten a raw deal where the press is concerned,”
communicate the campaign’s message through a third party, which adds credibility
to the campaign’s intended message.
Also on the homepage is a list of upcoming events, which both informs
viewers and invites them to become involved. For example, “‘Solutions for
America’ Rally with President Bill Clinton in Chillicothe!” links interested parties to
a page with the date, time, place and description of the event. Individuals have the

45

option to RSVP. This is an example of both informing voters about campaign
activities and inviting them to join.
Icons of YouTube and Flickr are linked on the foot of Clinton’s homepage.
Once the viewer clicks on the YouTube link, the page
www.youtube.com/hillaryclinton appears. On this page, a list of videos posted by
Clinton’s campaign is available. For instance, Clinton’s appearance on “The Late
Show with David Letterman” is available for viewers to watch. Perhaps the most
noteworthy video is a humorous clip titled “Hillary and the Band” (a 1:05 minute
video about Clinton leaving a band to run for President). The Clinton team’s choice
to highlight this video on YouTube is strategic in helping Clinton brand herself as
“one of us.” The humor in the video personalizes her. Hillary Clinton’s Flickr page
includes a set of photo albums from the campaign trail. Sample album titles are
“President Clinton at UC Davis,” “Chelsea Clinton visits L.A.,” and “South Carolina
for Hillary.” These pictures are candid and represent an attempt to form an
emotional bond with voters. Both YouTube and Flickr are informative in that they
show voters aspects of the campaign that would not be possible if not for the
existence of the Internet and the tools of new media. They are persuasive in that they
reinforce the idea that Clinton is an authority on important political matters and has
broad support throughout the country. Yet, these videos and pictures personalize her
image.
The tabs on the Web site allow viewers to learn more about Clinton and the
campaign. The tab “Hillary” tells “Hillary’s Story,” “Growing Up,” “Mother and

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Advocate,” “First Lady” and “U.S. Senator.” In each of these sections, short clips of
Clinton’s supporters, including her mother, veterans and “ordinary people,” are
interlinked within the text. This use of new media is very effective for keeping the
viewer interested and staying longer on her Web site. Although the “About” section
is text-heavy, these one-minute-length videos add variety to the site’s design and
establish an emotional connection with viewers. Specifically, her personal
biography as a mother is used to bond with voters’ emotional sides, which gives her
a gateway to further communicate her message about other issues. Of course these
videos are a source of information, but more importantly, they act as tools to create
an image for Clinton. They help Clinton brand herself as a caring, passionate and
likeable candidate and attempt to show the many sides of her to appeal to different
voter groups.
“On the Issues” lists the top ten issues highlighted by the Clinton campaign.
Each issue summary is hyperlinked to a longer explanation, including videos and
pictures. The “Newsroom” division of the Web site acts as its own media channel.
It lists hyperlinked titles of press releases, speeches and latest videos. These two
sections are standard in all candidates’ Web sites, and necessary to inform voters.
Involving
As mentioned above, the first page of HillaryClinton.com is not her
homepage. It is an immediate invitation for the viewer to become involved in the
campaign. The palette is patriotic with the color scheme being different shades of
red, white and blue, an unspoken reminder to the voter of her national experience.

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On the left side of the page is a headshot of Clinton smiling. On the top is Clinton’s
logo: “Hillary for President: Help Make History,” with the U.S. flag underlining
“Hillary.” It works to involve readers on a higher level by telling them that they can
help make history by simply supporting her. This page directly targets both her
supporters and potential new supporters. From the logo, which asks them to help
make history to the sign up sheet, Clinton endeavors to immediately involve Web
site visitors in the campaign. Additionally, the words “Make History” entail a deeper
message, emphasizing her being the first female to be seriously considered as a
Presidential candidate. The words also imply her campaign message “experience to
make change.”
On the homepage, as the date of each primary and caucus is given, the site
involves viewers by asking them to “Help Get Out the Vote.” Also on the homepage
is the right sidebar with various options for the viewer to become involved in the
campaign. Titled “5 Things You Can Do,” and later, “Help Make History” are “Join
Team Hillary,” “Make Calls,” “Build Our Base,” “Attend/Plan Event” and
“Contribute.” First, “Join Team Hillary” involves voters by asking them to create an
account (name, last name, address, email and password) and explain how they would
like to become involved (e.g. Blog for Hillary, Help in Office, Make Phone Calls).
The choice of words “Team Hillary” is both subtle and commanding. It reinforces
the idea of working together and implies that she is on the winning team. Second,
“Make Phone Calls” guides supporters to make phone calls from the convenience of
their home. The process includes being connected to the Internet, picking which

48

calls one wants to make and reading a script for guidance. The campaign team is
using the Net’s convenience to involve and mobilize supporters. Third, “Build Our
Base” and “Attend/Plan Event” involve the voter, but more importantly, mobilize
more voters (discussed under Mobilizing). Finally, “Contribute” encourages
supporters to make financial contributions, which is another way to further involve
supporters.
More than informing the viewer about Clinton’s stance on issues, “On the
Issues” involves supporters by giving them a tool to share their thoughts and ideas
about specific issues with the campaign. This also can be regarded as a way to
connect with supporters. This feature reinforces Clinton’s message about leading
together. By providing a tool that involves site visitors and asks for their opinion,
Clinton’s campaign managers brand her as the candidate who wants to involve voters
in the process of change. Her message to “Let the conversation begin” is further
conveyed by this tool.
Connecting
Via the homepage, visitors to the site are informed about the latest blog
entries made by Clinton’s campaign team, and are offered links to read more
different topics and become connected. Once viewers read a blog entry, which
includes video entries, they are able to Digg it, search it on Technorati, bookmark it
on del.icio.us and/or email it to a friend. Through the blog, Clinton involves and
connects with supporters by allowing them to post comments on various issues.
Commentators can respond to one another’s comments by creating an account and

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replying. For instance, on March 1, 2008, Clinton sent a message to voters titled
“Let’s Talk Texas.” In this message, she informs voters about the broadcast of a
meeting called “The Stories of Texas: A Texas-Sized Town Hall.” Within two days
after this blog post, almost 300 supporters commented and started an online
conversation with one another. Comments such as, “Please e-mail everyone you
know in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island about the Texas Town Hall and ask
them to watch it!” spread the campaign’s activities and message. By one post, which
provides links to watch the broadcast, campaign strategists multiply the effect of the
message because readers of the blog can share it with their personal contacts, who
may not be Clinton’s supporters or have not yet visited the Web site.
Clinton’s profiles on MySpace, Facebook and Eons are also accessible on the
homepage. When the visitor clicks on the MySpace icon, a new Web page is opened
with Hillary Clinton’s MySpace profile. The page is public, which allows
individuals without a MySpace account to view her page. The page’s background
color is light blue with the “Hillary for President” logo displayed on top center. Her
picture on the left shows her smiling and looking more casual than she does in her
usual official pictures. The informal MySpace domain allows Clinton to be informal
and connect to voters on a more personal level. On the right sidebar, links to
“Hillary’s latest blog” entries can be found. Continuing on the right side of the page
are “Hillary’s Story” (a short biographical paragraph taken verbatim from her Web
site), “Show Your Support” (picture and link allowing the visitor to add her as a
friend), “Hillary has 193,969 friends” (as of March 20, 2008), “Comments” (box

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displaying top 50 comments – comments include “You go Hillary!!! For the first
time in my life I supported a candidate financially! I’m really proud of myself and
you. You have my vote in November!” and “Thanks for giving young women like
me hope that we can have it all”). These are standard MySpace tools used to connect
MySpace members to one another. On the left sidebar, and perhaps the most
interesting part of the page, is “Hillary’s Interests” (a list of Hillary’s favorite food to
cook – scrambled eggs, favorite reality TV program – American Idol, and worst habit
– chocolate) and “Hillary on the Issues” (a list of ten issues hyperlinked to a detailed
explanation of her stance on different topics). The specifics about her interests are
supposed to personalize her, while the links to the issues are to lend her authority.
The specifics about her interests also help build emotional connection with voters.
This potential connection permits a window of opportunity for her to communicate
her stance on issues, which is important to get her message across and garner votes.
The design of Clinton’s MySpace page is simple, clear, easy to navigate and
personal. It is important to note that her page is logged in daily, because it brands
the campaign as current and up-to-date. It also further connects with other site users
because she appears to be in contact with them on a daily basis.
Clinton also uses Facebook to connect with her supporters. When the visitor
clicks on the Facebook icon, a new Web page is opened with Hillary Clinton’s
Facebook homepage. Clinton’s Facebook profile is also public. The page is
traditional in the sense that it follows Facebook’s standard layout. A black and white
picture of Clinton is displayed on the top left corner, under which her party and the

51

office she is running for is announced. Continuing on the left sidebar is
“Information,” which includes three websites, a short paragraph about her biography,
and her educational history.
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Next is “Posted Items” (videos posted by the
campaign team and other Facebook members). In this section, it is clear that the
campaign is targeting young voters. In particular, a video post titled “Ask Hillary” is
a five-minute clip of Clinton in her campaign bus answering questions posed by
young voters. The video is edited to include comments from young voters talking
about the issues brought up in the questions. Underneath the clip, the statement,
“Hillary takes a few minutes on the campaign trail to answer questions sent in from
young voters,” and the video itself demonstrate Clinton’s attempt to target young
voters. This short clip allows the candidate to speak about issues in an interactive
manner without appearing to push her agenda. Following are “My Flickr”
(application to Flickr – pictures of the campaign trail) and “The Wall” (displaying
nearly 185,000 comments/posts). Comments include negative remarks about her, but
similar to the other candidates’ Facebook profiles, Clinton’s profile allows her to be
part the message. This is an ideal example of how a candidate’s involvement in a
non-mainstream platform gains visibility and attention from voters at the cost of
giving up control over the message. Even though giving up this control may at times
hurt the candidate and her messaging, it is necessary in an election influenced so
greatly by new media tools.

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See (http://www.hillaryclinton.com, http://www.hillblazers.com,
http://www.youtube.com/hillaryclinton).

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On the right column, the page lists the number of Clinton’s supporters
(137,034 supporters as of March 20, 2008), “YouTube Box” (a list of videos about
Clinton on YouTube), and “Photo Albums” (two albums from the campaign trail). A
glance at the supporters’ pictures and profiles and the page’s mention of young
voters clearly shows that the page is targeting young voters.
Additionally, Clinton uses the site Eons.com to target baby boomers, voters
born from 1946 to 1964. Clinton’s picture on Eons.com is the same as the one on
MySpace, with almost identical information. The only difference is that her page on
Eons.com appears more mature and she has significantly fewer friends listed (337 as
of March 20, 2008).
Through her MySpace, Facebook and Eons profiles, Clinton is able to target
and connect to her supporters in a more personal and casual manner. By linking her
profiles through her main Web site, she applies reflective publicity. Individuals who
are not familiar with or do not have a profile on MySpace, Facebook or Eons may
appreciate that Clinton is in tune with new media and is able to appeal to a variety of
audiences, especially young voters.
Via “Take Action,” supporters are able to create their own blog on Clinton’s
site. This is the ultimate way of empowering supporters and connecting with them,
because it gives them a sense of control over the campaign’s overall message and
further highlights the campaign’s message of being part of the conversation to make
change.

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Mobilizing
The Clinton campaign team attempts to instantly mobilize the visitor on the
homepage. Under the section “5 Things You Can Do,” one option includes “Making
Calls.” This invites supporters to create an account and make phone calls to fellow
voters using the Internet and their own phones. Another option, “Build Our Base,”
mobilizes the voters and asks them to recruit friends by emailing them an invitation
to become part of Clinton’s team. Both of these processes accomplish one of any
campaign’s major goals: getting supporters to mobilize other voters and build a
strong support network.
The “Take Action” tab is the Web site’s effort to both involve and mobilize
supporters. Categorized under “Take Action” are “Join Team Hillary,”
“HillRaisers,” “Build Our Base,” “Plan Party/ Event,” “Find Party/ Event,” “Join/
Start Group,” “Start Blog” and “Register to Vote,” which are ways in which visitors
to the site are encouraged to become active and help expand the support network.
First, “HillRaisers” asks supporters to create an account and send an email to their
personal contacts to raise money. Individual HillRaisers can track how much their
email base has donated. Significantly, HillRaisers was created by a young group of
supporters and continues to target young activists. Second, supporters are given
tools, such as party ideas and materials, to plan an event and invite and RSVP friends
using Clinton’s site. Third, joining or starting a group involves visitors by providing
them a list of local groups (categorized either by distance or association, such as
“Hairdressers for Hillary”) to join and mobilizes them by providing tools for

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supporters to create their own groups. “Register to Vote” simply provides ways by
which voters can register to vote. For instance, citizens can fill out a form online,
print and mail it. These different methods persuade voters to get involved and be the
agents to carry the campaign’s message.
Brief Synopsis of HillaryClinton.com
Clinton’s Web site assumes that most visitors are already interested
supporters, because, from the four goals of a Web site, it involves visitors the most.
The patriotic palette is very conventional but the Web site is graphic heavy, which
allows visitors to gain a sense of exploration while navigating through the Web site.
When the Web site is text heavy, it also includes many intertexts and hyperlinks,
which break up the page and make it less predictable.
Clinton’s Web site is highly interactive and connects with visitors at different
points of contact. This invites and induces supporters to get involved as they are
navigating through the Web site. It is clear that Clinton’s strategists are trying to
balance an image that is both authoritative and personable. Distinctly, Clinton’s
Web site and social network profiles refer to her by her first name. This is important
because it helps create an image that is friendly and that implies she is “one of us.”

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Chapter 6:
Barack Obama: President Inspiration
Barack Obama’s campaign accomplishes all four tasks, to inform, involve,
connect and mobilize through his official Web site, social networking sites, emails
and blogs. These four actions overlap at times. Similar to Clinton’s Web site,
Obama’s Web site is also offered “En Espanol.” This shows Obama’s attempt to
appeal to one of his largest target audience, the Latino community.
Informing
The first page of Obama’s Web site asks for support and donations, thus it
will be discussed more appropriately in the following section. The design of
Obama’s Web site is informative and persuasive because it further conveys his
message of change. The palette is patriotic with a blue background and red tabs, yet
it is also futuristic and modern. The lines are clear and clean, with the various
sections divided up in boxes with different shades of gray. The following aspects of
Obama’s homepage inform the reader about the campaign and its activities. First,
“Obama Blog” informs the viewer about important voting information in upcoming
primaries and caucuses and hyperlinks other stories about the campaign, such as
“Obama Social Network Update” and “Superdelegates Jump to Obama.” In
particular, stories with titles such as “Thousands of Women Donating for Change”
reinforce the campaign’s message of change. In this particular blog, phrases such as
“fundamental change” and “join the movement” are repeated many times. This blog
entry, much like the other entries, is consistent with the campaign’s message, which

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also reinforces his brand as the candidate standing for change. Second, “Obama
News” highlights the most recent story and hyperlinks titles of other news articles in
reverse chronological order. The articles displayed in this section brand Obama as
the candidate for change. Without even reading the articles, the titles alone reinforce
Obama’s massage of change. “Spouse: Obama is Change” illustrates this point.
This is noteworthy, because visitors just glancing at the different sections are sold an
idea without even reading the articles. Third, “Obama Events” tells the viewer
mainly about upcoming rallies. Once again, the campaign’s message about change is
clearly stated in the titles, which further brands Obama as the candidate of change.
For example, a rally in Texas on March 3, 2008 was called “Stand for Change Rally
with Barack and Michelle Obama.” This not only brands him as the candidate who
stands for change, but bombards voters with this theme. This constant messaging
helps position the candidate in voters’ minds. At the bottom of the page is “Obama
Map,” which hyperlinks all the states. Once visitors specify a state, they are
redirected to a page with different options to get involved. This is a standard feature
on all the candidates’ Web sites.
Additionally on the homepage is a section called “Next Up,” which informs
the viewer about upcoming primaries and caucuses and draws a comparison between
Obama and Clinton in the number of delegates each has won. As of March 2, 2008,
Obama was the frontrunner in the Democratic race, so showing the contrast between
his number of delegates and Clinton’s total solidifies his position as the frontrunner.
The chart also solidifies him as a leading candidate, because it quantifies his support.

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“Barack TV” shows the latest video from his campaign trail. The videos further
communicate his message about change. But, perhaps more importantly, they once
again show his use of new media and his connection with the younger generation.
The pages with “Learn,” “Issues” and “Media” tabs accomplish the goal of
informing visitors. Categorized under “Learn” are summaries about Barack and
Michelle Obama, speeches by Obama, news articles, primary and caucus results, and
“Know the Facts.” There is a significant contrast between the information presented
about Michelle Obama and the spouses of the other candidates, especially of John
McCain and Ron Paul. The few short paragraphs about Michelle Obama mainly
speak about her education and career background, where, for instance, Cindy
McCain’s page is much more personal. Since most of Obama’s site communicates
on a more emotional and personal level, it is strategic that Michelle Obama’s page
adds substance to the site. (Certainly, highlighting Michelle Obama’s educational
and career background are also of necessity since Democratic voters most often
value women’s issues, such as women’s rights and independence. However,
conservative voters may value Cindy McCain’s contribution to her family more than
her professional background.) Also interesting under the tab “Learn” is “Know the
Facts,” which serves as a medium for Obama’s campaign team to contest “false”
claims. For instance, “Reality Check on Clinton's Claims on Florida and Michigan
Delegates” classifies statements into “Clinton Rhetoric,” “Reality” and “Clinton
said.” This is the campaign directors’ attempt to fight back criticism and be
aggressive without straying away from Obama’s brand of being the candidate with

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“new kind of politics,” the candidate who will not run a negative campaign. Thus,
Obama’s team uses the Web site to contest what it claims to be “false,” but, with the
help of new media, does so in such a way that does not directly contradict or
challenge his image.
Links to Obama’s YouTube channel and Flickr page are accessible via his
homepage. According to YouTube’s Channel Views numbers, Obama’s YouTube
channel is the most popular among the four candidates with more than 13 million
views (as of March 20, 2008).
*
About 700 videos are posted by the campaign team;
videos include victory speeches and interviews. Favorites on his channel are “Walk
a day in my shoes: Barack Obama/Pauline Beck,” “YouTube Interview: Barack
Obama” and “Yes We Can Obama Song by will.i.am.” Similar to other candidates’
YouTube channels, Obama’s displays videos that would not be available to the
public via traditional media. YouTube allows Obama’s supporters to showcase
videos that help deliver Obama’s message about uniting to change. Dozens of
videos outside of Obama’s channel exist, which allow him to have a very strong
digital presence.
Obama’s Flickr page includes albums of pictures from the campaign trail.
“Michelle at RI Women for Obama Event,” “Rhode Island Sign Making Party” and
“Rally in Wilmington, DE” show Obama as a dynamic candidate. Obama’s Flickr

*
As of March 20, 2008, John McCain’s YouTube channel received 614,510 views; Hillary Clinton’s
channel received 1,421,377 views; Barack Obama’s channel received 13,082,471 views; Ron Paul’s
channel received 6,887,437 views.

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group contains thousands of pictures more than his competitors’ albums. Each
reinforces his brand as the candidate with the motivation to “make change happen.”
On the bottom of the page, where other candidates’ Web sites only state
“Paid for by,” Obama’s Web site adds “Powered by Hope and Supporters Like You.”
This also helps brand Obama as the candidate for change and hope, one that is
idealistic and can motivate change. It is a tool used to empower and create a sense of
necessity for the voters.
Involving
Obama’s first page is an immediate attempt to persuade visitors to become
involved. It displays a black and white picture of him and his family. Under his
logo, it states, “Change We Can Believe In.” Below his picture, visitors are asked to
“Join the Movement” by submitting their email address and zip code. Similar to the
other candidates’ pages, Obama’s first page assumes visitors to the site are already
interested supporters.
In the header of the homepage and all the sub-pages, next to Obama’s logo, is
a quote stating, “I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real
change in Washington…I’m asking you to believe in yours.” Without asking voters
to get involved directly, this statement involves the reader on an emotional level.
This is a level of involvement that none of the other candidates’ sites accomplishes
as well as Obama’s site. Subtle statements such as this persuade voters on an almost
subliminal level.

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On the homepage, most of the right column is dedicated to involving and
mobilizing the viewer. The main visual on the page is an ad, “The Goal One Million
People Who Own This Campaign,” with the objective to commit one million
supporters to donate. This number is updated throughout the day, which keeps the
Web site current. This is only one example, since the site continually changes its
main topic. But, it precisely shows ways by which the Web site involves supporters.
It is also an example of the campaign team targeting already interested supporters.
Also on the homepage, at the top, a red tab asks supporters to contribute. Starting on
the top right corner is a section called “Make a Difference.” Here, supporters can
“Find Events,” “Make Calls,” “Register to Vote” and “Volunteer.” The “Volunteer”
sub-page further communicates the campaign’s message of change. Volunteers are
told that “This isn't your typical campaign, and this isn't your typical volunteer
form.” Volunteers are encouraged to specify their past experiences and interests and,
meanwhile, sign up on My.BarackObama.com, also available via the homepage.
Obama’s strategists are able to transform a tool used by the other candidates to
simply sign up volunteers to accomplish more for him. The word selections are
intuitive and add emotion to the campaign without stating so. This further
strengthens his message of being the candidate who can motivate change.
Connecting
In the header of the homepage and the remaining pages is a template to sign
up for email updates. This allows Obama’s team to constantly remind supporters to
become involved and to stay connected with them. On Obama’s homepage, a

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section titled “Obama Everywhere” provides links to sixteen networking online sites
and applications: Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Digg, Twitter, Eventful,
LinkedIn, BlackPlanet, Faithbase, Eons, Glee, MiGente, MyBatanga, AsianAve and
DNC Partybuilder, most of which connect with the voter.
Obama’s Facebook page offers a headshot of him looking up with a blue
background; under the picture the statement, “Our Moment is Now, Vote Obama,”
appears. This picture alone brands Obama as the candidate for the future. It also
lends a sense of authority, which is a quality that is not typically attributed to him.
Following his picture is general information about his current office and the office he
is running for. “Information” states his education and work background, favorite
music and five Web sites.
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Continuing on the left sidebar is a section titled
“Obama.” Here, links to favorite and featured articles are given and Facebook
members can participate in a Facebook application. By partaking in the application,
one grants the campaign access to his or her information. Thus, the campaign’s PR
team uses new media tools, such as Facebook applications, to connect with young
voters. About 138,000 people have commented on “The Wall” (138,317 as of March
20, 2008). Comments on “The Wall” are threaded to one another creating a
discussion about Obama and the campaign. This is ideal for Obama’s image of
governing together. On the right column, the number of Obama’s supporters is
stated (705,034 supporters as of March 20, 2008). The “You Tube” box posts

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See (http://usc.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2364211938, http://www.myspace.com/barackobama,
http://youtube.com/barackobama, http://students.barackobama.com,
http://digg.com/users/obamaforamerica).

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Obama’s YouTube videos with the option for Facebook members to comment. The
campaign team uses this tool to visually connect with supporters and draw in those
who are just visiting his site to learn. The videos allow Obama to showcase one of
his strengths, which is to engage voters by his speech giving. These videos are an
easy way to entice visitors to stay on the site longer and learn more about him, which
opens an even greater opportunity to persuade undecided voters. “Photos” includes
ten albums of pictures; sample albums include “Obama and Michelle,” “Classics”
(widely used pictures of Obama), “On the Campaign Trail” and “Old School”
(pictures from the years before the 2008 presidential election). The pictures on
Facebook, specifically ones from the album “Old School,” provide visual proof of
his past work; they add substance to his past experience. Following this section is
“Notes,” where Facebook members comment on over a thousand messages, mainly
threaded from Obama’s official blog. Connecting Facebook users to Obama’s blog
is a smart way to gain visitors to his main site, which is persuasive in involving
voters. The last item on the page is “Posted Items,” a section with videos and news
stories downloaded by the campaign team and supporters. Obama’s Facebook
profile is simple, clean and to the point. It is consistent with his Web site and other
social network profiles.
Obama’s MySpace profile displays the same picture as his page on Facebook.
In the header of the page is a runner ad with Obama’s picture that invites the viewer
to visit the official campaign Web site. In the “General” section, dozens of logos/ads
and videos of Obama are posted. The ads are of Obama’s other social network

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profiles and different sections of his Web site. For instance, the ad “Eventful” shows
the number of people demanding Obama in their cities. Another ad states “This
Campaign is About You. Get directly involved at: My.BarackObama.com. Take
Action! Join Us to help organize YOUR community.” Yet another ad, “Obama
Mobile,” tells people to text “Go” to Obama. These ads are clever ways for Obama
to entice interested individuals to visit the main site, which successfully further
brands Obama. Following this lengthy section are short answers to questions about
his marital status, education, ethnicity, and so on, all of which help build an
emotional and personal connection with voters. On the right column, links to
Obama’s “Latest Blog Entries” are listed. Then, “Barack Obama’s Blurbs” provide
more videos and links to his official campaign Web site. The information provided
helps fellow MySpacers learn more about him and connect with him on a virtual
level. Obama has about 300,000 MySpace friends (326,834 as of March 20, 2008).
The page ends with about 52,000 comments (52,542 as of March 20, 2008).
Comments include, “Hey man good luck...take care,” and, “Hey Obama, I just got
back from seeing you in Youngstown. You are the hope and inspiration that the
people like us need. Continue the great work, it is appreciated!!!” Even a cursory
look at the comments shows his support base of young, vocal voters. Obama’s logo
(circle with the U.S. flag stripes designed to look like a road, blue outline and white
in the middle resembling a sun) is a constant background. The logo serves as a
reminder of his image as the modern candidate with “new kind of politics.”

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Obama’s Digg page includes hundreds of news articles with Diggs up to
almost 5,000. The page also posts links to Obama’s Facebook profile, MySpace
profile, LinkedIn profile, Flickr page, YouTube channel and official Web site.
Connecting his site visitors to his Digg page shows viewers the interest shown by
other voters in stories about him and the campaign. It reinforces his message that he
is the nominee who can unite voters from different backgrounds and win the general
election.
Obama’s Twitter page allows visitors to view alerts his campaign team has
shared with Twitters. Twitter allows Obama to connect with voters while they are
mobile. This is significant because, unlike his use of other social media sites where
people have to be in front of a computer, Twitter allows him to use digital
communication tools to connect with voters while they are offline. A sample
message from the campaign is a reminder to voters to get out to vote before polls
close. Obama also has a page on Eventful which allows his team to create and
promote events among supporters. The use of these sites allows Obama to deliver
his message to targeted audiences via the channels used by them.
Obama’s LinkedIn profile is less colorful than his other profiles and centered
around his professional experience. It states that his campaign is not only about him,
but all citizens who want change. His profile also includes detailed information
about his professional and political background, and education. His profile on
LinkedIn is an ideal platform for him to disclose his experience in a straightforward

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manner. This profile balances his image of change with the lack of experience, for
which he is criticized.
Additionally, Obama has profiles on BlackPlanet.com, Faithbase.com and
AsianAve.com. Each of these social networking sites targets a different audience:
BlackPlanet is primarily associated with African Americans, Faithbase with
Christians, and AsianAve with Asians. Obama’s profiles on these sites are alike in
that they share similar information about him, his background and campaign.
However, the pictures posted on each of the sites are tailored to target the specific
audiences. For instance, on BlackPlanet.com, pictures of Obama include him
meeting with African American leaders and children. His pictures on Faithbase.com
include him in a church giving a sermon. And his photos on AsianAve.com are of
him with Asian supporters and leaders.
Obama’s profile on Eons is simple but very informative. He includes
information identical to that posted on Facebook and MySpace. His profile on
Glee.com, whose main target audience is gays and lesbians, is comparable to his
profiles on other social networking sites. However, the pictures and logos on Glee
are modified for the gay and lesbian community. For instance, here the red and
white stripes in his official logo are the colors of the rainbow flag, a symbol of gay
pride.
Obama’s profile on MiGente.com and MyBatanga.com targets the Latino
community. The information on MiGente is identical to the information posted on
his other profiles with some of the text written in Spanish. Also, Obama’s ad asking

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for volunteer callers is specific to Spanish speakers. By contrast, his entire profile on
MyBatanga is in Spanish. Once again, Obama’s campaign team is able to cast him
as the candidate “for everyone.”
Finally, Obama connects with his main target audience, Democrats, through
his profile on the Democratic Party page. This profile is limited in its creativity due
to the page’s restrictions. However, the campaign’s Web site designers do not fail to
provide the link on his homepage.
Mobilizing
On My.BarackObama.com, available through the official Web site,
supporters can create an account to become involved and mobilize others to get
involved as well. Members have access to “My Dashboard,” “My Neighborhood,”
“Friends,” “Events,” “Messages,” “Groups,” “Fundraising” and “My Blog.” First,
“My Dashboard” is a page where members keep a record of their activities: number
of friends, invitations, events, etc. Second, “My Neighborhood” finds local support
groups for members. For instance, supporters living in Glendale, CA can easily find
support groups a few miles away (e.g. Pasadena). Third, “Friends” provides tools for
members to invite their friends to become involved. Fourth, “Events” offers event
ideas, such as a Debate Watching Party, and organization tools to create the event.
Fifth, “Messages” acts as an email database for members. Then, “Groups” invites
members to become involved in various groups. Next, the “Fundraising” page not
only involves supporters by asking them for financial support, but it empowers them
with language such as “Your own personal fundraising page will put the financial

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future of this campaign in your hands. You set your own goal, you do the outreach,
and you get the credit for the results.” Statements such as these make supporters feel
like they are the campaign, once again branding Obama as the candidate who can
motivate and unite supporters to change. Finally, “My Blog” provides the necessary
steps for members to create their own blog and participate in other blogs; this is
another tool for supporters to be the voice of the campaign.
Brief Synopsis of ObamaBarack.com
Obama’s Web site overwhelmingly involves and mobilizes supporters.
However, it does more than inform, involve, connect and mobilize, it most
effectively creates an illusion of giving supporters a voice; specifically, “The Action
Center,” which asks or rather demands supporters to “Stand up for a new kind of
politics.” This page is subdivided into different categories about Obama and an issue
(e.g. Barack Obama and his church, Barack Obama and faith, and Barack Obama and
Patriotism). Supporters are encouraged to “take action” by emailing the campaign
and their personal contacts if they read any claims that are “false” about Obama and
any of the specific topics.
Because of its design, the Web site further brands him and communicates his
message of change. It is innovative, both modern and futuristic.
Also, his involvement in more social networking sites than any other
candidate shows visitors that he is the candidate for the future and a “different kind
of politics.” This is because social media is a new development and his strategists
are using new methods to reach different target audiences. He targets numerous

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groups by creating profiles on dozens of sites. In addition, he takes advantage of the
value of reflective publicity. Even if viewers are not familiar with the different
social network communities, seeing that he is involved in so many of them on the
homepage creates an image that he is in sync with current trends.

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Chapter 7:
Ron Paul: President Independent
Ron Paul’s Web site and its use of social networking sites, emails and blogs
informs, involves, connects and mobilizes voters. The Web site alone accomplishes
most or all of these four goals.
Informing
Although most of Paul’s homepage is dedicated to involving visitors in the
site, some aspects of it exist primarily to inform. The Web sits has a patriotic palette,
which, like the other presidential candidates’ Web sites, promotes nationalistic
feelings. Paul’s logo: “Ron Paul 2008 Hope for America” in blue and red lettering in
a white box appears in the header of the page. Below a set of red tabs, options for
viewers to read more about Paul, “Issues,” “Join Us,” “Get Involved,” “States,”
“People,” “Press/Media,” “Store” and “Donate,” is a set of eight visuals most of
which are informative. These images are rotated automatically or the visitor can
rotate them manually. For instance, the image “Who is Ron Paul” summarizes
Paul’s biography and “Discover and Imagine” tells the reader about Paul’s
accomplishments as a Congressman. “YouTube Video Network” regularly features
new videos.
Also on the homepage are “Upcoming Events,” “Daily Updates,” “Latest
Press Releases,” “Featured Articles,” “On the Issues,” and “Endorsements and
Acclaim for Ron Paul.” Specifically, once visitors click on the “Endorsements”
icon, they are able to view supporters, categorized based on professions (e.g. Authors

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and Media, Health and Physicians, and Elected Officials). This page adds credibility
to Paul’s candidacy by showing a wide range of supporters. Pictures from the
campaign trail with a link to recent campaign photos give the viewer an inside look
into the campaign.
In addition, an informative piece that is unique to Paul’s Web site is “Ron
Paul’s Grass Roots Guidelines.” This section informs the reader of the rules with
which volunteers must comply.
Most eye-catching on Paul’s Web site is a separate section on the left at the
foot of the homepage dedicated to “Networking.” In this box of “Networking,” 11
pictures linked to various social media sites are provided: Justin.tv, YouTube,
StumbleUpon, Meetup, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, Digg, Twitter, LinkedIn and
iPhone Network. From these 11 options, the following are informative:
Paul’s YouTube channel posts 129 (as of March 20, 2008) videos. Sample
videos include “Ron Paul Behind Scenes at the CNN Debate,” “Ron Paul on a Late
Night TV Show” and “Ron Paul TV Ad: The Only One.” Paul’s YouTube channel
has had close to seven million views, making it the 40
th
most popular YouTube
channel of all time (as of September 9, 2007).
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Paul’s YouTube channel is a social
media sharing site that helps permit Paul to play in the 2008 presidential election.
His popularity on YouTube helped Paul gain the attention of traditional media,
which then delivered his message to the general public.

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YouTube. Ron Paul 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2008, from
http://www.youtube.com/RonPaul2008dotcom

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Paul’s Flickr page contains almost 6,000 pictures, posted by both Paul’s
official campaign and other members. His Flickr album contains thousands of
pictures of him and his supporters, which depict him as the candidate with a strong,
avid support base. This tempts visitors to the site to learn more about him.
Paul’s iPhone Network redirects the visitor to a sub-page where his official
Web site is displayed through an iPhone. The content is identical to the one on his
homepage, but it makes reading the same information more fun and interactive.
Also, it appeals to the thousands of Apple brand consumers, who may be enticed to
read about Paul more through an iPhone display.
Beyond Paul’s homepage, many sections of the site accomplish the goal of
informing the reader about Paul, his campaign goals and successes. These sections
include “Issues,” “People,” and “Press/Media.” First, “Issues” summarizes Paul’s
position on various issues, including debt and taxes, health care and Iraq.
Specifically, for instance, the “National Defense” page shows Paul’s picture and a
quotation stating, “We seem to have forgotten that our primary objective in the war
on terror is to capture or kill bin Laden and his henchmen.” Visitors learn about
Paul’s stance in a succinct and direct manner. This brands Paul as the candidate who
stands strong on his beliefs and is not to be considered a typical politician, one who
speaks about issues in general terms to appeal to a wide range of voters. Second,
“People” is a section targeted to specific groups, indicating why they should support
Paul. For instance, “Homeschoolers for Ron Paul” redirects the viewer to a page
with a specific message about why homeschoolers should support Paul, his voting

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records, a link to a YouTube video about this topic and a Meetup group consisting of
homeschooler members. Another example is “Students for Ron Paul.” This page
allows viewers to find their own campus and read about fellow student supporters.
The “People” section proves that Paul’s campaign strategists have identified Paul’s
key supporters and are targeting them directly. Third, the “Press/Media” section lists
past press releases, press articles and commentaries, and links to Justin.tv and
YouTube.
Involving
Paul’s homepage is overwhelmingly dedicated to involving the visitor.
Starting from top of the page, the campaign team makes it easy for the visitor to
become involved. In the header of the homepage is Paul’s picture with the text:
“Become a Ron Paul Delegate, click here to sign up.” Before any information on
Paul appears, such as his stance on issues, he asks visitors to become involved. This
shows that the main target audience is those who already know about and are
potential supporters of Paul. Below the set of red tabs is another message calling for
precinct leaders. This one notifies viewers that the campaign is “recruiting 180,000
precinct leaders, one for every precinct in the country!” Following are the set of
eight visuals, most of which attempt to first inform and then involve visitors.
Specifically, first, “2008 Countdown to Win” is a meter stating the amount of money
raised in the campaign’s last quarter. This number changes continually as more
donations are made. In this visual, the most recent donor is named and an icon to
“Contribute” is given. The meter does more than inform visitors of the campaign’s

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financial stance; it successfully brands Paul as a transparent and authentic candidate.
Without having to state so, Paul is able to lead voters to the conclusion that he is a
reliable candidate. Second, “Win Your Precinct for Ron Paul” invites supporters to
volunteer as precinct leaders. Here, precinct leaders from different states are
highlighted, which may encourage other individuals to become actively involved so
they can be on the Web site as well. Third, “Support Messages” shows messages
from supporters with an option to “Join the Revolution,” which directs the reader to a
page to join his team (submitting of name, address and issues interested in). Once
again, by displaying supporters’ remarks, the campaign team is able to show Paul’s
devoted supporters and interest others to join as well. Also, comments made by
supporters through this medium add credibility to Paul’s message, because rather
than him having to state it directly on the site, third parties do so.
On the right sidebar of the homepage is a section called “Campaign for
Freedom.” Once viewers click on “Get Involved,” they are redirected to a page with
several options to get involved. Supporters are encouraged to become precinct
leaders, register as volunteers, contribute to the campaign, get involved in their state
and visit the Web site regularly. Strategists further brand Paul as the candidate for
freedom by simply naming the getting involved page “Campaign for Freedom”; this
is more active and direct.
Connecting
On the homepage, visitors to Paul’s Web site are reminded to sign up for
emails. Beyond giving supporters the option to join Paul’s team, the page also

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induces interested parties to stay connected to Paul’s campaign by submitting their
email addresses. From the 11 social media sites, the following accomplish the goal
of connecting with possible supporters:
When a Paul Web site visitor clicks on the Justin.tv link, a new Justin.tv page
opens. Paul’s Justin.tv page (www.justin.tv/ronpaul2008) is colorful and interactive
by nature. On the top, Paul’s picture and a logo “Ron Paul 2008 HOPE FOR
AMERICA” is displayed. Approximately 400,000 (413,355 as of March 20, 2008)
people have viewed Paul’s videos. Videos offer clips of Paul’s rallies, university
visits and press conferences. When these videos are broadcasted on Justin.tv,
members of Justin.tv chat live (IM format) and discuss the video. On Justin.tv,
members are able to email videos to their friends, embed the videos on their blogs or
other sites, and/or add videos to their favorites. Paul’s Justin.tv profile also includes
links to his Facebook and MySpace profiles, and blog. Paul’s use of Justin.tv is an
ideal example of the value of reflective publicity. As an older candidate, his use of a
social media site that is not as popular as MySpace and Facebook, for instance,
shows that he can relate to the younger generation by communicating with them via
a common medium.
Paul’s StumbleUpon homepage link also opens a new page. On
StumbleUpon, Paul’s Web site is categorized under “Conservative Politics.” The
four and half million Stumblers (StumbleUpon members) can give a thumb down or
thumb up to Web sites, which ranks the popularity of a Web site. This social

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bookmarking tool allows voters to bring attention to Paul’s message, which once
again, helps Paul stay in the 2008 election.
Paul’s Facebook profile picture appears to be a candid picture of him smiling
and giving a thumb up. Under his picture, on the left side, his party and the office he
running for are stated. Following is “Information,” a section listing five Web sites
and detailed biographical information, including education and work background.
Under the section “Notes” are comments posted by Paul.
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The notes refer to him in
first-person, which allows him to connect with the voters on a more intimate level,
even though his PR team is probably the one posting these comments. His “Wall”
displays close to 16,000 comments (15,993 as of March 20, 2008); sample comments
are “America needs Ron Paul” and “I heart Ron Paul.” Paul has 82,623 supporters
as of March 20, 2008. A glance at the comments posted on Paul’s Facebook profile
shows that many of his fans are having a discussion with one another, commenting
back and forth, offering supportive and non-supportive remarks. Facebook permits
Paul to create a forum where he can be part of the message without controlling it.
This is important because it adds credibility to the message and buys him visibility.
Paul’s MySpace profile is simple yet detailed. The page provides in-depth
information about him in first-person narrative. Paul’s profile picture, on the left
side, is a headshot of him with the U.S. flag as the background. “Ron Paul 2008’s

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See (http://www.RonPaul2008.com
http://www.MySpace.com/RonPaul2008, http://RonPaul.meetup.com,
http://www.YouTube.com/RonPaul2008dotcom, http://eventful.com/performers/P0-001-000016544-
9/demand#demand-flow=email).

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Interests” is written in a narrative format with Paul stating, “I really enjoy
bicycling…I have a large family.” By presenting information about Paul in first-
person narrative, the campaign team forms a personal connection with the voters.
The biographical information further builds an emotional connection with voters. It
is as though Paul is one of the voters and he is speaking with them on a personal
level, to which many voters are attracted. “Ron Paul 2008’s Details” notes his
marital status, religion, education, zodiac sign, and so on. “Ron Paul 2008’s
Schools” provide his educational background. On the right side of the page is a box
with the text “Ron Paul 2008 is the only candidate who voted against the invasion of
Iraq and who voted against the Patriot Act.” Facts such as these are attempts to
differentiate him from the other candidates. Following are links to “Ron Paul 2008’s
Latest Blog Entry.” Blog entries include YouTube videos and the content is unique
when compared to his competitors’ MySpace blog entries. For instance, an entry on
March 11, 2008 titled “Ron’s MySpace Page Surpasses 60,000 Comments, past
Obama, Clinton and near 1000% more than McCain” applauds Paul’s supporters for
being well informed and more passionate than his opponents’ supporters. Clearly,
Paul’s strategists are not only encouraging supporters to continue supporting Paul,
they are also “making news” by calling attention to Paul’s campaign. Next, “Ron
Paul 2008’s Blurbs” is a section that is “About Me”; where Paul writes about himself
and provides links to donate, learn about him and issues, and get involved. In
addition, this page provides a picture with the amount of money donated this quarter
as a link to donate money. Once again, by stating the amount of donations, Paul

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establishes credibility as a candidate and for his campaign. Under the picture,
another link is given to donate. Then, “Ron Paul 2008’s Friend Space” shows Paul’s
130,715 friends (as of March 20, 2008). The page wraps up with “Ron Paul 2008’s
Friends Comments,” which includes “Let freedom ring. Vote Ron Paul,” “God Bless
America and Ron Paul” and “Go to RonPaul2008.com right now!!! Tell everyone
you know.” Thousands of comments entice visitors to read and learn more about
Paul.
Paul’s Digg page includes hundreds of news articles with Diggs ranging from
89 to 499. The page also posts links to Paul’s blog, Facebook profile, MySpace
profile, LinkedIn profile and official Web site. Paul’s Twitter page allows visitors to
view alerts his campaign organizers have shared with Twitters. Both of these social
media sites acquire Paul online credibility.
Paul’s LinkedIn profile displays the same picture from his Facebook profile.
It gives his current and past political background, education and links to his
presidential campaign and congressional office Web sites and Facebook profile.
Following this information, on the left side, are detailed paragraphs about him, his
beliefs, stance on issues and experience, which includes past votes in the Congress,
papers he has written, committees of which he was a member and work in the
medical field. On the right side, viewers are given a link to donate and become
supporters. Paul has over 500 connections (as of March 20, 2008). Paul’s LinkedIn
profile does not necessarily add to his brand as a candidate, so much as allow him to

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be a candidate. His participation in LinkedIn is one more way Paul is able to connect
with his base supporters via a non-traditional medium.
Mobilizing
Via the homepage, Paul’s campaign team attempts to mobilize supporters.
Categorized under “Get Involved” are several ways in which individuals can increase
Paul’s supporter network. First, supporters can sign up to canvas their local areas.
This includes identifying supporters, persuading undecided voters and reminding
them to vote. Second, supporters are encouraged to spread the word by an easy-to-
use email template to send to their personal contacts. Third, supporters are provided
with the choice to “Join a Meetup Group.” The “Join a Meetup Group” link
connects the viewer to Paul’s Meetup profile. Paul’s fans have almost 2,000 Meetup
groups, organized by city. Each group varies in members, from one to almost 1,300.
Meetup allows Paul’s strong online supporter base to mobilize offline, which is an
important factor in Paul’s campaign, since his numbers at the polls are not strong.
Through his Facebook page, Paul also has a profile on Eventful.com. This is
another tool his campaign managers are using to give supporters easy ways to
connect with one another and mobilize offline.
Additionally, each “People” page, which categorizes voters into specific
groups, such as veterans and students, connects and mobilizes supporters to one
another via providing links to Meetups, Facebook groups and external resources.

79

Brief Synopsis of RonPaul2008.com
Paul’s Web site clearly informs, involves, connects and mobilizes viewers.
Most noteworthy about Paul’s Web site is its transparency: The Web site displays the
amount of money donated to the campaign on the homepage; it states the names of
supporters, precinct leaders and volunteers. This sense of transparency “buys” Paul
the credibility that he needs as a potential candidate. Perhaps, this is why his
campaign was able to stay active for so long. With the help of the Internet, Paul is
able to mobilize and rally supporters. His involvement in sites such as Meetup gives
his supporters a tool to run the campaign offline as well.

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Chapter 8:
Conclusion
Analysis of Four Candidates’ Internet Presence
All four presidential candidates featured here have a Web site and use social
media, but the extent to which and how they use these sites help create a certain
brand image. With virtually unlimited space and a 24/7 access cycle, presidential
candidates have the opportunity to further define and brand themselves on the Net. It
is important for the Web site to leave visitors with a better impression of the
candidate than before they had visited the Web site. The Web site must be
persuasive yet interactive; it must teach voters but also allow them to get involved;
above all, the candidate’s Web site must help brand the candidate for voters. Having
a Net presence is an extension of the candidate’s brand image. The content and
design of a Web site must be consistent with the campaign’s overall goal for it to be
effective. The above analysis listed and evaluated each tab and link to explain the
image the campaign teams are representing on the candidates’ Web sites.
Judging only based on their Web sites, Obama would be the clear winner.
His site accomplishes all four goals and more. Beyond his Web site, he is
“everywhere” on the Internet. His campaign team, with little effort (since the
information on all the social networks is almost identical), has been able to connect
him with different audience groups by simply creating a profile. What is clever
about his Web site is that it states his membership in all the different virtual
communities, something his opponents fail to do. Both Clinton and McCain have a

81

Meetup page and LinkedIn profile, but there is no mention of it anywhere on their
Web sites. Clinton has a profile on the Democratic Party’s Web site as well, but she
does not showcase this information on her Web site.
These four candidates’ Web sites also share common traits. Ultimately, the
information shared with voters is the same: about the candidate, the issues, press
releases, voter information and get involved tools. Also, each Web site promotes
viral marketing by links such as “email this.” This tool is created to organize
supporters to motivate and persuade others to support. However, how this
information was presented was different for each candidate.
Discussion
As stated earlier, an analysis of the public relations techniques employed by
the candidates should offer some insight into why their campaign managers focus so
strongly on branding candidates for audiences who already support the candidate.
As this paper shows, this is because the Internet is an interactive media channel. It
takes previous knowledge of the candidate and basic computer and Internet skills to
access a candidate’s Web site. Hence, it is natural to assume that many visitors to
the site are already interested parties. At the very least, they are adept at accessing
Web sites. However, candidates need to be aware that not all visitors are interested
supporters. A candidate’s Web site can be an ingenious source for the undecided
voter. The very sought after 20% of voters who are considered salvageable may be
the most important group of voters, those who ultimately change the results of an
election. For this group, the Web site must leave a positive impression and

82

ultimately help persuade them for a specific candidate.
Due to the Web’s grassroots power, the current presidential candidates’ Web
sites heavily concentrate on involving and mobilizing voters, in addition to
informing them. Thus, the current Web sites serve as an extension of the campaign.
Earlier, this paper also claimed to seek to determine if a strong Net presence
results in votes for the candidate. Before the 2008 general election, it would be rash
to form a final conclusion. However, from the above analysis and the poll results
thus far, it can be said with accuracy that no candidate can afford to not have a strong
Net presence. With the majority of the voting population using the Net as at least
one source of political information, candidates and their PR teams must be able to
communicate and connect with potential voters using new media.
Candidates, who almost always include the future as part of their messaging,
would be hypocritical in their messaging if they did not perform well on the Net. If
only for the sake of appearing in tune with current and future trends, campaign teams
must employ new media tools.
Clinton and McCain use new media but in a limited manner, while Paul and
Obama take it a step further. They appear to be part of the trend of using social
media sites, which further brands them as the candidates for change or revolution.
This is consistent with their messaging. All four candidates’ use of new media
brands them in a specific manner: McCain’s site is traditional, patriotic, mature and
safe. Clinton’s site and use of social media brands her as conventional and
experienced. Obama’s Web site and involvement in social media creates an image

83

that is fresh, inspirational and seems to be going against the status quo. Paul’s site is
unconventional due its transparency, which helps his brand as the candidate who is
original and independent.
Also, although the Web is restricted in targeting non-supporters, it still holds
the power to target various audiences. Due to the ease of creating new sites, nearly
every group sharing common demographics, geographics or interests has developed
an online community. While finding and connecting with these groups prior to the
creation of Web 2.0 would take enormous campaign resources, different audiences
are now practically handed to the campaigns. With little effort, candidates’ public
relations teams can target voters and help create their candidate’s brand via these
communities. If the gain is not measurable, there certainly is no loss in doing so.
Candidates must communicate with their constituents via the medium they
are using. Campaign communication professionals are to find the communication
channel that is most effective in targeting different voter groups. It used to be town
hall meetings and direct mailings. These traditional methods are still part of the
communication mix, so strategists must balance the use of new and old
communication channels. The traditional canals of communication may be more
effective. But, be it digging or twittering, it is not only what these new vehicles of
communication do, but rather what they represent. The use of social media gives
candidates online credibility, because users of the Internet have more options to learn
about the candidates.
Further, this study shows that candidates are realizing that they need to be

84

part of the message, even if that means they do not fully control it. For a certain
amount of visibility, candidates give up a certain amount of control. This is
necessary in an election that is almost defined by the use of the Internet and new
media. Which ever way campaign strategists choose to make their candidate part of
digital communications, due to the nature of user-generated media, candidates will
be the topic of discussion. Thus, it is better for candidates to at least be part of the
message and be actively visible than to try to maintain control and not participate on
the Net. In addition to being part of the message as opposed to allowing only
outsiders to affect the communication on the Net, being active online helps in other
ways as well. User-generated sites, both social networks and user-driven social
bookmarking pages, also allow candidates to communicate controlled messages. For
instance, YouTube videos created by campaign teams, such as Obama’s and
Clinton’s candidacy announcement, are a controlled message delivered through new
media and shared on social media sites. Thus, social media enables voters to take the
candidates’ controlled message and further communicate it with the public; this is
ideal for any candidate, because everyday voters become the candidates’
ambassadors. With the help of new media, supporters become influencers, which is
empowering for both the supporters and candidates.
Looking into the past and the future, communication channels have
constantly changed and they will continue to evolve. The key is for candidates to
acknowledge this change and be able to connect with their target audiences using the
channels that are most effective.

85

This study has limitations in that it is descriptive and exploratory: The
analysis is in real-time. Further studies should examine a completed campaign: one,
to find finished data; two, to have a stronger sense/argument regarding whether these
strategies result in more votes; three, to trace a complete campaign from start to
finish; and four, to potentially compare a contemporary Internet mediated campaign
to earlier campaigns to trace the Web’s impact on campaigning.

86

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Appendix:

Online Advertising

* As online advertising is also an Internet tool used by political campaigns, the
following notes are provided about the topic.

According to Michael Cornfield, online political advertising revolves around
seven propositions: Online advertising efficiently publicizes campaign Web sites;
online advertising is a cost-effective medium to get out a message; viewers of online
ads can be moved into action at once; the Internet offers advertisers the opportunity
to microtarget; online ads can be customized for different audiences, simultaneously
and serially; online ads can be measured and evaluated with incomparable accuracy
and speed; online ads lend themselves to surprise tactics.
79
In addition, according to
Lynda Lee Kaid’s “Political Web Wars: The Use of the Internet for Political
Advertising,” Web advertising carries further advantages: first, it can reach a broad
variety of audiences who may not be looking for political information; second, Web
advertising may obtain credibility depending on the site it is displayed on; third, Web
advertising can be “targeted to segmented publics; and finally Web ads combine the
precision of direct marketing, the dramatic power of video, and the cost-effectiveness
and ‘viral’ distribution potential of the Internet.”
80
Particularly, humor and satire in

79
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.
80
Kaid, L. L. (2006). Political Web Wars: The Use of the Internet for Political Advertising. In A. P.
Williams & J. C. Tedesco, Eds. The Internet Election: Perspectives on the Web in Campaign 2004
(pp. 67-82). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

91

Web advertising is especially effective because it takes advantage of the Web’s
power in viral marketing.
81

Furthermore, to place online advertising into context vis-à-vis money spent,
in the last quarter of 2003, together, all four political candidates, John Edwards, John
Kerry, Dennis Kucinich, and Howard Dean, spent $300,000 in online advertising,
while spending $547 million on television advertising.
82
This demonstrates that Web
ads are much cheaper to produce than television ads. Specifically, the Kerry
campaign spent three times as much as the Bush campaign on Internet advertising.
However, the Republican National Committee spent almost double the amount of the
Democratic National Committee.
83

Online advertising does have two disadvantages as well. Online advertising
is limited in the number of people it reaches and online ads are at risk of
“antagonizing public opinion on the rising policy issue of individual privacy and the
less intense but broader irritation at receiving unsolicited emails, or spam.”
84

81
Kaid, L. L. (2006). Political Web Wars: The Use of the Internet for Political Advertising. In A. P.
Williams & J. C. Tedesco, Eds. The Internet Election: Perspectives on the Web in Campaign 2004
(pp. 67-82). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
82
Kaid, L. L. (2006). Political Web Wars: The Use of the Internet for Political Advertising. In A. P.
Williams & J. C. Tedesco, Eds. The Internet Election: Perspectives on the Web in Campaign 2004
(pp. 67-82). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
83
Kaid, L. L. (2006). Political Web Wars: The Use of the Internet for Political Advertising. In A. P.
Williams & J. C. Tedesco, Eds. The Internet Election: Perspectives on the Web in Campaign 2004
(pp. 67-82). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
84
Cornfield, M. (2004). Politics Moves Online: Campaigning and the Internet. New York, NY: The
Century Foundation Report.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The 2008 U.S. presidential campaign has exploited Internet technology more fully than any previous campaign. This thesis examines the online public relations techniques employed by four presidential candidates: John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Ron Paul.

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