Presidential campaigning online

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    By Sherylin McMurtrey

    When Ben McKee was surfing the Web for information on the presidential candidates in this year”s race, he was amazed to find an anti-Kerry site, sponsored by the Republican National Convention, that specifically targeted Mormon voters: kerrywrongformormons.com.

    “I was surprised,” said McKee, a 23-year-old from Olalla, Wash., majoring in exercise science. “I didn”t realize the GOP resorted to targeting different religions. At the same time, the way politics are going these days its inevitable that a Web site like this would happen.”

    McKee was one of many who discovered the Web during this election season. Many voters and interested parties have taken to the Web to research candidates and find where they stand on the issues. McKee doesn”t subscribe to any particular party, but generally votes Republican.

    “[The Web site is] helpful that it presents information, but it”s kind of one-sided,” McKee said. “Maybe one time [Kerry] voted against an issue and another time he voted for it.”

    Although a lot of attention has been brought to the anti-Kerry Web site there are other Web sites that contribute to this cyber mud-slinging campaign, such as anti-Bush Web site: www.bushin30seconds.org, which features several 30-second anti-Bush commercials.

    With the presidential election quickly approaching and candidates running neck and neck, electioneers grasp for any advantage to give their respective candidate. The deciding factor between victory and defeat for this year”s presidential candidate might not be key states but the Internet.

    Candidates are using the Web as their battleground for votes, and the polls are showing the results.

    “The winners in the future, both in politics and business, will be those with the best e-mail list,” said LaVarr Webb, a partner in the political consulting firm Exoro. “It allows candidates and special interest groups to communicate directly with citizens without having their views filtered through the news media. Everyone can communicate directly with target audiences.”

    There has also been tremendous success with political parties targeting special interest groups.

    “We”ve had quite a lot of success in reaching out to Americans in ways in which they share common interests,” said Scott Hogenson, GOP director of radio and online media. “People tend to coalesce around common interests. Whether it”s the faith they practice or the activities that they participate in, in their leisure time. By bringing together people based on their interests and then using the opportunity to put forth the president”s message – we”ve had a lot of success.”

    Online campaigning has come a long way but it still has a long way to go. Not only are politicians using the Internet to get their message across, but have used the World Wide Web to further their cause.

    “Web sites for most of the local candidates are pretty unsophisticated compared to what I think what they will need to be in the future,” Webb said. “I think in the future the Web sites will be relied upon a great deal for their campaign organizations to recruit volunteers, to communicate with volunteers, to communicate with supporters, voters and volunteers. They”ll play a much more important role in campaigns than they do now.”

    Political parties and candidates are using the Internet to target special interest groups and groups that are against a particular candidate.

    Online activity has been beneficial for candidates but there is a down side to cyber-campaigning.

    “They”re bringing in more support and more awareness, but I think that [Web sites] come with a price,” said Steven Fleming, BYU Democratic club adviser and professor of chemistry. “It probably alienates a few … You think immediately of the elderly and the poor because they”re just going to be left out of that stream.”

    While online campaigning is on the rise, there is room for improvement. To keep up politicians will have to make more sophisticated use of the Web and citizens will have to be more willing to get their information from it, Webb said.

    It can be difficult to decipher how valid and accurate a Web site is. However, there are things to look for that help distinguish between bogus and legit Web sites.

    “The Internet, as everyone says, is a great blessing and a great cursing,” said Joe Cannon, chairman of the Utah State Republican Party. “There”s a lot of junk on the Internet. And there”s a lot of good stuff. So I think you have to be really careful about who the Web site sponsors are.”

    The experts had some advice for those looking for accurate information about candidates on the Web. Webb warned voters that Web sites were relatively inexpensive to establish and someone did not have to have much technology background to do it.

    “Read and observe broadly a couple of good newspapers and watch TV news,” Webb said. “It”s great for people to read Web sites, but they need to be smart consumers and be aware of who is doing the writing and where they are coming from.”

    Cannon said information obtained from newspaper Web sites is typically accurate. Information hunters should also be aware of what they Web site is claiming about the other candidate and how drastic it comes across.

    “A lot of times you can just tell when you see these outlandish claims and outlandish things,” Cannon said. “The democrats aren”t as bad as republicans think and republicans aren”t as bad as the democrats think. So, you get all this demonizing going on, something is probably wrong.”

    Just how many people will be flocking to the Internet for candidate information?

    “It depends on how interested they are in the race,” Cannon said. “A lot of people already know they”re going to vote for John Kerry, George Bush or whatever candidate. People in the middle, the undecided, they probably spend a little more time on Web sites. I don”t know that I would ever go on a George Bush or a John Kerry Web site, for example. Why would I? I already know who I”m voting for.”

    — Kristen Byram contributed to this story.

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