McCain's Young Backers Push Elders to Embrace Obama Web Tactics
source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/at83ytwalldq;_ylt=AqQxrK0pHjhv5uvWsfWB7tis0NUE
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- clarity_kat
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June 12 (Bloomberg) -- Political activist David All gushes over Barack Obama's record-breaking success on the Internet, which has helped the Illinois senator's presidential campaign raise more than $250 million and mobilize armies of supporters.
``He understands the importance of having a people-powered revolution,'' said All, 29.
All is no Obama supporter. He isn't even a Democrat. He's part of a cadre of young Republicans pressing their party to embrace the Web-fueled cultural shift that has transformed the way campaigns communicate with youthful voters.
All, who backs Senator John McCain and co-founded an online site that helps Republicans raise money, blames party officials ``who control the purse strings'' for not grasping the Internet. ``They are over the age of 35 or 40,'' he said, ``and they are unwilling to be anything but a modern ostrich.''
Republicans, who once held a commanding technological lead over the Democrats by pioneering techniques such as direct-mail messages to voters and dominating talk radio, are being out- raised, outspent and outmaneuvered on the Internet.
While the Democrats' Web prowess didn't begin with Obama, it's reaching new heights with his campaign.
Obama, 46, has 953,000 Facebook backers to McCain's 142,000, according to techPresident.com, a Web site that tracks such support. On MySpace, Obama has 394,000 supporters, more than seven times the number McCain has. On YouTube, the Internet video site, Obama videos have been viewed 50 million times compared with 4 million for the 71-year-old McCain.
``He understands the importance of having a people-powered revolution,'' said All, 29.
All is no Obama supporter. He isn't even a Democrat. He's part of a cadre of young Republicans pressing their party to embrace the Web-fueled cultural shift that has transformed the way campaigns communicate with youthful voters.
All, who backs Senator John McCain and co-founded an online site that helps Republicans raise money, blames party officials ``who control the purse strings'' for not grasping the Internet. ``They are over the age of 35 or 40,'' he said, ``and they are unwilling to be anything but a modern ostrich.''
Republicans, who once held a commanding technological lead over the Democrats by pioneering techniques such as direct-mail messages to voters and dominating talk radio, are being out- raised, outspent and outmaneuvered on the Internet.
While the Democrats' Web prowess didn't begin with Obama, it's reaching new heights with his campaign.
Obama, 46, has 953,000 Facebook backers to McCain's 142,000, according to techPresident.com, a Web site that tracks such support. On MySpace, Obama has 394,000 supporters, more than seven times the number McCain has. On YouTube, the Internet video site, Obama videos have been viewed 50 million times compared with 4 million for the 71-year-old McCain.
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clarity_kat
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You bring up a good point hoho_the_dwarf. Ron Paul also had a massive grass roots campaign supporting him. For a while there it seemed like there was a sign or bumper sticker about him everywhere I looked.
- 3 years ago
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clarity_kat
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hoho_the_darwf
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republican ron paul has taken advantage of the internet...
considering how little media covrage he has gotten he's done very well!!!
i think if he and obama had gotten equal show on the news ron paul would of raised more than obama...
- 3 years ago
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hoho_the_darwf
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huntre
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It looks like this election process will turn into voting for Cool versus UnCool for the young "Onliners".
I hope that the issues don't get lost in the mix. - 3 years ago
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huntre
