Presidential Candidates look to Facebook and MySpace
Presidential candidates for the 2008 election are using social networking Web sites as a new tool to do everything from generating support among undecided voters to raising money. Democratic Senator Barack Obama and Republican Representative Ron Paul are not leading all national polls, but their use of social networking Web sites beats their presidential rivals.
Obama has more Facebook and MySpace "friends" than the other presidential contenders - about 100,000 more than his main Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, who leads in traditional voter polls. Almost every major Democratic and Republican candidate has personalized Facebook and MySpace profiles. But will online success mean election success?
Facebook has recently added a mechanism that allows users to build applications, or new features, on their profile pages, potentially expanding candidates' ability to contact supporters.
Campaigns seem to be approaching social networking differently. Obama appears to be taking it rather seriously, using it to attract and organise supporters. Paul, on the other hand - who has become known for his strong online support - takes a more relaxed approach. His profiles are reportedly maintained by his grandchildren in order to add a personal touch. His campaign also tries to respond to each message but doesn’t try to organise, target a specific audience, or use the number of friends as an indicator of voting patterns.
Meanwhile, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a leading Republican candidate, is trying to raise funds via social networking sites. His director of online communications recently said that the campaign is banking on users learning about the former governor and then making an online donation.
So what do you think - will online enthusiasm translate into off-line action and result in votes and funds… and will it work on this side of the pond too?
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