a:c wakeup:call

Internet election #1

Internet Time stands in stark contrast to Election Time—one is an ethereal tide of 24/7 innovation; the other is marked by four-year increments, between which there is far more inactivity than activity. It’s sometimes easy to get lost in Internet Time, and forget that this will be only the second Presidential election in which the World Wide Web will play a role (and really the first in which it will play a significant role). Taken in this context, the often innovative, and usually humorous, ways in which the campaigns, the media, and “the people” are using the medium is remarkable.

Each of the Presidential candidates has his own Web site—each blander than the other, designed to humanize the candidates and spread their gospel. In greater numbers, and of greater interest, are the innumerable sites run by each party’s national committee. Long before Republicans and Democrats began their well-chronicled offline finger-pointing over who is a rat and who “went negative” first, there was mud being slung across the Internet. The Republican National Committee has chosen a rather straightforward approach to Web smearing. In addition to the negative elements on its own Web site—which dedicates an entire section, “The Gore Files: Anything to get Elected”, to disparaging the Vice President—the RNC sponsors a host of Web sites dedicated to undermining the Gore campaign:

No less active, the Democratic National Committee’s online carping has adopted a decidedly cheekier tone. The DNC site offers a “GOP Watch” section wrought with anti-Bush rhetoric, including a “Bush Stump Speech Search Engine” designed to “help voters, reporters and Bush's advisers figure out if Bush is saying anything new or substantive… Just type in a key Bush phrase to see how many times Bush has used it before.” Other DNC-endorsed sites include:

Once exhausted by the cyber-pissing-match, voters have an endless amount of news and analysis at their disposal. In addition to the Web sites of every major offline media outlet—from the network/cable television properties, to the political rags—every single public interest group has its own online outlet. Undoubtedly, the best option on the Web for serious voters is the new crop of Internet companies—like Voter.com—devoted exclusively to covering elections. More focused than big media, less boring than the political journals, and mostly agenda-less, Voter.com offers users a ton of information—including (perhaps the best feature) a clearinghouse of the best political articles appearing in other media outlets. (A word of advice, though: enjoy Voter.com while you can—we hope like hell the company survives, but it laid off 11 people in August, and we haven’t a clue how it plans to stay in business.) For those who don’t want to be bothered with election research, Speakout.com provides the “SelectSmart.com: American Presidential Candidate Selector”, a 17-question survey that determines which candidate best matches your political views.

Perhaps the most far-reaching impact the Internet has had on the 2000 election is the voice it has leant to anyone with a computer and a soapbox. A few of our favorites:

One ambitious voter in Maryland listed a vote for auction on Ebay—it read: “[For sale:] the 2000 election vote of one US citizen who is a registered voter in Maryland. You may specify whom I vote for in the presidential and all other elections.” (Alas, it seems selling votes is illegal, and the listing was promptly taken down.)
A loosely knit group calling itself “Real People for Real Change” has posted a surprisingly compelling Web site called “Skeleton Closet”, which seeks out "All the dirt on all the candidates—because character DOES matter.”
Across the Web, mock candidate sites have appeared—for Mark Twin...for Bill Gates...even for Ralph Nader. (A joke, Ralph—we kid because we love.)

Sure, there may be no meaningful discussion in the Presidential race about technology and the Internet. But that’s because there is little to debate. As Blair Clarkson, former Bill Bradley staffer and alarm:clock contributor, wrote:

Everyone… shares some version of the same policy (or lack thereof)—leave the new economy alone. Their motto: Make the technology magnates like you, don’t tick them off… Both parties advocate a moratorium on Internet taxation and an R&D tax credit. They fall over each other in their attempts to praise the almighty New Economy.

We should consider ourselves fortunate that politicians have agreed to leave well enough alone. After all, the Internet is a medium, not a policy initiative. So surf the Web this election season—you might learn something, you will likely be amused, and you should by all means be impressed.