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Opinions/Editorial Net Activism Released by Dwight Patel on 11/29/99 of Association of Concerned Taxpayers |
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| The year 2000 is
upon us, and we are gearing up for another presidential election
cycle. We have the typical candidates running, but some of the
methods used by these campaigns are anything but typical. The GOP
and the Democrats have both learned the power of the Internet. In
the past five years, we have seen an explosion of net political
activism. We have come a long way from the days of push polling done by grassroots lobbyists, like Bonner Associates or Direct Impact. These companies and others like them generated "grassroots" support for various causes, usually for trade associations or for particular major corporations. The common practice was to have telemarketers poll within a particular member's congressional district, find a voter with a position on a particular issue, and generate a cablegram from that constituent to the Member of Congress. The lobbying firm actually sent these cablegrams. The reality was that most members knew these "cablegrams" were not from the constituent; consequently, the members ignored these cables. This was not an effective way of influencing members. Now, when we want activists to send a letter regarding particular issues to a Member of Congress or local official, we don't turn to Jack Bonner. We turn to the Internet. The Internet is where we establish legislative and policy alerts to instantly arm our activists with key talking points and allow them compose e-mail to their official. This is the most effective way of gaining a politician's attention. Most recently, the American Conservative Union (which launched an award-wining website early this past summer) credits to its grassroots activists, armed with e-mail, the defeat of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the McCain-Feingold campaign finance "reform" bill. ACU's innovative strategy was remarkably successful and this success became a catalyst for national media recognition. CNN highlighted ACU's ability to incite net activists to contact their Senators and Representatives. The Association of Concerned Taxpayers scored similar victories in the state of Maryland. Last spring they forced Governor Parris Glendening to retreat from his idea of raising the gas tax from 25 cents to 28 cents. The presidential election of 1996 was the first election cycle where candidates decided to unleash the power of the Internet. Rep. Richard Chrysler (MI-8th) had the most aggressive website presence for the time. His site was frequently updated; moreover, he was making significant inroads to a new base of supporters. Although Chrysler fell victim to unions and a liberal media smear-campaign in 1996, he did establish a new precedent for modern campaigns. During the off-year election of 1998, every serious candidate had a website. Anyone who did not was deemed a lightweight candidate and was not taken seriously. In 1998, every candidate who won had a website. The web had come of age in the political arena during 1998. We have witnessed the launch of a presidential candidacy online, with Steve Forbes' Internet announcement. Incidentally, Forbes had a great website in 1996. Others soon followed his example: George W. Bush, Vice President Al "Father of the Internet" Gore and Bill Bradley are all making good use of the Internet, and every candidate is "wired." The Internet has become a significant vehicle for allowing candidates to connect with the electorate, unfiltered. This development is a great plus for voters. They receive information from campaigns directly, as opposed to second hand information from the television or newspaper. Last week, President Bill Clinton and six Democrat leaders from around the country did the first Internet townhall meeting. It would have been more beneficial, though, had they not screened out the tough questions. Many city managers and mayors have been taking advantage of the net. Two good examples are Mayor Vincent A. Cianci, Jr. of Providence, Rhode Island and Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City. They have been using the web to promote their city and to dispense unfiltered information to the citizenry. These mayors have enjoyed high popularity in their respective towns. One of the reasons for this increased popularity is the fact that these mayors keep in touch with their constituents via the net. The people of Providence and New York City are not getting their information about their mayors from a second hand source. They get it first hand from the mayor's office. This eliminates the stranglehold the liberal media has had on the medium of communication. Just a note: there would be no Matt Drudge without the Internet. All modern campaigns need a website to be functional, effective, and viable. Unlike many websites, campaign sites have to be updated daily to remain current. Along with the website, campaigns must maintain lists and other tools in their arsenal. The Internet is the single biggest development in campaign technology since direct mail. Today, the Internet is paramount to the vitality of any modern campaign. © Association of Concerned Taxpayers | |
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