Summary
Contents
Subject index
The evolution of the modern political campaign has taken us from television sets in the living room to wireless new media in the hands of voters. Reaching voters with targeted messages, candidates increasingly rely on consumer-driven techniques. What works at the national level can be tailored to work even more effectively at the individual level. Future campaigns will continue to make use of recent innovations like meet-ups, blogs and Internet polling. Newer tactics such as fundraising on the web and get-out-the vote drives with micro-targeting via Blackberrys and PDAs are changing the way candidates advertise, ask for money, interact with the media, co-ordinate with their party organizations and make the most of interest group support. What, then, are the implications for the democratic process and governance? To help students make sense of how and why campaigns are changing, well-respected scholars and practitioners keep their focus on the horizon of campaigning and offer a cutting-edge look at what to expect in the 2008 elections and beyond.
Voter Mobilization—Into the Future
Voter Mobilization—Into the Future
The past is prologue to the future.1 And paradoxically, the future is prologue to the past when it comes to voter mobilization. With new technology, campaigns and parties are rediscovering their roots to maximize get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts. The technology that is emerging has put a reemphasis on voter mobilization as epitomized by the Obama campaign for president in 2008. “The Obama campaign built an unprecedented network of support, which included an e-mail list with 10 million names and cell phone numbers, (and) had … 1.5 million active volunteers.”2 While technology plays a tremendous role, old-fashioned planning and personal contact remain a critical element of success. Senate majority leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) reelection victory in 2010 was rooted ...
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