TBG Campaign Studies

CAMPAIGNS:
Incumbents Cool To Internet Campaign Strategies

Bara Vaida

Voters' interest in the Internet was red-hot during the last election cycle, but now that it has cooled, congressional incumbents are not actively utilizing the medium, according to a new study.

As of early March, the Bivings Group found that only 29 percent of all congressional incumbents running for re-election have a working campaign Web site. Republican candidates are more likely to have a Web site, the study found.

Most analysts say that low Web usage is related to the uncertainty caused by redistricting and the lack of competitive seats. In the House, only 55 of the 435 seats are expected to be competitive, according to the Cook Political Report. Due to redistricting, it also is unclear which district a candidate is running in and whether the race would be competitive.

"This is my conjecture, but if you are in a safe seat, you expect to be re-elected so there isn't a reason to shift over to campaign mode yet," said Lynn Reed, founder of NetPoliticsGroup, who also designed and managed the presidential campaign Web site for former Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J.

Mike Cornfield, professor of political management at George Washington University in Washington, who specializes in the study of online politics, said it is likely that the percentage of candidates with campaign Web sites in competitive seats will rise as more incumbents are apt to establish campaign sites as Election Day nears.

A campaign site can cost between $5,000 to $50,000, depending upon the site's sophistication and whether a consulting firm operates it. Reed said she charges between $10,000 and $20,000 for a campaign site, including tools that enable a campaign to manage e-mail, raise money online and communicate with supporters.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) on Monday launched a feature on its site aimed at boosting grassroots support for the party. The feature, called "Team Leader," provides a forum for GOP activists to become more engaged in local and national politics. President Bush's campaign used the "Team Leader" idea, and RNC Chairman Marc Racicot said it helped the campaign communicate easily with its activists.

"This is a way to keep grassroots activists involved, and it is a way to go from neighborhood to neighborhood to build the GOP and become a larger party," Racicot said at the event.

He said the intent of the feature was not to help the party with fundraising efforts, but rather to communicate with supporters. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) have said they are beginning an aggressive campaign to urge their candidates to set up Web sites and use the Internet, particularly for organizing activists and fundraising. A DCCC spokeswoman also said that they would provide resources to campaigns to help them pay for the Web sites.

On Monday, the DCCC sent an e-mail soliciting donations signed by House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., to registered visitors of its Web site or a related campaign site.