In the past, citizens could only listen to political ads from television and radio. Recently, political advertising has exploded onto the internet, making it easier for candidates to gain supporters and name recognition. Television advertisements have to repeat to ensure enough people view them, but advertisements on the internet can stay available at all times of the day. Since almost anyone in the country can access the internet, it makes advertising easier and cheaper since the television ads cost much more. Several candidates have used the internet to achieve more recognition than television would have given them.
Unknown candidates can use a cheap advertising medium like the internet to get the same name recognition as the more well known candidates. When Howard Dean ran for the Democratic Presidential ticket in two-thousand four, he used the internet to achieve large name recognition. However, as he developed a name for himself on the internet, he destroyed his reputation on television when he did an odd scream at the Iowa Caucus. Despite success on the internet, his chances for president were ruined by television. In Convergence Culture, author Henry Jenkins says, “Candidates may build their base on the Internet but they need television to win elections…The Internet reaches the hard core, television the undecided (Jenkins 213).” Jenkins believes that although the internet can build a campaign, it does not have the ability to win a presidency. In a few years that may change as more people gain access to the internet and more candidates use it for advertising. With each election more and more candidates use the internet to reach their supporters. In the two-thousand eight election, ads became popular on YouTube because they were free to post and millions could view them.
Barack Obama and Ron Paul used YouTube videos to reach their supporters and recruit new ones for his campaign. Each candidate had a massive following on the internet because of their videos and their strong followings. Barack Obama has hundreds of advertisements posted on the site that both attack John McCain and praise Obama’s own political goals. Several of his videos were listed as the most popular on YouTube, meaning that millions of people had viewed them. The site also gives the less hardcore political activists a chance to see the candidates because YouTube’s main goal is entertainment. After Obama won the presidential election he continued to add videos onto YouTube of the weekly radio address. The goal of the videos is to create the same effect that Franklin Roosevelt’s fireside radio chat did. Instead of putting a voice on government, Obama put a face on government because people can watch him do the radio chat as well. Ron Paul also used videos to his advantage to increase his popularity. The most popular videos on YouTube can also find their way onto television news programs. He had a very strong base before two-thousand eight, but it was not very large. Through YouTube and other internet advertising he became the most searched candidate on the internet (Ron). Ron Paul used his new popularity to receive major fundraising through the Internet. He set the record twice during his campaign for the most money raised by a candidate in a single day, and he did it through the internet. Besides YouTube, candidates also found advertisements on Facebook.com very useful in gaining supporters.
Facebook ads have become increasingly popular because they appeal to the individual rather than group. The advertisements that each user sees have been selected for them based on their personal information such as interests and the state where they live. Candidates posted ads for users in certain battleground states to try and win voters to their side. The ads could also target users interested in certain political issues the candidates a strong stand such as the war in Iraq. One liberal site, MoveOn.org, posted ads to show Governor Sarah Palin lying. Instead of linking to their own site, the ad led to a Wall Street Journal article which made it seem as if the newspaper did not support Governor Palin. Despite the fact that the newspaper should have a neutral stance, MoveOn.org made it seem like they were a strongly liberal newspaper (Steel). These type of ads can shape a person’s political views because the Wall Street Journal has a very prestigious background making its views on politics extremely important. Candidates also gain followers through their own Facebook pages. Each page gives information on the elected official or candidate that will help undecided voters decide whom they like. Almost every major political candidate has a Facebook page and the ones without a page are most likely unknown to the public. The pages can consist of information on the candidate along with videos of them from television or other sites like YouTube. Both Barack Obama and John McCain had hundreds of thousands of supports on Facebook.com during the presidential election. Obama became the most popular candidate on most internet sites including Facebook and YouTube. However, even after winning the election he has created a website discussing his plans for when he takes office.
Change.gov was recently launched to again bring president elect Obama closer to Americans. Obama has used the internet to build his entire campaign by organizing people more successfully than any other candidate has before. Just as President Kennedy used television to connect himself to the people, Obama has revolutionized the way the president interacts with the people online (Miller). Even though the other candidates used the internet to collect followers, Obama was the most successful simply because he appeared all over the internet. By spreading his face through videos and other advertisements he became extremely popular and built a solid internet following the led to his success on television. The website he created will help him to stay connected with the people during his time in office. His site posts a daily blog about major happenings of the day to keep interested citizens knowledgeable. The site also has a section to teach those who wish to learn about the different offices in his administration along with his own personal biography. Obama’s views on all of the major political topics from defense to the economy can also be viewed. His site also allows anyone in the country to write anything about their lives or what they would like him to do for the country (Office). This site will bring Obama closer to American citizens than any other leader before him. Instead of becoming isolated from society by taking the role of president, Obama can stay connected with his citizens easily through this website. As more politicians use the internet to achieve a strong following, it will become more important to have a strong internet base before moving to television advertising.
Internet plays a crucial role in building an unknown candidate’s name recognition, but that alone cannot win the election. A successful candidate needs to advertise equally on all mediums to reach the desired audiences. YouTube videos have become an essentially free way to advertise on the internet. Sites like Facebook.com are the beginning of a trend toward more politics on the internet. Obama’s unique connection to the citizens of America will lead the way in our increasingly technology society. In the future, the internet will likely become more and more important in elections because of its increasing availability and usability. It may be just a coincidence, but the candidate who advertised more on YouTube won the two-thousand eight presidential election.
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