Analysis
This story just tells readers that both the DeVos and Granholm campaigns are using their websites as part of their campaigns. Readers are provided the online campaign addresses and get comments from both political parties on the role of their web pages. There is no assessment or analysis of the content of the sites, nor non-partisan perspectives on the role of the internet in partisan politics.
Article Text
LANSING, Mich. — When it comes to campaigning for governor these days, it’s all about the Internet.
On Monday, Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s campaign plans to unveil a new Web site that gives her grass-roots supporters ways to promote her record and defend her against attacks through letters to the editor, house parties and other tactics.
The new Web site’s slogan is “Fight Back! Put Michigan First.” It builds on the theme in ads the Michigan Democratic Party is running promoting the governor’s jobs plan.
Lt. Gov. John Cherry said the new Web site will help the campaign communicate directly with supporters.
“To win elections, you have to campaign on a person-to-person basis,” he said. “Now the relationship can be much more direct. … It allows for a great deal of two-way communication with people right in their neighborhoods.”
Republican challenger Dick DeVos also has been aggressively reaching out to voters through the Internet. Campaign manager Greg McNeilly said DeVos is the only gubernatorial candidate in the country using video Web logs — or vlogs — to show the candidate meeting with voters and out campaigning.
Campaign workers turn the vlogs into podcasts that can be downloaded onto iPods. McNeilly said the DeVos podcasts are in the top 100 political podcasts downloaded from the iTunes site, and the most-listened-to among GOP candidates. Every other Republican ahead of DeVos already holds office, he said, although many also are presidential candidates.
“People really are responding to these,” McNeilly said Friday of the vlogs. “It’s sort of bringing that reality TV concept to politics.”
Granholm campaign manager Howard Edelson said the constant stream of television ads the DeVos campaign has run since mid-February has caused many Democrats to call the Granholm campaign asking what they can do to help.
“One of the ways we’ll be able to compete with that (the ads) is people,” he said. “I think people fundamentally understand that we’re going to be outspent.”
The DeVos campaign has spent more than $6 million so far on ads buys. On Thursday, the campaign began airing a new ad — its 10th — promoting the Ada multimillionaire’s recently released turnaround plan for Michigan.
The Granholm campaign has not run any of its own ads, but the state Democratic Party began running a second ad this week promoting her plans for bringing jobs to Michigan.
The candidates aren’t the only ones using the Web to get out their messages. The parties are active as well. State GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis writes a daily Web log that regularly criticizes Granholm and other Democratic candidates while promoting GOP causes.
The state Democratic Party promotes Granholm and criticizes DeVos both on its regular Web site and on another it has started called, “What You Don’t Know About Dick.”
Related posts:
