MySpace.com
The New York Times reports that MySpace is launching the Impact channel, an online "town square" containing links to the MySpace pages of the 2008 presidential candidates, which will contain campaign blogs, personal videos and snapshots and link to concurrent sites discussing pet issues. The goal, of course, is viral use of the country's most popular means of online networking to reach a reported 60 million potential voters, including plenty of the "traditionally elusive and apathetic youth demographic" (though just how many is debatable, given that only 30% of MySpace users are under 25).
Still, it's a logical move based on an already well-tested principle - as the Times notes, Howard Dean was all over the online campaigning trend in 2003, shattering online campaign contribution records, offering the first campaign blog and laying the groundwork for how to use the Internet to engage voters in the political process. Meanwhile, John Kerry also tapped into the burgeoning social networking craze during his 2004 run, creating hip and well-publicized personal profiles on sites like Friendster, Tribe and Ryze (which were gaining popularity until MySpace swallowed them whole). On Friendster, in particular, he attracted over two thousand friends, and was able to successfully (in a short-term sense, at least) get the "Regular Guy" message across to younger voters through professing his love for Springsteen and Hostess cupcakes and posting sporty action shots (Look! He windsurfs!). While the online campaigning didn't spell victories in 2004, it did illustrate how useful a tool the web could be in attracting and immersing voters in your "personal" message, a trend that's only gotten bigger this time around. So 2008 candidates, start your profiles! We'll be waiting to see who's the first to be friends with Tila Tequila.
