Spring Break
Courting the college vote
Politicians campaign for youth through Facebook, YouTube sites
By: Jim Myers
Issue date: 9/22/08 Section: News
Editor's note: Following an internal investigation, the Daily Wildcat is unable to ascertain the existence of students quoted in at least four stories written by reporter Jim Myers. These stories include: "UA programs rank again," on Sept. 26; "Courting the college vote," on Sept. 22; "Drugs in the Water?" on Aug. 27; and "Budget to bring more UA building," on Aug. 27. The Daily Wildcat regrets this betrayal of trust. The reporter has been terminated.
In a time when citizens rely on the Internet for information more than ever before, politicians are increasingly using it to promote their campaigns.
As politicians drive to reel in the youth vote as the November elections draw closer, campaigns are progressively relying on different media to reach younger voters, most of all the Internet. Democratic and republican candidates on the local and national levels are all employing advertising in "new media" forums, including blogs, YouTube and Facebook.
"It's a lot easier to get on Facebook and check out what's going on with your candidate than it is to wade through all the talk shows on TV," said Adam Bennett, a psychology sophomore. "Personally, I think it's a good way for candidates to advertise themselves."
At the presidential level, the Facebook pages of presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama contain the normal information categories, such as age, previous work experience and favorite television shows (McCain: "24" and "Seinfeld," Obama: "SportsCenter"). Both feature links to campaign Web sites and videos, as well as updates on recent activities.
Beyond their initial similarities, the Facebook pages of Obama and McCain differ in both number of supporters and additional features. McCain's page lists approximately 535,000 supporters, while Obama's Facebook supporters number approximately 1,891,000. McCain's page also includes a link to the McCain campaign blog, as well as information about filling out absentee ballots.
In a time when citizens rely on the Internet for information more than ever before, politicians are increasingly using it to promote their campaigns.
As politicians drive to reel in the youth vote as the November elections draw closer, campaigns are progressively relying on different media to reach younger voters, most of all the Internet. Democratic and republican candidates on the local and national levels are all employing advertising in "new media" forums, including blogs, YouTube and Facebook.
"It's a lot easier to get on Facebook and check out what's going on with your candidate than it is to wade through all the talk shows on TV," said Adam Bennett, a psychology sophomore. "Personally, I think it's a good way for candidates to advertise themselves."
At the presidential level, the Facebook pages of presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama contain the normal information categories, such as age, previous work experience and favorite television shows (McCain: "24" and "Seinfeld," Obama: "SportsCenter"). Both feature links to campaign Web sites and videos, as well as updates on recent activities.
Beyond their initial similarities, the Facebook pages of Obama and McCain differ in both number of supporters and additional features. McCain's page lists approximately 535,000 supporters, while Obama's Facebook supporters number approximately 1,891,000. McCain's page also includes a link to the McCain campaign blog, as well as information about filling out absentee ballots.
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