I published an article in the most recent edition of the NTEN newsletter about what I see as a lack of true innovation in terms of the use of technology to advance the political conversation this cycle.
Here is an excerpt:
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The web has certainly played a big role in this election cycle and is helping campaigns on both sides of the aisle collect millions of dollars in small contributions. But, the major campaigns have been slow to incorporate some of the best ideas from the last four years, instead relying on glossy new versions of the same old tactics and tools.
The 2008 campaigns have perfected some existing tactics and ideas... and technology is at a place now where some campaigns are able to operate more professionally and efficiently than ever before (the use of video being the best example). But there haven't been many earth shattering innovations, our democracy has not been revolutionized, and the prospect of radical change in this upcoming cycle remains limited.
What has worked this election cycle? Mostly the same old things; websites and email did not replace traditional methods of political involvement. In fact, the size of the crowds at candidate rallies has been seen as one of the greatest measures of success. Voters have still needed to meet their candidates face-to-face to feel comfortable with their style of leadership. The Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primaries were given even greater weight this year.
The media has tried to balance the need for breaking news stories with long, thoughtful profiles and in-depth analysis of key issues. Meanwhile, the additional commentary and analysis offered by the blogosphere has mostly amplified existing storylines, instead of breaking new ground. And each campaign still sent direct mail, aired television ads, made Get-Out-The-Vote phone calls, and granted interviews to generate favorable media coverage.
Literally hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on so-called traditional campaign activities, while barely a fraction of that has gone towards new media campaigning. We are only part-way through the primary season and it looks like politics as usual has largely won the day.
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And, here is a link if you want to read the entire article (including my listing of three things I would like to see the campaigns try this cycle):
http://nten.org/blog/2008/02/19/old-tactics-old-tools-what-is-going-on
Stay tuned, because I will be talking more about this in the coming weeks, at a handful of conferences and hopefully in some other ways as well. I'll keep you updated.
