How useful is the internet for political campaigning?

Last year's French presidential election, and this year's US presidential race have shown that the internet plays a key role in political campaigns. Yet the web is a double-edged sword. 

As web 2.0 has led to an increase in user-generated content, with social networking websites, and video-sharing sites such as YouTube allowing users to share amateur movies and photographs, coverage of election campaigns comes from a wider range of sources.  This has advantages and disadvantages for candidates:

• It can provide a substantial amount of coverage at a relatively low cost.  For example, songs, with videos, supporting Democrat contender Barack Obama became popular in the United States after they were posted on video-sharing sites.  Republican contender Mike Huckabee also has used this effectively.  This offers campaigns, particularly those of 'underdog' candidates, the chance to gain maximum exposure at minimum cost.
• Yet it also means that campaigns have far less control over negative publicity.  Gaffes and mistakes that otherwise could have limited exposure also can be circulated via user-generated content websites, as French President Nicolas Sarkozy recently discovered following an altercation with a farmer during municipal election campaigning.

Fund raising

Another area in which the internet has fundamentally changed election campaigns relates to fundraising.  Relatively small contributions from 'regular' supporters, made through the internet, play an increasingly important role.  Democratic contender Howard Dean used this effectively in his 2004 campaign, and Obama has been even more effective, as has Republican candidate Ron Paul. 

Politicians elsewhere in the world also have picked up on the potential the internet holds for fundraising, with the Malaysian opposition seeking internet donations in their attempt to compete with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's much deeper pockets.  This gives candidates greater scope to shun lobbying and interest groups, and has potential to increase the quality of grassroots democracy.

Increasing participation

The internet has also impacted on the demographic of voter turn-out, with Obama successfully mobilising young voters who traditionally have tended to be relatively apathetic.  Obama's relatively successful online campaign owes much to the focus that he has given to this medium.  In particular, Obama's website, with its innovative design, user-friendly video streaming, and opportunity for supporters to network and engage with the campaign, has been particularly effective.  In contrast, his main rival, Hilary Clinton, has used the internet to test campaign strategies before launching them more widely.  This has led to a much less consistent online presence, which is often relatively old-fashioned, and less user-friendly.

The flipside of widening participation is the platform it provides to marginal, even extremist parties and organizations. For example, the French National Front sought to use virtual world Second Life in its presidential bid last year, though internet users vandalised its virtual headquarters -- perhaps a sign that users will be as effective as authorities in sidelining online extremists.  This self-regulating aspect of the internet shows that the web is far from being the magic bullet that allows maverick candidates to enter the mainstream.