The lunchtime talk begins with Ken Mehlman, Bush-Cheney’s campaign manager. He starts graciously by thanking the Dean campaign which taught us a lesson: “The power of the power of the Web and the power of technology means if you have an idea thats interesting, there’s a viral way to get that message out.” [Excellent! He only sees it as a way of moving messages around!]

He says the party first onto the a technology historically is the campaign that dominates it. The Web is not a substitute for the message. Technology is a way you communicate a candidate’s message; it’s not a substitute for the message. The Web is at bottom simply a way to accomplish the key aims of the campaign. He’s focusing on: 1. Turning out the vote. 2. Using the Web to share the candidate’s message.

Why the Web is important. First, we have moved from a world or country where people get mass information from a few sources. The wealth of information creates a poverty of attention. The ability to have direct person-to-person contact is the way you cut through the clatter. And it’s how you avoid the filter. And communication is increasingly participatory: just look at American Idol. The Web is the ultimate in participatory communication.

Here are the principles of the Bush-Cheney campaign:

First Principle: The Web is crucial to our campaign. Grassroots politics is important because the country is closely divided. And the ability to provide an information mix to people, including person-to-person, is important. We have 6M voters we email. [According to Zack Exley, these are bought lists of low value.] Our site uses MapQuest maps to direct people, online registration forms, etc.

Second Principle: We try to use our Web campaign to share the President’s message and get around the filter. We have newsfeeds to 2,200 other sites so when George Bush says something, 2,200 sites say it also. We will direct you to talk radio shows and give you our suggestion for the topic you can talk about. Likewise for letters to the editor. A recent campaign generated 9,000 letters to the editor.

Third Principle: Our site is designed to empower individuals. On April 29, we’ll be organizing 2,004 parties supporting George Bush. People can find the names of people in their area and organize parties in their neighborhood, can download the latest talking points…[Omigod is he shameless!]…all to help people share their [!] message with their neighbors.

Here’s how the site can inspire people. BlogsForBush was independently created by supporters. Many-to-many. People talk about their support for the President and organize for the President. We didn’t create it but I hope our web site is helpful.

Fourth Principle: Personalize. The ability to personally communicate is critically important to mobilize people involvement in grassroots and politics. A good example is Amazon.com. [Judging from his description, he seems not to actually use Amazon.] We encourage Web site visitors to tell us what issues they’re interested in so we can proacticely email them information. And everyone who becomes a Bush Team Leader [Hey, that’s me!] has their own page where they can track their activities, how many times have they calle talk radio, how many letters to the editor have they written…

Fifth Principle: The goal of a web site is to maintain a customer as much as it is to make a sale. A good Web campaign does not overly-solicit but instead engages individuals the way a good business would engage a customer, multiple contacts on multiple issues. We’ll provide you with links, webchats, videos, rewards for encouraging. Customer maintenance is critical. So is customer recruitment. At every Bush event, people walk around signing up people’s emails. We’ve been doing this since 1999.

Sixth Principle: Synergy. A good Web campaign provides a great synergy for whatever else you’re doing. E.g., using the Web to launch ads that get print coverage. And they’ve used print to move people to the Web site.

The Republicans will be launching a Fact Log, or Flog, for fact checking the Dems asses. [He didn’t put it quite like that.]

The Web is critically important. It can connect individuals’ concerns with your candidate.

The most important reason we have had success is the strong leadership of our President. That’s why our web has been successful. It’s the cause that matters the most; the Web is just how we get there.

[Oooh. Profound not-getting-it-ness! But probably getting enough of it to win. Argh.]

Categories: Uncategorized dw