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WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The Internet has changed the way
we communicate from e-mails to personal Web sites to blogging
to message boards and beyond. So it's natural that political
campaigns, which rely on communication to succeed, have
moved into cyberspace. But are politicians making good
use of this relatively new medium to get across their best
message?
Some certainly are. Many credit presidential candidate
Howard Dean's use of the Internet with the Democratic frontrunner's
popularity. Wanting to know more about the trend, Wellesley
College political scientist Jeff Gulati has conducted research
into how the Internet affects political campaigns by analyzing
690 political candidates' Web sites. His research has been
presented at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Political
Science Association and will be published in the January
2004 Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics.
IN OR OUT? Gulati found significant differences between
political "insiders" vs. "outsiders." Some
politicos didn't even mention they were members of Congress;
others flaunted their powerful connections. "Insiders
make sure their constituents know they walk the halls of
power," Gulati said.
Gulati found that Democratic women are more likely to
present themselves as "outsiders," wanting to
be seen as just "local politicians."
"Outsiders may be avoiding their association with
Washington in an attempt to convey the message that they
have not lost touch with the folks back home," Gulati
said.
In contrast, Republican women and both Democratic and
Republican men like to be seen as insiders.
IMAGE MAKING: Gulati discovered a decided gender gap among
candidates. In a separate study of 500 web sites, Gulati
and student researcher Sarah Treul found that women candidates,
who still remain in the minority, must dress for success.
Gulati said the images on women's Web sites typically depict
a formal, businesslike candidate who chooses photos with
constituents vs. family pictures. In contrast, male politicians
seem to post any image from the lawyerly to the folksy,
depending on their constituencies and how they want to
relate to them. For the folksy approach, go to http://miller.senate.gov/ to see Georgia Senator Zell Miller, who is wearing jeans
and hanging out with his dogs. In contrast, go to http://www.house.gov/bono/ to see how Congresswoman Mary Bono, who used to be blond
and wife of the late entertainer-turned-congressman Sonny
Bono, now projects a different image. The researchers found
only one female politico who sported the "jeans" look
online.
On their Web sites, female candidates may dress more formally,
but they are more informal than men when it comes to the
tone of their welcome messages, more likely to emphasize
personal connections with the voters and less likely to
emphasize their past political experience and leadership
skills.
"
Taken together, women on the Web seem to be conveying the
message that what makes them qualified to be a good representative
is that they care about what their constituents think,
that they can relate to their problems, and they are always
accessible and approachable," Gulati found.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES: Gulati discovered a few surprises
in his research. For example, candidates with little money
might be expected to maximize a Web campaign since its
costs are minimal compared to paying for TV ads or printing
up and distributing flyers, for example. But that wasn't
the case.
"The less established candidates have not been taking
advantage of this new medium," Gulati said. "Rather,
it seems that Web sites have become more commonplace for
the more professional campaigns. In addition, Independents
and third-party candidates have been less likely to campaign
on the Web."
In 2002, 76 percent of the Republicans and 67 percent
of the Democrats running for the House had a campaign Web
site. Only 40 percent of the minor-party candidates did.
MISSING INFORMATION: Unlike other forms of political campaigning,
the Web offers far more freedom. But candidates often miss
this opportunity, too.
"One of the more useful features of campaign Web
sites is that there is an almost unlimited amount of space
to include descriptions about the candidates, news about
the campaign, candidates' issue positions and other
information that can help voters make better choices about
whom to support," Gulati said. "Yet, even with
all this space, some candidates neglected to mention even
the most basic of information: the district in which they
were running. One fourth of all the House candidates did
not indicate anywhere on their home page the location of
their congressional district. One Democratic incumbent
who did, however, provided voters with the wrong congressional
district."
Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing
an excellent liberal-arts education for women who will
make a difference in the world. Its 500-acre campus near
Boston is home to 2,300 undergraduate students from all
50 states and 68 countries. For more information, contact
Wellesley College at 781-283-3321.
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