Presidential Candidates Turn to Blogs

The use of blogs is transforming the way presidential campaigns communicate, according to a report released today by Johns Hopkins University’s CampaignsOnline.org project. The report also found that while there has been much media attention concerning campaign blogs, only four of the nine Democratic candidates for president currently utilize blogs as part of their communication strategy.

Blogs, short for Weblogs, are a frequently updated Internet journal that has become a growing Internet subculture. This once techie phenomenon has now become an invaluable tool in the 2004 presidential election, adding another innovative Internet component to campaign communications.

The report, entitled “The Use of Blogs in the 2004 Presidential Election,” finds that Wesley Clark, Howard Dean, John Kerry, and John Edwards are the only candidates using official campaign blogs to get out their message. The report notes that without an official blog, a campaign “lacks the ability to directly communicate and create an interactive dialog with supporters.”

“Blogs are the biggest communication innovation for the 2004 election,” said Alexis Rice, author of the report and project director of CampaignsOnline.org. “Blogs are transforming campaign communication and will become not only an important tool in the presidential election, but in future state and local elections.

Democrat Howard Dean was the first candidate to use blogs and multi-blog marketing for his presidential campaign and has set the stage for campaign blogging. Rice adds that “While other candidates have joined the Dean ‘blogwagon’ some campaigns have forgot that a blog is only a component of creating a successful online strategy.”

As for President George W. Bush, the report notes that his campaign started a blog on October 6, 2003, but that the “blog does not allow for comments, which is a key element of most blogs.” The full report can be downloaded at www.campaignsonline.org. The website also features links, resources, and a blog on the use of the Internet and emerging technologies in the 2004 presidential campaign.

 back to top