An interesting article about the "huge role in elections" that Internet and technology could play in the US Presidential election. What will technology affect concretly?
Fundraising
Raising revenue for a political campaign is one of the biggest hurdles the candidates have to overcome in order to make a successful political run. We saw this when Howard Dean initially soared to fame as the result of grass roots Internet donations filling his coffers. Yet technology was also Dean's downfall, as the result of the "Dean Scream" video getting excessive play time on the Internet and other broadcast media outlets. The recorded spectacle is said to be what led voters to abandon this overzealous candidate.
The Power Of Political Pundits
With podcasting, everyone is a journalist, regardless of their credentials or credibility. Technology has given self-proclaimed political pundits a pulpit from which they can spread their message. How much these political pundits will be able to influence political campaigns and election results is still unclear.
Never Say Never
Political videos of nearly every 2008 presidential candidate can be found on YouTube. In many of the posted videos, candidates are engaged in old speeches, contradicting their current political positions. Politicians have yet to learn that their words may come back to haunt them, and it appears that many politicians have ghosts from years past that can be found in the YouTube video library. Older political videos are causing problems for candidates whose positions have changed over the course of their careers. The accessibility of the audio and video clips, and wide media distribution, is breeding distrust amongst voters who support candidates who have had a change of heart.
Pushing A Cause To The Forefront
Evident in the hit movies "Fahrenheit 9/11" by liberal filmmaker Michael Moore, and "An Inconvenient Truth" by environmental evangelist Al Gore, these films not only brought in millions of dollars in revenues, but both movies also received Hollywood accolades and raised attention for the issues featured.
