Who's using power of Internet in local politics?
You might not find major innovators, but some local pols are working the Web effectively, says Dan Ryan
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
It’s easy to see why the hype about social media’s political impact has people excited.
Barack Obama raised half a billion dollars through online efforts during his presidential campaign. The buzz he created with his Triple O (Obama Online Operation) bolstered his image as an up-to-date fresh face with the know-how to tackle the future. The Triple O was lauded as the new wave of electoral politics, leveraging email address lists into a fundraising and vote-gathering juggernaut made nimble by instant communications.
Closer to home, and perhaps more instructive, Sean Tevis thought he needed $26,000 to run an effective campaign for Kansas State Representative from Olathe. Through a clever online cartoon-based effort, he wound up raising over $100,000, and drew attention from around the world for his tech-savvy, unorthodox campaign.
For all his cleverness and all the money it brought in, though, Sean Tevis lost.
Other instances of Internet impotence abound in the Kansas City political landscape. One example lies in the fevered commentary that crops up on local blogs. When the Kansas City Star’s Prime Buzz or Tony’s Kansas City address political topics, a virulent and predictable cluster of anonymous and pseudonymous commenters engage in a firestorm of character assassination and nastiness. It’s a breathtaking show, but, ultimately, its reach doesn't extend far beyond the five or six characters who write and read the commentary, presumably to exorcise some personal demons. As several recent campaigns have demonstrated (Jason Kander and Amy Coffman running for State Representative; Jan Marcason, Mel Solomon, and Mark Forsythe running for City Council, Beth Gottstein and Doug Gamble running for City Council), campaigns are not won or lost in the comments section of blogs.
More positively, though, many local candidates are adapting social media and other internet tools to their more traditional campaigns.
Most have Web sites, and most have a Facebook profile. Most do the basics, but you won’t find anything leading edge among our local candidates.
A good example is the battle to succeed state Rep. Kate Meiners in Missouri’s 46th District. The two leading candidates are both under 30, smart, and each absolutely plans on winning. Neither, however, is investing much time in online electioneering.
Geoff Gerling has a typical candidate Web site. The homepage lists “upcoming” events that have already happened, and it has a link to an “issues” page that is a heaping plate of bland generalities written in Teflon ink — nothing to offend or excite.
Kevin McManus’ page offers more of the exact same thing. Out of date events, bland policy pronouncements, and an impressive biography.
If you were forced to choose a candidate based upon his Web site, you might write in Kevin Gerling or Geoff McManus. On the net, they tend to blend together.
They both have Facebook presences, as well. Kevin McManus has both a personal page and a politician page you can “like.” Geoff Gerling has the same set up — personal page and politician page. Both of them have hundreds of “friends," and both update fairly regularly.
Having met them both, I can assure you that neither has an online presence that gives you a sense of who they really are. Both are smart, ambitious and very well-informed. Geoff is more casual and spontaneous, while Kevin is more serious and polished. Despite their youth, neither seems focused on waging a “21st Century” campaign. Both would rather talk about how many doors they’ve knocked and how many hands they’ve shaken rather than hit counts or Facebook friends.
So if you're looking for a truly Internet-savvy local politician, you're best bet is Missouri State Senator Jolie Justus. Her Web site is informative, engaging, and functional, with links to her Facebook, Twitter, Flicker and YouTube accounts.
She maintains a genuine blog (not merely a Web site for posting press releases or a narrative calendar of “opportunities” to rally or donate), and has done so since early in her political career. She allows commenters to discuss issues on her blog, even when they politely disagree with her. She also uses email, Facebook and even Twitter effectively, each in their proper manner.
Twitter is used for off-the-cuff entertainment and brief updates, not for constant fund-raising alerts or political debate. During the often tedious but occasionally hectic legislative session, Senator Justus kept her fans up-to-date with the endless meetings and rushed votes that she faced on a daily basis. It wasn’t high-level, cerebral policy analysis, but it gave readers a sense of what it’s really like in the trenches.
Facebook is used in a similar but slightly expanded role. Her Facebook “politician page” incorporates her tweets, and also includes some discussion on issues she is looking at. More importantly, she uses it to remind people of her almost-weekly “Coffee Breaks” at a local coffee shop where constituents are welcome to come by, hear an update, and share concerns. The 21st Century communications are used essentially as a communications device to support the most time-honored political activity imaginable – meeting and chatting with voters.
Finally, Jolie Justus uses email effectively. Alert to the deluge of spam and thoughtless chatter that clog our email boxes, Jolie Justus shows a measured approach in using email lists. Occasional emails featuring major events, or key requests come through, but never multiple reminders of various minor fundraisers or other silliness. Her restraint reflects a considerate approach and a wise avoidance of overkill.
More than any single element, it is the varied and appropriate use of internet and social media tools that makes Jolie Justus stand out as the most competent local practitioner of 21st Century politics. There’s no wizardry there — Senator Justus is not out to become the next Sean Tevis or viral video. It’s just good old-fashioned communication in a contemporary form.
With the possible exception of Olathe’s Sean Tevis, the Kansas City area has not yet bred any bombshells of internet communication.
In local races, Kansas City remains a city where political contests are still decided by shoe leather.
But the smartest candidates are approaching the new tools with caution and with an eye toward using them to support, not replace, traditional campaign practices.
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