Sure the internet might have put Obama in the White House, but can it get me elected mayor? Well, not me — I’ve spent the last 20 years disqualifying myself from any office involving the public trust — but how about someone with a real aptitude for politics and public service? As part of the Winning in 2010 series on state and local online politics, I’d love to get my hands on some outright success stories (though illustrative failures are also welcome).
Note that the “here’s someone who’s doing a great job” examples are always good to have, but I’m really looking for state-and local-level candidates who’ve either won or become seriously competitive because they used the internet to find support or to capitalize on it. Examples could include online organizing, social networking outreach, online advertising, online fundraising, blogging, Twittering, mass-emailing or just about anything else involving packets and pixels, but basically we’re talking about the kind of stories you could use when a traditional media consultant asks outright whether a significant and strategic online program is worth the money.
If you have any ideas, feel free to email me or to leave them in the comments below. I’m planning to incorporate the best/most educational examples in the final version of the 2010 series, and so would love to hear from folks within the next few days if possible. Thanks!
– cpd