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Internet Influences Outcomes of Campaigns and Elections

TGIO. That is the acronym sweeping the nation this week as millions of Americans proclaim in unison “Thank Goodness It’s Over!”  The 2006 midterm election is history and it was a banner year for finger-pointing, mud-slinging and dirty little tricks. On the positive side, voter turnout was high, signaling that Americans believe in the election process and feel strongly about doing what is right for this country.

The youth voter turnout rose 24% from midterm elections held in previous years.  Two million Americans under the age of 30 voted in this election. The preliminary data were analyzed by the Center for Information which is the nation’s premiere research company on the civic and political engagement of young Americans.

The internet, of course, played a major role in the high turnout among young voters. While young voters weren’t necessarily inclined to visit candidates’ web sites, you can bet your bottom blogger that politics were discussed, in extreme detail, in chat rooms and meetings organized via the internet.  A recent survey released by the PEW Research Center revealed that the Internet is gaining importance as a source of political news, especially among young people.

It’s very logical when you think about it. Campaigners have always tried to reach voters in order to win elections. Citizens have always tried to get information in order to vote their interests. The Internet offers a two-way conduit for campaigners and citizens with plenty of room for third parties to provide context and commentary as well. 

Meanwhile, campaigns are effectively using the internet to reach young people and will continue to do so. But is this because young people are computer savvy and demand internet-based campaigns? Or is it because campaigns see advantages to a cheap medium that reaches out and expands their base?

Research conducted by the PEW Internet Project shows that college students and college graduates who are liberal and concerned about the war in Iraq are overwhelmingly aware of blogs and favor their use in campaigns. While political “banner ads” on websites are unpopular among young people in general, the group that is liberal, college educated and concerned about the war strongly favors them. This group even likes weekly email updates, which most other groups strongly oppose. 

For all ages, the internet provides a more objective base for forming opinions than broadcast media. “Internet users do not burrow themselves into informational warrens where they hear nothing but arguments that support their views,” said John Horrigan, Senior Research analyst for PEW. “Instead, internet users are exposed to more political points of view and more arguments against the things they support. That should be heartening to those who are concerned that the internet will have an adverse affect on democratic debate.”

While all people like to see arguments that support their beliefs, internet users are not limiting their information exposure to views that buttress their opinions. Instead, wired Americans are more aware than non-internet users of all kinds of arguments, even those that challenge their preferred candidates and issue positions.  This level of enlightenment could have profound positive effects on the political process. 

With the increasing popularity of the Internet as a political tool, there are many Americans who wonder why we don’t conduct the actual elections online or at least give people the OPTION to vote online. There are many issues that have to be worked through to ensure the integrity of the process but one prominent internet researcher predicts that Americans will be voting online “three or four years from now.”

PEW Research Director Michel Cornfield puts it this way: “The Internet’s distinctive role in politics has risen because it can be used in multiple ways. Part deliberative town square, part raucous debating society, part research library, part instant news source and part political comedy club, the internet connects voters to a wealth of commentary and comment about politics.”  At the same time, campaigners have learned a great deal about how to attract and aggregate viewers, donors, message forwarders, volunteers and voters.

The bottom line is that the trend toward internet campaigning is here to stay. Unfortunately, so is the mud-slinging.