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Can Technology Make Or Break A Candidate?

There may be a clue to the answer in this nugget from Marc Ambinder of TheAtlantic.com about the presidential campaign of Democrat Christopher Dodd.

[E]specially for a campaign run largely by veterans of Washington, he's used emerging technologies more fruitfully than just about everyone else.

The campaign posted casual, behind-the-scenes videos of its headquarters, interviews with key staff members, blogged live from the spin room, created graphics with speaking times for candidates during debates, using Youtube videos to whip bills in the Senate. (The Dodd campaign is a veritable advertisement for Ustream TV).

And they were the first presidential campaign to employ plain-text, conversational e-mail styles -- an appeal for money was signed by "Chris" -- as in "Sen. Chris Dodd."

All of the innovation doesn't appear to have benefited Dodd in terms of support, however. As Ambinder noted, his value on the National Journal Political Stock Exchange is a whopping 1 cent. And Dodd isn't exactly topping the charts of the Democratic field, either in terms of fundraising or poll numbers.

Dodd's innovation ultimately may help his rivals, however. Ambinder noted that they and other Democrats seem to be emulating Dodd's technological tactics. Dodd "can take heart in knowing that his innovations and policy boldness may outlive his candidacy," Ambinder said.

Posted by Danny | 03:03 PM

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