For student politicians, modern campaigning is still defined by color-coded political campaigns, stumping on a street corner, pressing the flesh or throwing gaudy stunts on campus.
Online resources, such as candidate groups on the popular online collegiate social network Facebook, once considered campaign saviors, have fallen slightly from grace, said ASUO Finance Coordinator and 2005 Executive candidate Nick Hudson.
“Last year: It’s a phenomenon. This year: It’s a staple,” he said.
The network allows any student with a University e-mail address to create a profile on the service and initiate and join groups, such as those for the candidates. Once students join a group, they can send and receive group announcements. Some groups also allow members to post messages.
Hudson said those running in this year’s election have reason to be skeptical. Last year Facebook, which first became available to University students in February 2004, brought campus political campaigns into the 21st century – with mixed results.
In 2005, five of the six executive candidates created groups to secure votes, but when ballots were tallied, group membership seemed to have little bearing on election results. The Jacob Daniels and Adi Cargni campaign group had more than 800 members, but finished third in the primary race, and candidates Adam Walsh and Kyla Coy had only 30 members in their group but received 455 votes in the contest and went on to win the general election.
Candidate Jacob Daniels, who is again running for Executive, said he has put the emphasis on back-to-basics politics.
“We’re really about talking to students face to face. Getting out there and talking to people about what we stand for,” he said.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that students can join multiple groups, Hudson said. The result is current candidates are no longer pinning their hopes on the assumption that candidate group membership will translate into actual votes cast.
“So far, 1,800 students have voted. That’s already more than have signed up for Facebook groups,” Hudson said on Tuesday evening.
Daniels said voters feel no loyalty to an online campaign group.
“It’s kind of difficult to get that to mean something,” he said. “Plus, no one really ever says ‘no’ to a Facebook invite. It’s too easy.”
Executive candidate Jared Axelrod is striving to make a personal connection with individual voters.
“It’s a really powerful tool. You can see who’s supporting you, but it’s not really effective in pulling in votes,” he said.
Despite its drawbacks, campaigning through the Web site does serve a purpose, Executive candidate Todd Mann said. He said the groups and Web sites allow candidates to make their platforms known long before the race begins.
“The thing about Facebook – it allows candidates to get the word out early. With so many students on there it’s a conduit for discourse,” Mann said.
That discourse serves to create a better race, he said. When individuals join different candidate groups it signifies their support for those platform ideas, not candidates, Mann added.
When in doubt, candidates can always turn to the old-fashioned campaign flier.
Fliers are good for telling voters two things, Axelrod said.
“One, what your name is,” he said. “Two, that you can pick a really bright and obnoxious color.”
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