Cross posted at: http://mattomalley.b…
The so-called netroots have been particularly useful for my brand of politics, slightly center/more so left-leaning. After years of being out-gunned and out-maneuvered by our better organized GOP opponents, we have used this technology to coordinate, fundraise, recruit, and execute field operations. It has been an amazingly successful tool. We have had some failures (Howard Dean for President), some victories (My Guv, Deval Patrick) and some mixed bags (Ned Lamont for US Senate won primary, lost general). The biggest difference is that a candidate cannot win on netroot support or new-media outreach alone. They must, as the Deval Patrick/Tim Murray campaign proved, engage in cyber-campaigning while practicing the old-fashioned (yet always effective) retail politics. One of the best videos sent out to the Patrick/Murray email list several weeks before election day was of Deval, sitting in shirt sleeves in campaign HQ, imploring the viewer to turn off the computer and go out and solicit more live votes. It was humorous, effective, and, above all else, right on target.
It is heartening to see candidates from all levels of government take advantage of this new type of media. I blogged in my first council race in 2003 when it was still a novelty. People enjoyed it, and were taken aback with the rawness and honesty that it provoked. I used it for a more therapeutic reason: it was a release to sit back and spend twenty minutes or so reflecting on the insanity that is a political campaign. Also, if memory serves, there were only two or three of us that created a webpage in that race (out of 14 candidates). It was a relatively new idea and we were certain that it would prove to be a successful one.
Today, you will be hard pressed to find a candidate running for any office from US Senate to Dog Catcher (I know that?s an oft-cited cliché, but does any town actually elect dog catchers?) that does not take full advantage of having a serious web-presence. It is turning out to be an integral part of a campaigns development and overall strategy and is a key component to a campaign?s success. It is also turning out to be a huge business with expenses almost rivaling advertising and travel portions of a campaign budget. In what is likely to be an over $1 billion campaign in 2008 (among expenses of both parties and 527?s) maintaining a web campaign will contribute to a significant portion of that.
National Journal?s Hotline blog published an interesting study the other day that broke down expenses from all candidates in maintaining a web campaign. Each total amount includes: software, strategy, staff, networking, communication, etc. It is interesting to note, that these numbers are actually low-ball, as one can assume that staffers involved in other aspects of the campaign (specifically fundraising and communications) are contributing to the web effort while not listed on web-related expenses.
It is also interesting to note the number of firms that have multiple clients running in the same race. NGP Software, Inc., received $33,697 from Joe Biden, $700,725 from Hillary Clinton, $69,393 from John Edwards, $97,039 from Barack Obama, and $24,100 from Bill Richardson. Among the five candidates who seem to always rank in the top 5 in public opinion polls, NGP has earned $924,954. Nice work if you can get it.
Now this is not to suggest that there is a conflict of interest. It is not uncommon (pardon the double negative) for a firm ? particularly a niche firm ? to have more than one client in the same race. I just found it interesting that the big 3, HRC, Obama, and Edwards were all using the same software firm, and the huge amount that Hillary has already paid them as opposed to the others. A cursory glance showed no shared consultants among the GOPers.
Among staffers, I was happy to see that two college classmates had signed on with Obama and Edwards. Both candidates are lucky to have them as they are both talented guys. I look forward to them eventually winding up with my candidate once she wins the nomination.
Here are the numbers, courtesy of Hotline On Call:
Joe Biden Firms ($64,076 total): NGP Software, Inc. ($33,697), GetActive Software Inc. ($12,945), Advocacy Inc. ($9,965), Articulated Man Inc. ($7,469).Staff ($50,137 total): Eric Carbone, Joel Meister, Timothy Westmyer.Minimum total spent on internet-related expenditures: $114,213.
Hillary Clinton Firms ($1,207,730 total): NGP Software, Inc ($700,725), Mayfield Strategies ($507,005).Staff ($178,400 total): Jesse Berney, Peter Daou, Nancy Eiring, Sarah Foy*, Recardo Gibson*, Jess O’Connell*, Crystal Patterson, Kevin Thurman. Minimum total: $1,386,130.
Chris Dodd Firms ($4,384 total): Wired for Change ($2,800), Pair Networks ($1,584).Staff ($65,529 total): Tim Cullen, Matt Browner-Hamlin, Erik Moe, Tim Tagaris.Minimum total: $69,913.
John Edwards Firms ($312,607 total): Plus Three, LP ($167,214), NGP Software, Inc. ($69,393), Matthew Gross Communications ($45,000), Advocacy Inc ($18,600), Care2.com Inc ($10,000), Advomatic LLC ($2,400).Staff ($135,398 total): Ryan Alexander**, Ben Brandzel, Amanda Marcotte**, Melissa McEwan **, Aaron Myers, Amy Rubin, Tracy Russo, George Stern. Other: Auburn Quad ($40,130).Minimum total: $448,005.
Dennis Kucinich Staff ($138,375 total): Michael Criscione, Chad Ely, Karen Kilroy.Other internet-related expenses ($679): ActBlue.Minimum total: $139,054.
Barack Obama Firms ($223,802 total): NGP Software, Inc. ($97,039), Brightcove ($67,168), Blue State Digital ($59,595).Staff ($155,767 total): Scott Goodstein, Sam Graham-Felson, Chris Hughes, Jon Jones, Chris Northcross, Josh Orton, Luke Peterson, Udai Rohhegi, Joe Rospars, Jessica Slider.Other internet-related expenses ($105,831 total): Auburn Quad ($61,608), Google Adwords ($23,229), Hitwise ($13,000), Webster Strategies ($7,994). Minimum total: $485,400.
Bill Richardson Firms ($135,848 total): Articulated Man ($36,455), Blue State Digital ($26,230), Rock Coast Media ($25,000), NGP Software, Inc. ($24,100), Care2.com Inc ($17,500), Anne Lewis Strategies LLC ($6,563).Staff ($28,368 total): Joaquin Guerra, Andrea Johnson, Seth Tanner.Other internet-related expenses: Auburn Quad ($10,467). Minimum total: $164,216.
Sam Brownback Firms ($119,627 total): ElectionEdge US ($72,000), Aristotle International ($47,627).Staff ($5,500 total): Leon Wolf. Minimum total: $125,127.
Rudy Giuliani Firms ($741,727): Opera New Media LLCStaff ($40,478): Kathryn Harbath, Ted Jarrett, Patrick Ruffini**.Minimum total: $782,205.
Mike Huckabee Firms ($34,314): LCM Strategies ($20,488), GSL Solutions, Inc (13,826)**, Staff ($3,615 total): Vincent Harris, Zach Taylor.Minimum total: $37,929.
Duncan Hunter Firms ($70,231 total): ElectionMall Technologies ($34,983), TCV Media ($26,500), Aristotle Intl ($8,748).Staff ($2,841 total): John Hawkins, Sam Hunter.Minimum total: $73,072.
John McCain Firms ($456,529 total): 3EDC ($339,940), Campaign Solutions ($86,589), New Media Strategics ($30,000).Staff ($38,844 total): Christian Ferry. Other: EDonation.com ($151,228). McCain’s campaign also reported a debt of $721,066 to 3EDC. Minimum total: $646,601
Ron Paul Firms ($53,434 total): Bill Dumas Productions ($50,284), Terra Eclipse Media Design ($3,150).Staff ($14,688 total): Justine Lam.Minimum total: $68,122.
Mitt Romney Firms ($1,305,019 total): Molecular ($803,523), Salesforce.com ($345,268), MediaForge ($109,000), Diginovations ($47,228)Staff ($98,055 total): Abby Brack, Gary Coby, Mindy Finn, Andrew Goodrich, Larry Simmons, Stephen Smith. Minimum total: $1,403,074.
Tom Tancredo Firms ($71,119): Aristotle International Inc ($70,219), Six Apart ($900).Staff ($2,974): Mike Tate. Minimum total: $74,093.
Tommy Thompson Firms ($22,466 total): Maelstrom Solutions ($14,466), Aristotle Inc ($8,000). Minimum total: $22,466.
Cross posted at: http://mattomalley.b…
