Campaigning on New platforms

Since the last presidential election in 2004, campaigners have obtained a variety of new campaigning tools due to the internet and the widespread use of cell phones.

For many years young people have been overlooked by campaigners because they did not have a good way to get in touch with them. Young people typically do not have a landline phone and they change mailing addresses often, making it hard for political campaigners to target them.

Extensive email and cell phone lists have now been gathered by both the Democrats and the Republicans. This allows both parties to stay in touch with young people, who earlier were considered to be out of their reach.

And suddenly young voters become an important demographical group, whom political campaigners target intensively.

This obviously gives young people, from 18-29 years old, a voice in political questions that they have never had before. Politicians can now ask this group, in a very cost efficient manner, for their views on certain issues.

Some of the new campaigning tools that have been possible because of the internet are Facebook, interactive websites for each candidate, and extensive emailing lists.

In the ongoing presidential campaign the candidates have really stepped their game up with regards to their official websites.

“Obama’s website is the best I have ever seen in politics,” said Ethan Eilon, Executive Director of the College Republican National Committee.

Ethan Eilon was one of three panelists talking with University of Miami students about youth political involvement, yesterday at the Youth Voting Panel.

Being that young people are very much present online and that this is where much political campaigning takes place, they are now very much where it is happening.