Candidate Web sites

Posted at 2:38 PM on July 12, 2007 by Bob Collins

I wrote a week or so ago about how campaign Web sites have made some elements of mainstream media (and blogger) sites less relevant than in years passed. MPR, for example, has stacked candidate news conference audio on candidate pages in previous campaign projects. But is there still a market for that since the candidates, themselves, are providing streaming material?

I guess the Pew Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism had the same feeling because it is out with a piece today on candidate Web sites.

The campaigns themselves, through their official websites, seem to be challenging the press as a destination for campaign news. Furthermore, these highly interactive sites are facilitating everything from blogging to fundraising to social networking.

However, the Center found these sites wanting, especially in the area of voter registration. It was particularly entertaining to see the most-used-words profiles. The top word on Ron Paul's bio -- "never" -- deflates the whole "can do" thing, doesn't it? And honk if the name of your candidate's spouse wasn't on the list.

While giving props to the sites for focusing on issues rather than the "horse race," it's hard not to laugh out loud when they're criticized for being self-serving. A high "doink" factor, you know.

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