Barack Obama’s campaign offered fresh examples on Monday of the power of technology to transform electoral politics, unveiling plans to SMS and email supporters when he decides on his vice-presidential candidate, and to incorporate voters across the country in the proceedings at the Democratic Party’s convention in Denver at the end of the month.
”Barack Obama is about to make one of the most important decisions of this campaign: choosing a running mate,” Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, told supporters in an email. ”Barack wants you to be the first to know his choice.”
The resort to SMS and email messaging marks a departure from the usual joint appearance at the party’s convention when the presidential nominee announces a running mate. It has deepened speculation that the announcement of Obama’s vice-presidential choice could come as early as this week — even though he is on holiday with his family in Hawaii.
The experiment in text messaging was just one of a number of innovations laid out by the Obama campaign on Monday. The Democratic national committee also laid out plans to use online chats and video to include more people in the party convention.
”We have plans to include voices … from across America who have never had the opportunity to participate before,” said Kathleen Sebelius, the governor of Kansas. ”Each night of the convention will look very different than any convention we have seen in the past.”
The party is sending camera crews across the country who will seek out questions from the public that will be delivered by video at the convention.
Organisers are also setting up studios in eight cities — Atlanta; Columbus, Ohio; Detroit; Philadelphia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Denver; Tampa; and Richmond, Virginia — that will allow members of the public to record messages, or to ask questions in real time.
Sebelius also gave details of the convention’s line-up of speakers, which gives star billing to Obama’s wife, Michelle, as well as to Hillary Clinton.
Organisers have assigned a theme to each night of the convention. Michelle Obama, who will speak on the first night, will preside over the section devoted to her husband’s biography. Clinton will get her chance to star on the second night, which will focus on economic issues and healthcare.
The third night will maintain some traditions, offering the prime-time speaker’s slot to the vice-presidential candidate. But Sebelius said Obama’s running mate would share the stage with party veterans.
Obama will dominate the fourth and final night of the convention, with a speech at a 75 000-seat football stadium.
The harnessing of new technology has been a signature of the Obama campaign, which has used the internet to break all previous fundraising records and to build up a grassroots organising effort across the country.
Democrats expect to see the pay-off for those efforts in congressional races as well as in the presidential campaign, by putting more regions in contention.
Obama’s proficiency with online organising contrasts with the Republican Party’s presidential candidate, John McCain, who has admitted that he does not make much use of the internet and has aides print out his emails.
Even so, the Republicans are planning some innovations at their convention in St Paul in the first week of September, with talk of McCain officially accepting the party’s nomination in a speech on the banks of the Mississippi.
The Obama campaign has not entirely abandoned so-called old media. Obama is to release his third book early next month, containing a collection of key speeches. Much of the material has been prepared by campaign staff, although Obama reportedly wrote the foreword.
Aides say the book, Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama’s Plan to Renew America’s Promise, is meant as a political souvenir, and envisage an initial print run of 300 000. It is scheduled for release on September 9. An ebook version will be released a day earlier. —