The Hawk

Issue date: 1/30/08 Section: Features

Barack Obama leads Democratic presidential candidates in number of Facebook Friends, with over 286,000.

In addition to his Purple Heart, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, and Distinguished Flying Cross, Arizona Senator John McCain, 71, was awarded for his service in World War II. McCain boasts 30,926 supporters on Facebook and 43,070 friends on MySpace.

For the first time since 1928, there is no incumbent President or Vice President running for election. This open election in both parties has led to a fascinating primary season which will last far past Super Tuesday. The synthesis of an open election and the revolutionary technology available to each candidate has transformed the 2008 race into the first true 'eCampaign.' More prominent than ever, blogs, online videos, and Internet campaign advertisements have filled the political spectrum.

Now, candidates are courting votes on college campuses by connecting with students via Facebook and MySpace. According to his Facebook page, McCain enjoys watching Jack Bauer save the world on "24" and a show about nothing in "Seinfeld" while not on the campaign trail. If you enjoy watching McCain speak, his Facebook and MySpace pages host more than 25 videos including campaign commercials, his latest interview on Fox News Channel, and his victory speech in South Carolina.

In an interview with the Washington Post, former Howard Dean strategist Joe Trippi was astonished by the impact Facebook was having on the current election.

"It took our campaign (in 2004) six months to get 139,000 people on an e-mail list," Trippi said. "It took one Facebook group, what, barely a month to get 200,000? That's astronomical."

While this phenomenon on the right side of the aisle plays out, college-age Democrats are drifting in the more predictable direction. Barack Obama, 46, is the youngest candidate in the field, making him more attractive to younger voters. His campaign courts votes on college campuses, interacts with supporters online, and relies heavily on the organization of student-age voters.

Hilary Clinton's campaign, however, has tried to counter the Obama movement among young voters. Crystal Patterson, the official blogger for the Clinton campaign, updates their website with excerpts from recent endorsements, videos of Senator Clinton, and transcripts of stump speeches. Even Mrs. Clinton's official announcement to run for the Oval Office came on the Internet.

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