Campaigning in Cyberspace

The Gore family has what kind of pets? If you picked horses or hamsters, you'd better try again. But don't worry, www.gore2000.com is sure even the littlest tyke on the playground will know the answer soon, thanks to their kids' town hall Web page.

Despite being the self-proclaimed father of the Internet, Gore has serious competition in the Web political campaign genre. Steve Forbes' Web site-www.Forbes2000.com-touts such resounding endorsements as this one from Rush Limbaugh, "The leading conservative...would have to be Steve Forbes, I think. Steve Forbes is doing everything right...I admire Mr. Forbes, and he's doing the right thing." With homespun wisdom like that, how can you go wrong?

Gore peddies "Goregear" ranging from money clips to stadium cups on www.goregear.com, but Forbes retaliates by taking grassroots organizing to the next step with his "e-precincts." Anyone can sign up to be a leader of one of these precincts. All you have to do is give Forbes the name, address and whereabouts of all your friends and relatives. In return you gain entrance into a secret elite privy to special campaign intelligence. Sounds a little like the Gestapo.

And, capitalizing on Americans' penchant for competition, Forbes slyly promises you the chance to, "Compete with other e-Precinct leaders for national recognition, awards and prizes." All these promises make the skeptical browser wonder-will Forbes be able to deliver 185 minutes of fame for his faceless e-minions?

All presidential candidates' Web sites have amenities such as speeches (which can be viewed on Real player), photographs and most importantly, opportunities to volunteer. Forbes has the most detailed Web site, although almost all of the material on it is repeated more than once (browsers beware: you may have read that paragraph before).

On the other end of the spectrum, www.bush2000.com hosts only a handful of speeches, past accomplishments and pictures (none of which have Gore's pics' expandable capability-check out Gore handling a gun in Vietnam, or more dangerously, Tipper at their high school prom).

Do candidates really believe that all this Internet hype will make a significant difference in their campaign, or are they just hedging their bets? While the Internet offers a place for candidates to get issues out more comprehensively than the standard media sound bite does, it is hard to imagine that e-precincts are the same as real precincts, or that a picture of a candidate can replace a firm handshake.

The clip of Forbes giving his pitch manages to look like a parody of himself, proving that maybe things would be better if we stayed away from technology altogether. He certainly would be better served by sticking to non-visual media. Maybe Rush will let him on the air.

Still, perhaps the benefits of Internet comparison shopping, so helpful for buying everything from books to plane tickets, can also help America better choose their next president.

The only loser so far in the Internet campaign war is Patrick J. Buchanan. An anti-Buchanan group dedicated to stopping his presidential bid hosts www.buchanan2000.com. Maybe, though, that just makes all the rest of us winners.