Hillary Clinton Wants To Be Your Friend

Politicians and political strategists have come to see the Internet as a critical component of campaign strategy. Websites and blogs offer an omnipresent and relatively low-cost way for candidates to increase name recognition (especially among younger voters), ask for money, talk about the issues, and, if successful, create a groundswell of support that will put them over the top on election day. Case in point: in recent weeks, Republican Sam Brownback and Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have made the most important announcement of their careers - their decision to run for president - via webcast.

The Institute for Politics, Democracy, and the Internet at George Washington University is predicting that social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook and user-generated content sites like YouTube will be especially powerful in the 2008 presidential campaign. John Edwards announced his intention to run via YouTube and then made his official speech in New Orleans. Both Edwards and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson began their presidential campaigns with official MySpace and Facebook profiles.

Exploring a candidate’s presence on the web can reveal a lot about the politician and more than a little about his or her supporters. It can also be loads of fun. Which candidate has the most virtual friends? Who has the most pimped-out MySpace? Here, 22 months out, is your highly subjective and not at all comprehensive guide to the 2008 presidential campaign on the web.

TOM TANCREDO (R-CO)
www.teamtancredo.org

716 friends at www.myspace.com/thomasgtancredo

My Space Wallpaper: Tancredo with Clifford the Big Red Dog

About Me: “I believe I have created a national debate on immigration. It is something nobody wanted to talk about, but I have pressed the issue hard and brought it to the forefront of political discussion. It has nothing to do with race or ethnicity. Rather, it deals with culture, ecology, economics, and the true meaning of citizenship.”

Favorite Movies: The Godfather, Rio Bravo, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

TV: The History Channel, Jeopardy, 24

Books: In Mortal Danger, by Tom Tancredo; Mexifornia, by Victor Davis Hanson; Clash of Civilizations, by Samuel P. Huntington; The Bible, by God.

Representative Friends Comment: “It’s time to stand up for America and the values upon which she stands. United behind Tom Tancredo in 2008.” Comment posted by The Incomparable Coleby Mathews.

Non-representative Friends Comment: “They will come from a faraway land, from the ends of the heavens, the Lord and His weapons of anger, to devastate the land. Wail for the day of the Lord is near, it will come like shock and awe from the Almighty.” Comment posted by Prince Rob. [The quote is from Isaiah 13:4-6. It is superimposed over a picture of a Blackhawk helicopter flying over Baghdad. I checked numerous editions and did a Google search, but I never found the translation that preferred “shock and awe” to the more common “destruction.”]

Who I’d Like to Meet: “I’d like to meet people who feel it is important to speak English in the United States. Americans who feel that borders need to be more than just a speed bump on the highway. Someone to coach the Broncos into the playoffs, along with individuals who feel that global economy does not imply a global identity. And, of course, Vito Corleone.”

JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC)
www.johnedwards.com

10,408 friends at www.myspace.com/johnedwards

There for: Networking, friends

Top friend: Elizabeth Edwards

Music: Bruce Springsteen

Movies: The Shawshank Redemption

Books: The Trial of Socrates, by I.F. Stone; The Working Poor: Invisible in America, by David Shipley; Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer

Most recent Facebook Wall Post: “I believe not only your intellect will get you elected, but your charm as well. :) If the Democratic Party nominates you for their choice of presidential candidate, you have my vote. :)”

Not to be confused with:
John Edward - medium, author, host of the SciFi Channel’s Crossing Over
John Edwards - Australian cricketer (1860-1911); played three Tests for England in 1888, where he made three ducks in six innings and achieved an average of 9.60
Jonathan Edwards - fiery Calvinist preacher (1703-1758) often credited with inaugurating The Great Awakening and most famous for his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

Representative quote from Jonathan Edwards: “The wrath of God burns against [the sinners], their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow…”

JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ)
www.exploremccain.com

1,196 friends at www.myspace.com/mccainforprez2008 (unofficial)

Representative Friends Comment: “Hey, thanks for getting my brother into Annapolis. He graduated last May. THANKS A MILLION. You have my VOTE! Keep up the good work.” Comment posted by BR@NDON.

Non-representative Friends Comment: “There is a growing call for a boycott against the Pechanga Tribe of Temecula. They have dishonored their ancestors. Please hold a committee meeting about this issue.” Comment posted by Pechanga’s Paulina Hunter.

Amazon.com Sales Rankings for McCain’s books:
Character is Destiny (2005) - #12,160
Why Courage Matters (2004) - #62,622
Worth the Fighting For (2002) - #222,962
Faith of My Fathers (1999) - #40,821

John McCain’s three degrees to Kevin Bacon: John McCain was played by Shawn Hatosy in the TV movie version of Faith of My Fathers (2005). Hatosy also starred in Alpha Dogs (2007) with Justin Timberlake. Timberlake was in Southland Tales (2006) with John Larroquette. Larroquette was featured in the Director’s Cut of JFK (1991), also starring Kevin Bacon.

JOE BIDEN (D-DE)
www.joebiden.com

204 friends at www.myspace.com/bidenforpresident
695 friends at Facebook

Representative Friends Comment: “Please don’t let them get you down and hang in there…WE SO NEED YOU! BIG TIME!” Comment posted by Terrie.

Representative Friends Comment: “This smear attempt is as tacky as it is ineffective…To attempt to slam you with one unintended meaning of one word which truly holds such multiple meanings reminds me of our classroom discussions on the pitfalls of strict textualism…haha” Comment posted by (rachel).

Posted on February 5, 2007 12:00 AM