Home
Recent Uses
'96 and '98 Elections
Fundraising and Volunteers
Fundraising and Volunteers
FundraisingThe Internet was not used extensively for fundraising in the 1996 campaign. Dole amassed less than $100,000 in Internet contributions, but even that modest amount (by campaign standards) was far better that the amount raised by the Clinton campaign (Friendly, 1998). 1 By 1998, candidates saw the potential for raising campaign funds on the Internet. Senate, House, gubernatorial candidates, and the National Congressional Committee began accepting contributions via secure credit card connections. California Senator Barbara Boxer, who was running for reelection, incorporated an online store as an innovative way to raise money. On her site, Boxer offered the opportunity to buy "your feisty Boxer T-shirt [$10], your classic Boxer shorts [$15], and . . . [a] bumper strip [for] your car [$10] (Johnson, 1999). 2
Volunteer Recruitment
One of the first effective uses of the Internet as a tool to recruit volunteers came during the 1996 presidential primaries. Republican candidate Patrick Buchanan recruited volunteers for his "Buchanan Brigade" on his campaign site, and on conservative radio talk shows. Additionally, Massachusetts Democratic Senator John Kerry effectively used the Internet as a recruiting tool (Rash, 1997). 3 By 1998, it was commonplace for campaign Internet sites to include a page on how and when to volunteer (Johnson, 1999). 4
| |
| Home | Recent Uses | Advantages | 2000 Election | References | Additional Links | |
 | |
| Contact the author (Stephen DuBose) Created On November 29, 2001 © Copyright 2001 Stephen DuBose | |