August 25, 2006

Crossover Artist

Welcome back to On The Download, your almost-daily dispatch on politechs: Politics, Multimedia and the Internet. Hotline subscribers: Check out our archives.

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First, some final post-facto analysis on the news that former Dean for America Webmaster Nicco Mele has promised to work for McCain's Straight Talk America PAC. On the surface, the relationship actually makes so much sense. McCain had a strong internet presence in 2000, and he needs someone like Mele to tranlate his crossover appeal into an online social network. But as skeptics like Michael Turk, former e-campaign director for the RNC and Bush '04, say, it's likely not the best decision for either of them. "For the conservative base, it puts McCain in league with the Internet guy for the most liberal Presidential candidate since Carter," said Turk. "For Nicco, it puts him in league with a Republican who supported the war, and who, despite opinions within the GOP, is actually very conservative." To prove Turk's point, the lefty New Organizing Institute issued a press release late Thursday night saying they had removed Mele from their advisory board.

Here are some Web bytes for the weekend:

*Voto Latino is launching its first national voter regiration drive with text messaging with the help of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and actress Rosario Dawson. The nonpartisan campaign is powered by Mobile Voter's TxtVoter (see 6/28's On Call). To participate, text the key word "Represent" to the SMS code 75444 from your cell phone.

*Two new Web videos for you: Jim Webb's campaign is changing the subject with "97 Percent George!", and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has a long-winded biographical video on his Commonwealth PAC's site.

*RNC has a new webisode of its faux-news cast, Mercy Schlapp's "In the know."

*Haven't seen enough of Huckabee Rock? The Hotline has set up a YouTube account.

Posted at 11:07 AM

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Comments

Thanks for the plug! This is great!

Jennifer | 09.25.06 06:28 PM

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