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Campaign websites: believe them or not
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Image from website of candidate Ann Keighran.
In this time of local elections, it’s always interesting to see how candidates are using websites to further their cause. In an examination of only the city council races in San Mateo County, CA more than half the candidates have sites.
In viewing the sites available, voters are confronted with a wide range of styles and approaches in today’s web-savvy world. Most follow the basic template with pages stating issues, candidate bio, endorsements and how to contact them. Virtually all include a “button” to donate, which often directs them to a Pay Pal site as the payment technology of choice.
A number of candidates have Twitter or Facebook links which is a new development over what we saw two years ago. Many are also including video clips now as well, which can be a powerful way to reach voters. Fred Hansson in San Mateo even has a place where visitors can download and print campaign signs for display, a nice way to use the technology and increase visibility.
There are also the requisite photo shots, designed to appeal to every conceivable voter. Ann Keighran in Burlingame has a prominent photo with Santa Claus. How can you feel negative about someone who pals around with Saint Nick? Not to be outdone, George Muteff (Half Moon Bay) can be found with his arm around Kermit The Frog, although one wonders how many four year olds will make their way to the ballot box in November.
Some of the candidates have bizarre design elements in their sites which make you wonder what they were thinking. In an age where face and familiarity are everything to voters, why does Linda Haskin (candidate in Foster City) only have only one photo so small it could double as a postage stamp? Meanwhile, Charles Hoelzel, who’s running in Half Moon Bay, seems to have hit on a new fundraising approach - Google ads on every page. If we vote for Charles do we get that discount at Ray’s Roofing or Yellow Cab?
Then there’s Dan Handler , a candidate in Half Moon Bay, whose front page banner graphic features calm moving water in a peaceful coastal setting and a listed endorsement from Lemony Snicket. Even in the political web world, there’s always room for Zen and whimsy.
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