Candidates Flock To MySpace, YouTube

Campaigns Turn To Social-Networking, Video-Sharing Sites To Appeal To Youth

(AP)  Although California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign has turned to YouTube to circulate critical information on Angelides, his MySpace profiles are all unauthorized, some even unflattering — Adolf Hitler is a friend at one. (MySpace will remove fake profiles after receiving complaints, but not all candidates bother, and some parodies are protected.)

Russ Kelly, spokesman for GOP gubernatorial candidate John Binkley in Alaska, questions how these efforts will translate into votes. He recalled how Democrat Howard Dean had embraced cutting-edge Internet tools during the 2004 presidential race, but "couldn't even get out of the primary."

Time spent on MySpace could divert resources, said Leonardo Alcivar, spokesman for Republican Lynn Swann's campaign for Pennsylvania governor. But Alcivar said the campaign wouldn't want to drive voters to an opponent simply for lack of a profile, so it will probably set one up this fall when students return to college.

And although congressional candidate Vernon Robinson got a flood of donations after an old TV ad began appearing on YouTube and elsewhere, the North Carolina Republican still plans to buy television time to reach actual voters. Sites like YouTube, he said, may be better at reaching a national audience.

MySpace, which says about 80 percent of its registered users are of voting age, is considering creating a section just for politicians and social activists.

Facebook Inc., where some college students have already set up unofficial campaign profiles, plans to offer reduced advertising rates for candidates and advocacy groups this fall, likely letting campaigns create mini-profiles.

Friendster Inc., where Democrat John Kerry had a profile in 2004, is lifting its 1,000-friends cap to accommodate campaigns and other groups.

YouTube Inc. has no specific political plans, but campaigns and critics alike have been using it to circulate television ads, parodies and clips of events.

Visitors to these sites can easily send friends links to a video or profile page they like — with the campaign doing very little or no work.

"The best recommendation we can get is word of mouth, from one friend or family member to another," said Isaac Baker, spokesman for Ohio Democrat Ted Strickland, whose gubernatorial campaign has profiles on MySpace, Facebook and Friendster.

These sites do carry some risks, however.

In South Carolina, GOP Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer's MySpace profile featured friends who had submitted scantily clad photos of themselves for display. The photos disappeared after local news outlets called attention to it.

Candidates also risk embarrassment should their friends advocate a position — bigotry or a stance on abortion, for instance — with which the candidate disagrees.

At many campaigns, volunteers got MySpace profiles or YouTube accounts started, generally unbeknown to the candidate. Some campaigns, fearing an inability to deliver a unified message and lacking staff to monitor such sites, reacted by seeking their removal.

But there can be a payoff when done right.

Jeff Mascott, managing director with the consultancy Rightclick Strategies, said that unlike campaign Web sites and blogs, both of which remain important but draw individuals already interested in politics, "you reach a wider group who may not necessarily come to you."