*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** A clip from: http://slate.msn.com/netelection/entries/00-07-26_87040.asp georgewbush.com: A Review By Chris Suellentrop Wednesday, July 26, 2000, at 12:30 p.m. PT After raising—and spending—huge amounts of venture capital, struggling through a shaky IPO (initial primary offering), and surviving the inevitable dot-pol shakedown, the George W. Bush campaign last week unveiled its new Web site, the killer app it hopes will choke off algore2000.com's air supply. Here's a review. Interactivity When you first log on to the new Bush site, a pop-up window featuring "this week's ACTION items" greets you. This is a step beyond the usual pitch for campaign funds that greets users at most campaign sites. "Donate " is still an option, but users are invited to get involved in other ways as well, such as by taking part in a "Nationwide Literature Drop Off ." Here you can print out a piece of campaign literature (this week's is a poster advertising the site itself) and distribute it to friends and neighbors. Other options invite you to send a letter to the editor or to participate in a trivia contest (today's prize: a Bush cap!). The site argues that the literature drop-off and "Send a Letter to Your Editor" options are "easy as 1, 2, 3," but they're actually fairly time- and labor-intensive (Step 2: "Write your own letter to the editor"). They ask you to move from the online world into the offline one—an unlikely proposition for the average user. More intriguing are the opportunities for online activism presented by the site. These provide quick and easy ways for supporters to spread the Bush message. Who needs yard signs when you can download Bush logos for your Web site, wallpaper for your desktop, or a screen saver for your monitor? You can participate in an online chat with a campaign official (today's was with campaign chairman Donald Evans ), send e- mail to a friend, or send a Bush e-card . If that isn't enough, the true Bush devotee can visit Bush's online store , which sells everything from Bush baby bibs to a Bush director's chair to Bush bottled water ("Prepare to experience a watershed moment in American history"). --- End of clip --- ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. Clift - W: http://www.publicus.net Minneapolis - - - E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minnesota - - - - - T: +1.612.822.8667 USA - - - - - - - ICQ: 13789183 *** Please send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To unsubscribe instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please forward this post to others and encourage *** *** them to subscribe to the free DO-WIRE service. ***
