For candidates, you are what you e-mail
Dante Chinni
Posted: 04.22.2008 / 8:00 AM EDT
If you are in Philadelphia, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton would appreciate it if you voted for her today, and then reported to a field office for work. Sen. Barack Obama wants to make sure you know where to vote. Sen. John McCain, who has wrapped up his party’s nomination, would just like you to buy a polo shirt.
That was the gist of the final e-mails sent out to a supporter in Philadelphia.
Patchwork Nation has created an e-mail account for a faux Philadelphian (and for all 11 of our communities) to monitor what the candidates say more quietly, away from the reporters and cameras. The messages for the voters on the final day before the primary revealed the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.
For instance, Senator Clinton’s e-mail offered our supporter a “personal” thank-you, followed by a request for help. “After you vote, I would appreciate any help you can give to help your fellow Pennsylvanians get to the polls. Visit one of our local campaign offices and we’ll get you set up,” she wrote.
This approach fit with what Patchwork Nation has heard about Clinton’s efforts in the state. Most observers seem to think she’ll win (perhaps handily), but several correspondents, including those who believe she’ll pull it out, have told us she is being outgunned in terms of organization. Senator Obama seems to have more feet and energy on the street, particularly in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, where Clinton’s volunteers are “ridiculously outnumbered,” according to one of our correspondents.
Meanwhile, the Obama campaign’s e-mail (not from him directly) to his supporter contained two things: a video showing Obama speaking to the “biggest rally ever,” “35,000” supporters at Philadelphia’s Independence Mall and a link that let voters enter their address so they could find their polling place. The message hit on Obama’s biggest perceived strength, the candidate’s oratory prowess, and his voters’ biggest potential weakness, youth and inexperience in voting. The e-mail served the dual mission of attempting to fire up his supporters and instructing them where to go. After all, loads of young voter energy isn’t worth much if these new voters show up at the wrong polling station.
The e-mail also highlighted another perceived strength for the Obama camp: using the Web as an organizational tool – or at the very least a hefty fundraising tool.
Then there’s Senator McCain’s message, which came with the subject line: “New McCain Gear Available.” The note emphasized two key elements for his campaign. First, since the vote in Pennsylvania is irrelevant to him, there was no need to appeal for votes. Second, the campaign could use money. McCain’s fundraising is far behind Clinton’s and Obama’s, which may be one reason his campaign sent out an e-mail offering a link to a site selling $25 T-shirts and $20 lawn signs all available at the McCain Store.
In fact, the McCain campaign has been on a merchandising kick lately. Less than a week ago, the campaign sent out an e-mail offering a 2008 McCain lapel pin for a contribution of $100.
Another trend worth noting: Since April 3, when we last scrutinized the campaigns’ e-mails, Obama’s campaign has sent out the most messages to our Philadelphia e-mail box. Our Philadelphia fan received 11 e-mails from the Obama campaign, including three from the candidate himself (or his digital equivalent).
Close behind was McCain’s campaign, which fired off 10 e-mails to his supporter in the City of Brotherly Love. Four of those were from McCain.
Our inbox in Philadelphia only got six messages from the Clinton campaign – only one sent Monday was from Clinton.
