The Albert Glickman Family Library at the University of Southern Maine and several staff members at USM sponsored a panel lecture and discussion titled, “Did the Internet Influence the Election?” The panel spoke on the seventh floor of the library on Tuesday, November 9, at 7 p.m. Richard Maiman, professor and chair of the Political Science Department at USM moderated the discussion. Among the panel were USM professors Leonard Schedletsky from communication, Robert Klotz from political science, and Jerome Armstrong who is an internet consultant for political campaigns and the founder of www.MYDD.com, a political blog geared towards Democrats.
Armstrong served as the Internet advisor for Howard Dean’s political campaign. He believed the Internet played a key role in linking supporters of any party together. He stated, “If this is an election about mobilizing the base, the internet is pretty good at that,” and later added, “I don’t believe the internet influenced the outcome between Bush and Kerry; it wasn’t used to influence the outcome,” he said, insisting the internet was used to mobilize a base of voters instead.
USM’s Professor of Communication Leonard Schedletsky, offered a less generous credence to the Internet’s influence. “I’m sort of the guy who’s gonna fold his arms and say, prove it to me,” stated Schedletsky. Schedletsky mentioned he does not deny the “tremendous” impact of the Internet in politics, but urged the attendees to consider the evidence and be cautious. Schedletsky warned of an “echo chamber” on the Internet. People agree on issues inside an echo chamber-which can be an illusion. “You can also be in an illusion that it’s more powerful than it really is,” Schedletsky pointed out. “I’m wondering,” he asserted, “Had Kerry won, would there have been a claim put out much more strongly that, yes indeed, the Internet did it? There’s no question. The fact that Bush won should make everybody be a little more cautious about the influence of the Internet.”
Robert Klotz offered his perspective as a political scientist.
“The Internet led us to talk about certain things, hence I see more of an effect than he [Schedletksy] might,” Klotz told the audience. “I do see a significant agenda setting affect and also reaching into the voting.”
Richard Maiman, moderating, concluded the discussion by asking the panel members what they might foresee as “untapped [internet] potential” for the next election.
Armstrong said “one of the things that’s going to happen is, people are going to learn how to use e-mail effectively and begin to integrate that effectively into the campaign.” He expects that online efforts will begin, “Probably by March or April, we will see organizing for presidential candidates on the Internet, probably not by the campaigns themselves. The earlier you can get started on the Internet, the better you are.”