From Message to Organizational Device: The internet in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Campaign

High-profile campaigns have learned how to take advantage of on line tools not only to communicate their message, but also, and more importantly, to mobilize supporters and provide incentives and opportunities for e-volunteers to become engaged in the process. Among the most significant developments in the 2004 US presidential election were strategies and tools designed to facilitate the transition from on-line to off-line engagement, thus strengthening field operations in a campaign where the ground game proved to be a crucial asset. These topics are addressed through in-depth qualitative interviews with senior aides to the e-campaigns of George W. Bush and John F. Kerry. On line political communication professionals predict that in the future the internet will become an increasingly relevant tool in campaigns and that its functions will be adopted all through the campaign organization.