Even though we are less than three months removed from the beginning of President Bush’s second term, political activists are already thinking about the presidential election of 2008. On television, C-SPAN has begun running a series it calls “Road to the White House 2008” which included a New Hampshire speech by Arizona Senator John McCain. On the internet, unofficial web sites have sprung up for a number of potential candidates from both sides of the aisle where hopeful supporters are able to organize and plan for their ideal candidate’s future.
For Republicans, sites exist aimed at generating excitement for a potential run of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. There, supporters can read her biography, make a donation, or even purchase a Condoleezza Rice bobble head doll. Elsewhere on the web, one can purchase t-shirts or bumper stickers in support of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, or a number of other potential Republican hopefuls.
Democrats have also begun to organize unofficially in the hopes of reclaiming the White House in 2008. Several sites promote the benefits of having New York Senator Hillary Clinton run as the Democratic nominee. Also available online to purchase are buttons in support of newly elected Illinois Senator Barack Obama or DNC Chairman Howard Dean.
As is true with many different types of activities and hobbies, the internet has allowed like-minded individuals located in various places to find each other, communicate, organize, and even dream collectively about their common interests. Certainly blogs, web sites, and discussion forums, will be full of rumors and predictions about which candidates will run for president over the next few years. The expansion of the length of campaigns has been going on for quite some time, and even though these sites are unofficial and not endorsed by the particular potential candidates, the internet has helped to make the process of garnering support more visible and allowed more people to become involved earlier on.
