VANDERBILT POLITICAL REVIEW
DOMESTIC
#2016 #politics
As technology changes, so does the campaign trail
A
s potential candidates gear up for
the 2016 Presidential election,
top strategists on both sides are
turning their attention to a relatively new
aspect of the process: digital campaigning. From robust voter databases to the
use of social media in various capacities
to donor emails, technology now serves
a vital role in the modern day political
campaign. For candidates of all political stripes, these aspects of the campaign
process provide the path to victory.
While both parties must adopt innovative digital strategies in order to succeed in primaries and general elections,
it is no secret that Democrats have held
the edge in these areas in the recent past.
The last time Republicans occupied the
White House, Twitter boasted fewer than
one million users and Instagram was over
two years away from launching. Now,
these social media platforms and others
like them serve critical functions in successful campaigns. Though Democrats
historically out-foxed their counterparts
in the social media game, Republicans
are making strides to close this gap.
As Darren Samuelsohn of Politico
notes, GOP candidates boosted their social media usage in the 2014 midterm
elections. One interesting example