You can be a contender

Computerworld - Republican presidential contender George W. Bush uses it. So did Bill Bradley. Al Gore's campaign started using it right after announcing the selection of Joseph Lieberman as Gore's vice presidential running mate. They're all using the Internet, combined with powerful, easy to-use software, to go after voters, dollars and volunteers. And it's changing the way campaigns are run.
"The Internet and computing power have turned the PC from a numbers cruncher into a communications tool," says Jim Ross, director of public affairs and political campaigns at Solem & Associates, a campaign consultancy in San Francisco.
This year's presidential election is proving the formidable capabilities of the Internet to raise cash. Former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), for example, pulled in more than $1 million within 48 hours via the Internet from contributors who were galvanized by his landslide victory in the New Hampshire primary earlier this year.
"About 15 years ago, nobody knew how to work with voter files and do the numbers. But now in California, there are three or four people and two or three consultants who can help campaigns manipulate these databases," says Ross. "If you are going to run for office, you have to work with data vendors. If not, you will lose."
The databases consist of voter records crossed with real estate records as well as other databases, which could include everything from motor vehicle registrations to phone book entries. And now you can add an Internet component: your e-mail address and location.
All this emphasis on targeting the right voter stems from what Ross describes as the fragmented nature of those who vote.
"The campaign is getting more and more scientific as candidates try and find who they need to talk to in order to win," he says.
A Big Boost
In addition to more computer firepower to target voters, raising money online received a boost from the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Last year, the FEC accepted the Bradley campaign's request to recognize for federal matching funds contributions to political campaigns made by credit card.
One firm with a history of helping run campaigns is Washington-based Aristotle International. The company - whose clients include Bush, 45 senators and more than 200 members of the U.S. House of Representatives - recently signed a contract with Mountain View, Calif.-based VeriSign under which VeriSign and its customers will be able to authenticate the age or identity of their Web site users against Aristotle's database of voters. Aristotle, in turn, could use that information to target banner