mn.wired: The Political Net

Madsen Steals the Show

By David Erickson

The following is the first of a series of feature articles examining Minnesota's pioneering role in the use of the Internet for democratic participation. 

The political Internet pundits have been waiting to proclaim The Year of the Net for some time now. Phil Noble, president of PoliticsOnline, a South Carolina consulting firm, used perhaps the most pungent hyperbole in declaring Jesse Ventura the JFK of the Net. The 1960 televised debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon are widely believed to have tipped the balance in favor of Kennedy, demonstrating the then-new technology's influence over politics. 

There were believers and skeptics alike at last week's Politics Online Conference at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management in Washington D.C. The December 7 gathering featured some of the brightest lights of the wired political world. Noble was one of many debating the year's online political events.

The first panel, Will the Internet Change Politics?, set the tone for the day. Fox News anchor Brit Hume, IntellectualCapitol.com publisher Governor Pete du Pont, and Fenn King Communication's Peter Fenn spent considerable time reflecting on the significance of Ventura's Internet campaign. Peter Fenn claimed that Ventura's use of the Internet leapfrogged over everyone and will be the "example folks will cite in the next couple of years." 

Ventura was the discussion topic of choice. Jesse Ventura-dot-org was cited as evidence of this or that position: too much hype, some said; the next frontier, others replied; but no-one ignored the campaign.

Madsen's Campaign Notepad

The Rookie

The overflow crowd sat with rapt attention as Madsen told story of the jesseventura.org campaign. Using the homespun language familiar to Ventura supporters, Madsen's story evoked a certain Mr. Smith Goes to Washington sentiment. You could almost see envious thought bubbles rising from the heads of the professional political operatives in the audience: "Ah, yes...that's why I got involved in politics." 

Internet democracy pioneer Steven Clift observed that "Internet novices often are the most innovative," because they don't know any better. They approach the medium without any preconceived notions. That fits Madsen's profile. "I didn't know anything, really, about Web sites," he said, "This was my first one ever." Madsen bought a popular Web page software program, found an Internet Service Provider to host the site, and registered the domain name jesseventura.org. Total start up costs: less than $200. 

"But I did know a thing or two about political activism. And when given a choice between working behind a keyboard or going door-knocking wearing snowmobile boots, I'll take the keyboard anytime." Significantly, Jesse Ventura delegated all Internet responsibilities to Madsen. The choices Madsen made along the way demonstrated his political savvy as well as his inherent understanding of the medium.

Web Produce

The site was launched in February, 1998. According to Madsen, early in the campaign the site's visitors would see five to seven page views per visit. Page Views are individual Web page files. As election day neared, visitors saw 9 to 11 page views per visit. From February to November, the site registered approximately two million hits.

The site was designed to be a "cul-de-sac" rather than a "crossroads." Madsen wanted visitors to hang out at the site, rather than passing through. No external links, therefore, were included on the site. 

"We made the decision to put the issues up...to create dialogue," Madsen said. "But at all times it was to produce something...Something that would convert into victory." 

Jesse Net

The Humphrey campaign issued e-mail updates weekly and in a more professionally-looking format. Jesse Net, by contrast, was used sparingly for the better part of the campaign. It only swung into action as election day approached, giving the messages a sense of urgency. The list was used for fundraising, organizing the "Drive to Victory Tour" Ventura made in a mobile home across the state during the last days of the campaign, and for Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts.

While the e-mail messages were less polished than the Humphrey campaign's updates, the look was consistent with Ventura's low-budget, grassroots image. The writing style of the messages was conversational and fun. During the "Drive to Victory Tour," for example, the Ventura campaign encouraged list members to add their cars to the caravan but also warned them against drinking and driving. They'd instructed the cops to bust anyone drinking and driving. "You will likely find yourself spending the night in jail," the e-mail warned. "If that happens...see what you can do to get your arresting officer and detox cell mates to vote for Jesse on Tuesday!" 

Jesse "The Wonk" Ventura

The difference, perhaps, was one of expectations. While voters expected to see policy positions on the traditional party's candidate sites, finding them on a former pro wrestler's site was more striking. The abundance of policy positions where visitors perhaps weren't expecting them helped to brand Ventura as a substantive candidate.

Logon for Dollars

The Loan Hurdle

They used the Web site and the Jesse Net mailing list to raise the needed money. A Jesse Net message, for instance, told subscribers:

Think of how shocked the career politicians will be when they lose to Jesse Ventura and his grass-roots army of ordinary citizens! Your $2,000 short-term loan to Jesse's campaign can help make it happen!

Rumor Quashing

The virtual campaign went into action, posting a press release and a Jesse Net message clarifying the incident and providing Ventura's exact quotes. "The people let the press know what was going on and the media...did feature articles on that incident and on the misquote," Madsen said, citing it as a case where the campaign had effectively bypassed the news media to get their message out. The incident also "sparked an interesting discussion on the message board about...from a consumer point of view...what can we do to improve prostitution," Madsen said, noting the irony.

Volunteer Net

Five thousand people complete volunteer forms at Ventura's state fair booth. The campaign needed to get the forms entered into a database but didn't have the funds to pay for a data entry service. Madsen set up a private Web site with a form that corresponded exactly to the fields on the state fair volunteer forms. He then sent out an appeal for volunteers to the Jesse Net mailing list and got 70 responses. That list was narrowed to 48 people who successfully performed an administrative test. They sent out packets of 100 forms to each of these 48 volunteers, who then logged on to the private data-entry Web site and entered the information. Within days the information went from printed state fair forms to printed mailing labels affixed to packages containing bumper stickers and fundraising letters. 

Except for the copying and postage costs, the whole operation "was a freebie," Madsen said. The volunteers worked from home and the campaign didn't need to buy a computer. 

The virtual campaign infrastructure was so effective, in fact, that they didn't open an actual office until late in the campaign. "An office to us seemed more like an expense, a gathering place for weirdoes," Madsen said. The office was equipped with two phone lines, no fax, and served primarily as a sales and merchandise distribution center for the popular Retaliate in '98 T-shirts. "Then we were regretting that we didn't have one because these things [Jesse Ventura bumper stickers] were selling like hot cakes and we should have opened up a chain of offices statewide. That would have enhanced our fundraising a lot, along with our T-shirts." The campaign staff communicated through cell and land-line phones, fax, e-mail and the Web site. 

Drive To Victory

The campaign determined Jesse's pockets of support through purchased targeting data. "We didn't know anybody in these towns. The research showed that we had support out there but we had no clue, as far as who," Madsen commented. They had posted the tour route and the operations order (instructions for organizing a rally) on the Web site. The information distribution architecture of the Web site coupled with the two-way communication of phone and e-mail allowed the campaign to harness supporters along the route. 

It worked like this. An individual would typically contact the caravan by a cell phone number the campaign had publicized on the Web site and through the Jesse Net e-mail list. Madsen would tell that individual to read the operations order and call back when they were ready. When the caravan pulled into that town, there was a  guide waiting to bring them to the rally site. 

Supporters tracked the caravan's progress through the Web site, building excitement. The Web site informed supporters when the caravan was running late so that supporters knew when to expect the caravan and why they were late. 

Finally, there was the role of the "Jesse Geek Squad," as the campaign dubbed them. These were Web savvy supporters armed with digital cameras and Web development skills. They would meet the caravan at the rally, snap digital pictures, and upload them to the Web site. "Somebody could be in a town and get their picture taken with Jesse and by the time they got home, they could log on and see their picture on the Web site along with Jesse," Madsen explained.

JFK of the Net?

Ventura's Web site reflected Madsen's "rookie" status as a Webmaster: Simple, no gee-wiz bells and whistles. And that is probably why it was so effective. The technology didn't get in the way of the communication.

Madsen closed with appropriate Minnesota modesty. While some were claiming that Ventura owed his victory to the Internet, he pooh-poohed the idea. "You take away the Internet, we would have lost the election, no question about it...we're getting a lot of focus on the Internet right now, but I want you to know that there's a ton of great people out there that had nothing to do with the Web site, nothing to do with the Internet, that did more than I did to help Jesse win this thing. And it's their victory as much as it is mine."

Madsen, despite his modesty, was clearly a pioneer in the use of the Internet for political campaigning. The question that now remains is how does one use the Internet to govern? "That's very much in my mind as a Reformer and as an Internet enthusiast...How will we use the Internet to actually govern. I mean, because Jesse's the governor, we've got the ability to take giant steps forward in terms of pioneering a cyber connection with the citizens."

Madsen has some ideas about that, a glimpse of which can be seen on the Ventura Web site were they've been organizing a Class Size Task Force to help make good on Ventura's campaign pledge to lower school class sizes.

If Madsen proves as effective using the Internet to govern as he was organizing citizens to elect Ventura, watch out.

Read more about Jesse: Jesse Watch
Insider political information: MN-Spin