Keb
04-04-2007, 01:02 PM
(http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/)Edwards Provides Lesson in E-Campaigning 101 (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/)
When you visit the John Edwards for President (http://johnedwards.com/) Web site, you're invited to send a sympathy note to the Edwardses. And tens of thousands of well wishers have done so since that heart-wrenching news conference (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/22/AR2007032200155.html) two weeks ago at which Elizabeth Edwards courageously discussed her incurable cancer.
What those well wishers get in return -- e-mail messages soliciting contributions to Edwards's campaign.
Visitors to the Edwards site who choose to "send a note to Elizabeth and John" are first taken to a heartfelt letter from the candidate (http://johnedwards.com/news/thank-you-20070322/) that was written the day after he learned that his wife's cancer had returned. Edwards thanks readers for their "prayers and wishes," vows that he and Elizabeth will "keep a positive attitude always look for the silver lining" and declares that "our campaign goes on and it goes on strongly."
Anyone who then chooses to send a note of sympathy to the Edwardses -- and, thus, provide his or her e-mail address -- automatically becomes part of the Edwards campaign's online e-mail database, a list that is crucial to any campaign's ability to raise vast amounts of money over the Internet.
I think this quote from the rest of the article sums it up nicely.
"One Democratic operative, citing comments made by Edwards, charged, "There's a certain inconsistency to, on the one hand, going out of his way to say 'don't vote for us because of this tragedy,' but then using it to solicit funds."
When you visit the John Edwards for President (http://johnedwards.com/) Web site, you're invited to send a sympathy note to the Edwardses. And tens of thousands of well wishers have done so since that heart-wrenching news conference (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/22/AR2007032200155.html) two weeks ago at which Elizabeth Edwards courageously discussed her incurable cancer.
What those well wishers get in return -- e-mail messages soliciting contributions to Edwards's campaign.
Visitors to the Edwards site who choose to "send a note to Elizabeth and John" are first taken to a heartfelt letter from the candidate (http://johnedwards.com/news/thank-you-20070322/) that was written the day after he learned that his wife's cancer had returned. Edwards thanks readers for their "prayers and wishes," vows that he and Elizabeth will "keep a positive attitude always look for the silver lining" and declares that "our campaign goes on and it goes on strongly."
Anyone who then chooses to send a note of sympathy to the Edwardses -- and, thus, provide his or her e-mail address -- automatically becomes part of the Edwards campaign's online e-mail database, a list that is crucial to any campaign's ability to raise vast amounts of money over the Internet.
I think this quote from the rest of the article sums it up nicely.
"One Democratic operative, citing comments made by Edwards, charged, "There's a certain inconsistency to, on the one hand, going out of his way to say 'don't vote for us because of this tragedy,' but then using it to solicit funds."