McCain's Web Win

During the dark months of mid-2007, when McCain's finances cratered, his skeletal Web staff ran much of the show, including making television advertisements and bolstering ties to key bloggers. This is what kept him alive to clinch the crucial New Hampshire primary in January of 2008. The Web team ran most of the fundraising and organizing functions, and the sole Web videographer started making television advertisements too. "That's all there was--one guy. It was fun, in a way. We got to do new things." Among other efforts during that period, the McCain crew courted conservative bloggers, helping soften some of his harsher online critics. "We had the ability to get some buzz out there, get our people energized." But even in flush times, the scrappy McCain Web team--never more than 14 strong--was far outgunned by its Obama counterpart, though the exact size of the Obama team was not disclosed. Using Obama Web tools, supporters donated $500 million, created 35,000 volunteer groups, organized 200,000 real-world events, and formed an e-mail list 13 million strong. They also spent some 14 million hours watching campaign-related Obama videos, and used Web interfaces to help make three million calls to voters shortly before Election Day.