I have been amazed at the amount of money candidates for president, particularly the democrats, have been able to raise over the internet. Dean first started the revolution in 2004, bringing in millions instantly over the web, but Barack Obama and Hillary have upped his game and are taking substantial amounts if not most of their money from internet donors. This is a great article over at the St. Louis Dispatch on the subject. The money quote...
"That response illustrated the new Internet democracy, in which people have a rapid point of entry into the presidential campaign: their computers. Campaign experts noted a dramatic change from what seems now like the dark ages of politics, when candidates got their money from dinners, mailings and telephone appeals."
This new form of online support raises some problems such as the lack of personal contact that dinners and telephone appeals may lead to. What should happen if the race one day turns to solely online campaigning, debating, and voting? The idea of balanced powers, especially balanced against the domination of the urban technological bourgeoisie, becomes a problem. Hopefully our elections will not become too virtual. However, raising campaign funds does not seem like such a harmful beginning.
I would argue that internet fundraising actually has the effect of increasing candidate access. Before internet fundraising, candidates vitality depended upon countless big dollar fundraiser dinners with small groups in the power elite. It candidates raise all their money online, they can instead focus on meeting voters and not spending all their time, wooing rich big wigs. For instance this election cycle, candidates could spend a solid month in Iowa meeting voters, and not criss-crossing around during the night to attend some millionaire banquet with 50 people in San Francisco every weekend. I know what you mean about virtualizing campaigns and such, but, for now there are enough voting electorate that are not tech savoy that require that personal touch to get their vote. But what will the future hold....