John McCain Is Way Behind Online

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The site also has links to other relatively new interactive RNC sites such as CanWeAsk.com, which encourages users to submit pointed questions to Obama, such as "Why did he tell donors in San Francisco that the economy has driven small town voters to 'cling' to guns and religion?"

Republican Party officials insist they're not late to social Web tools. The official party site, GOP.com, has had an attached social network for six years, says Cyrus Krohn, the RNC's e-campaign director. The site was recently redesigned to highlight social Web functions. "We've been doing a lot of work over the past year understanding how users are interacting with our tools and moving users from online to offline," says Krohn.

Despite such efforts, many in the Republican Party say the RNC, and McCain's campaign in particular, must do more. There is still a widespread perception that McCain and the Republicans don't get the Web, say several young party members interviewed at the Personal Democracy Forum (PDF), a conference concerning the Internet's role in politics, held in New York on June 23-24. McCain's lack of showing on the major social networks and other sites where young voters hang out makes him look out of touch with that demographic, they say, particularly when compared with Obama. That perception keeps McCain from receiving wide support from tech-savvy individuals who could build tools to help his campaign, not to mention cough up much needed cash.

Online Urgency

The view of McCain as ignorant of new Web tools was reinforced during a PDF panel where McCain's personal computer use was discussed. Tracy Russo, the former deputy director of online communication for John Edwards' campaign, criticized McCain for saying in a widely publicized interview with politics blog Politico that he doesn't use a Mac or PC. "I am an illiterate that has to rely on my wife for all of the assistance that I can get," McCain said, referring to his lack of computing knowledge. McCain's deputy e-campaign director, Mark SooHoo, responded that McCain was "aware that there is an Internet," and understands its impact, even though he doesn't use such new Web tools.

Understanding isn't enough, however. McCain's team has to build better tools to help supporters spread the word about him. All says he is looking for the Republican Party to get more involved with text messaging, Wikipedia, and other activities that could increase the e-mail list for McCain. "It is time for the Republicans to catch up online," says All.

Holahan is a writer for BusinessWeek.com in New York.