Morgan Research predicted 49–51 per cent vote for the first time, reportedly spurred DIGITIZING of the two-party preferred vote for the ALP.1 on by the Florida punch card debacle of The Herald’s veteran political commentator 2000, which demonstrated to Americans DEMOCRACY Alan Ramsey proclaimed that ‘At the very that their vote could actually count. Ohio least Labor will eat into the Government’s alone had 600,000 new registrations.5 In NEW COMMUNICATIONS majority’.2 California 1.8 million were been added to TECHNOLOGY AND THE 2004 the state rolls. Many of these recruits to 6 FEDERAL ELECTION But on polling day the speculation came the rolls were under 29, and were ex- to an abrupt end. By 7.15pm, only an hour pected to boost the Democrat vote. On the and a half after polling closed, Senator other side, the Republican campaign had MANDY SALOMON Robert Ray as a commentator on the Nine targeted the Evangelical Right. The Evan- Network called a victory for the Coalition. gelical turnout (a figure of four million was By 7.25pm, Anthony Green on the ABC suggested by Allen Gregg of the polling had come to the same conclusion.3 An and research firm The Strategic Counsel)7 historic fourth term had been handed to offset the newly enrolled Democrats. Given the unstoppable jugger- the Government. In the following weeks, naut of information technology counting would confirm a two-party Could this surge in numbers of voters have preferred swing to the Government of 1.79 had anything to do with the array of new in all realms of our culture, a per cent,4 and a Liberal–National Party media and communication devices we now look at its impact in the socio- majority in the Senate. take for granted in the day-to-day running of political sphere during election our lives? The pervasive use of the Inter- time was bound to be a rich What went wrong for Labor and what went net, with its many-to-many capacity; the exercise. right for the Liberals is currently being swarming capabilities of new media in which scrutinized with the necessary bloodlet- SMS messaging and email campaigning ERE IN AUSTRALIA, computer ting in the ranks of the Opposition, with make direct contact with targeted commu- mediated information produced an an assured ‘steady as she goes’ message nities; bloggers pumping out unmediated Hactive public sphere, drove politi- coming from the Coalition. Here I take a responses to national events; websites that cal party websites, generated new ways narrow view of the election, looking not at bypass mainstream media and offer alterna- of learning about constituents, enabled the policies themselves but at the impact tive views; data mining which pinpoints online polling, changed the way television of new media on their dissemination and special interest groups – all have contributed and radio produced their programs and acknowledgment. to the way election campaigns play out in changed campaign tactics. This article advanced democratic societies. looks at some of these processes in detail. Given the election outcome, it is clear With all this information and engagement, that the Coalition had a superior handle However, increased voter turnout does not was democracy the winner? on the use of technology. An aggressive necessarily mean a deeper understanding telemarketing campaign, combined with of politics. The belief of ‘fresh start’ theo- The six-week campaign leading to the 2004 a strategy of bypassing the normal me- rists (Kapor, Negroponte, Katz) that the Federal election was widely considered dia filtering of the Canberra press gallery, Internet can thrust us all into a new realm long and tedious, especially as for months gave the Howard camp an advantage. The of enlightenment in which discourse flows before the official kick-off, Labor’s new technology itself enabled this approach, freely among politically astute citizens, leader Mark Latham was in full flight, busy with digital feeds of policy releases and was sorely tested. The liberal-pessimist making friends with the Australian elector- immediate responses being pinged across view that ‘more information doesn’t actu- ate. Voters seemed to warm to his widely the country. As well, they were assisted ally mean more understanding or greater publicized visit to Tasmania’s old growth by the powerful established media, whose wisdom’8 appears to me to be a better fit. forests. His outspoken views on parliamen- interests were better served by the return tary superannuation and judicial pensions of the Coalition, with its promise to take a Buying the message had the Government re-jigging its policy. second look at Australia’s cross-ownership He wrong-footed Prime Minister Howard media laws. This promise was reflected in It seems contradictory – on the one hand by pushing such ‘soft’ issues as pre-school the editorials urging readers to vote for the acknowledging that more people in the literacy and obesity into a parliamentary Coalition. USA were motivated to vote, and on the domain dominated by finance and defence. other, questioning that the motivation Presenting himself as an unusual mix of In considering the impact of the new came from an ‘informed citizenry’.9 The working class hero and unconventional media, it is instructive to look at recent US contradiction stems from the quality of the thinker, Latham’s popularity surged. As the elections, for there are notable parallels. citizens’ information and the persuasive- election drew near, the professional pundits On 9 October, with our election outcome ness of its impact. A community of like- – pollsters and political commentators alike decided, the US presidential campaigns minded voters can be roused to action, – predicted a photo finish. Newspoll said were in full flight with still a month to go. not by their analysis of the issues but by the outcome was too close to call. And Roy Millions of Americans were choosing to the strength of community ties that bind 102 • Metro Magazine 144 them. Their existing belief systems are reinforced, not challenged. The high-tech political campaign In what is literally a case of preaching to the converted, the Southern Baptist With technology proving to be an unstop- Convention set up a website, iVoteValues. pable juggernaut in business and govern- com, and helped the Colorado-based ment, it is hardly surprising that in 2004 Focus on the Family create a similar site, Australia’s electoral contenders should put iVoteValues.org.10 Both are Internet-based funds into online campaigning. Websites versions of an older mobilization tool, for the major parties were already well the ‘voter guides’ distributed for more established, though with varying degrees than a decade by the Washington-based of sophistication. Interactivity is incorpo- Christian Coalition of America. Tens of rated into the Greens’ website in the form thousands of registration forms previously of an online poll. The standout feature of posted out to members were in this elec- the Democrats’ site is flash movies that ad- tion downloaded from the Internet.11 dress key issues such as gay marriage and the Iraq war.19 The ALP site has a feedback In Australia, the website Defeat Howard page with a comments box. An assurance (www.defeathoward.com) sent out emails is given that comments will be passed on to its subscriber base. It published me- to ‘appropriate people and areas of the ALP dia releases and excerpts from essays Shadow Ministry’ but with the caveat that it and speeches. It sought opinion on the does ‘not have the resources to guarantee wording of a newspaper advertisement it further communication’.20 At the time of wanted to place and the funds to do so. writing, the Liberal Party has no discernable multi-media content or feedback option on Both sites tap into an existing base. De- its site. It feat Howard’s base is asylum seeker activ- FROM TOP: GABRIELLE REILLY, POLITICAL BLOGGER does have a ists brought together by its convenor Rob- number of websites AND LINGERIE ENTHUSIAST; TIM HOWARD downloads in Rothfield, a member of Labor4Refugees and kinds of mul- tab but and Jews for a Just Peace.12 timedia. Nonethe- this leads less, with the penetration of the Internet in to three meagre still images: a graphic Here in Australia, where voting is compul- Australia only marginally behind that of the Protecting, Securing, Building Australia’s sory, voters’ engagement with an elec- US, there has been a profusion of online Future, a photo of Prime Minister Howard tion is not so easily measured. However, political activity in Australia too. When with the Australian flag draped behind him, standardized software systems such as Kerry Packer asserts that ‘The Internet is and the Liberal Party logo.21 But if the site email, website navigation and hot links now a genuine mass media’,16 pointing, is perfunctory (at the time of writing), there lead to homogenous responses by Inter- as evidence, to the trend of mainstream was nothing half-hearted about the Gov- net users, regardless of where they live. brands to schedule advertising online, ernment’s commitment to new communica- we can be sure that, whether selling soap tions technology in the campaign itself. Internet usage in Australia and the US is powder or campaigning from a virtual soap comparable. The research bureau Neilsen- box, there is a massive online audience Disseminating information in a decentral- NetRatings gauged that in July 2004, 69 and they are buying. ized way via a number of unmediated per cent of the US population used the In- sources; intertwining technologies over ternet,13 and that Australia’s use in August The Internet provides us with a never-ending converging networks … No, these are 2004 was 65.5 per cent.