The Web on the Candidates

• As reported by James Kotecki, Wesley Clark has started to produce videos for his website, stopIranWar.com. While Kotecki is upset that Clark isn't mentioning Kotecki's name responding directly to voters, it's an encouraging step and a sign that Clark may be getting closer to announcing his candidacy.
• Giuliani's video closet: PrezVid's Peter Hauck has some advice for Rudy: "Buckle Up, It's Gonna Be a Bumpy Ride." After listing the many of Rudy's less-than-conservative merits, Hauck posts two videos -- one a mayoral campaign video from 1989 showing a very family-friendly Rudy, the other a "Welcome to CPAC" video showcasing Rudy's liberal positions on social issues -- that should provide fodder for his conservative critics in weeks and months to come.
• Matthew Mosk of the Washington Post writes about the growing phenomenon of small, bundled online campaign contributions. Many candidates' sites give individuals the tools to fundraise among their peers and to contribute more to the campaign than they ever could as individuals, and usingActBlue John Edwards has raised over $1 million and Bill Richardson over $300,000 in small donations. Becky Donatelli considers this "the online version of neighborhood fundraising," and ActBlue's Ben Rahn sees a symbiosis between online fundraising and the blogosphere. According to the article, "Rahn called bloggers 'one of our most important marketing arms.' He credits the 'organic process' of blogs sending visitors to ActBlue for producing about $2.3 million in donations last year -- a healthy slice of the $19 million raised for Democratic candidates since the site's creation three years ago."

The Candidates on the Web

• Hillary Clinton has a new Hillcast up, discussing the Walter Reade scandal and better care for American troops. Is it me, or does this video seem uninspired and by-the-numbers? Maybe a little interaction with a supporter or a response to some real questions -- something suggesting a conversation -- might spice things up?
• The headline on Dennis Kucinch's site promises "Video and Photos of Dennis at Progressive Alliance Conference of Texas, March 10, 2007" but all I could find were two photos of Kucinich at a house party in San Antonio. No videos, and no particularly revealing photos. Huh?

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