James Stever, head of UC's political science department, thinks John McCain's military background played a part in his surge in popularity, and Operation Desert Storm helped. Desert Storm was a wakeup call. The health issues from that time continue to percolate. McCain appeals to them as someone who offers more support and is against overdeployment, while at the same time emphasizing winning military campaigns through strength and not just keeping the peace. Margolis and Resnick are both paying close attention to the presidential campaigns.
Campaigns can save considerable communication costs, and they can use the Internet for organization.
Traditional media buys. McCain's fund-raising is showing one variation on Internet use the authors find interesting. Early on, McCain was able to attract a lot of small donors, compared with his opponents. Kim Downing, director of Research Services for the Ohio Poll and an expert in political communication, has also been watching for signs of the Internet's influence on the current presidential campaigns. Demographically, Internet users tend to be younger folks, so what they're doing is something to keep an eye on during this campaign.