Forget the placards and banners – some Syracuse-area residents are making political waves with their computers.

Two cadres of supporters of Howard Dean, former Vermont governor and Democratic presidential hopeful, will rally simultaneously tonight to discuss the candidate’s campaign. Both meetings will begin at 7 p.m., one at the May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society at 3800 E. Genesee St. and the other at Happy Endings Coffeehouse at 317 S. Clinton St. The gatherings were organized through an Internet service called Meetup.com, which allows users to get together with people who share similar interests.

The site has spurred an outpouring of grassroots support for Dean, with more than 100,000 supporters registered on the site as of Tuesday, said Myles Weissleder, Meetup.com’s vice president of communications. Dean’s aides first took notice of the site when fewer than 500 people were signed up. Both Dean’s campaign managers and also the site’s supervisors have taken a hands-off approach, allowing supporters to generate their own buzz, Weissleder said.

‘We just provide the tools, and they kind of do what they want with it,’ Weissleder said.

Even with this laissez-faire approach, Dean’s aides have had little trouble keeping the campaign’s message consistent, said Eric Schmeltzer, New York spokesman for the campaign. He applauded supporters’ efforts to hold true to Dean’s platform with little official oversight.

‘To run a campaign like this you have to trust the people, and to run a democracy you have to trust the people, too,’ Schmeltzer said.

Dean’s campaign staff has taken at least one measure of control over activities on Meetup.com, striking a deal that allows them to customize the site that its members see. For $2,500 a month, the campaign receives privileges such as the right to gather supporters’ e-mail addresses.

Dean’s success with Matchup.com may signal a widespread shift in tactics. In the early stages of the presidential race, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Dennis Kucinich of Ohio have both made similar payment arrangements with the site, following Dean’s success. This latest wave of Internet activism may be nothing more than a revival of old political tactics, said Jeffrey Stonecash, professor of political science at Syracuse University.

‘It’s really classic old politics, just through a new mechanism,’ Stonecash said.

Stonecash said that to maintain the edge afforded Dean by his burgeoning support network once the campaign heats up, the candidate will have to perform in the polls. Fund raising will also be a major factor, and Stonecash believes that Dean’s successful fund-raising track record up to this point will have little bearing on the future.

So far, Dean has been leading the field in fund raising, raising $7.6 million in the second quarter, Schmeltzer said. Those participating in leveraging support groups, such as Matchup.com users, have been a key factor in those efforts. The average contribution to Dean’s campaign is around $60, Schmeltzer said.

Ryan Colombo, senior political science and history major and president of the College Republicans, said that Dean’s small-scale fund raising may be an effort to grab the soft-money dollars that Democrats have traditionally had difficulty raising. Soft money is categorized as unregulated contributions from small donors. If he must face down President Bush in a general election, Dean will be forced to revert to accepting larger contributions from organizations such as labor unions, Colombo said.

Bush’s prowess at making soft money isn’t preventing him from getting in on the grassroots act. Colombo said the president’s campaign plans include designating ‘E-Leaders’ to organize support for Bush in communities and on college campuses. Colombo doesn’t think Bush’s incumbent position will hamper his efforts to generate a popular movement similar to Dean’s.

‘George Bush has a Midwestern appeal that will always ring well with voters,’ Colombo said.

Published on November 17, 2004 at 12:00 pm