Governor race shaping up as an Internet campaign

This ain't your momma's gubernatorial campaign.

Seizing on ever-changing technology, South Carolina's gubernatorial campaigns are unleashing a cloud of new interactive approaches to make you feel connected to their candidates and gain your vote.

Last week, state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, a Camden Democrat running for governor, unveiled the Sheheen Action Network, an interactive social component to his Web site.

Based on technology used by President Barack Obama's campaign, the network lets Sheheen supporters join or start their own groups, like Teachers for Sheheen and University of South Carolina Students for Sheheen, organize their own campaign events, write blog posts, and upload photos and videos from campaign events.

"No campaign that I'm aware of in South Carolina has done anything like this that's so interactive," said Laurin Manning, Sheheen's new media director who did similar work for Obama's presidential campaign.

"You may have a person who lives four doors down from you and you don't know they're also a (Sheheen) supporter. This is a way to connect."

U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, the Westminster Republican running for governor, is taking a more visual approach.

Anyone can ask Barrett a question by posting a short video or sending an e-mail to the "Ask Gresham" section of his Web site.

Each week, Barrett answers about three questions in his own short video posts.

"He's very personable," said Wes Donehue, who oversees Barrett's new media. "He's a very likable guy, and that comes across in the videos. Video works for him."

Next week, the Barrett campaign will unveil another Web site feature allowing supporters to download scripts and phone numbers so they can phone-bank from home.

Barrett and state Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, boast the largest followings on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites among the Republican candidates for governor.

"You've got to work on it every day," said Grooms, who through the sites has developed a large, loyal following of Tea Party activists, among others. "It's just a new way of communicating."

It's also a new way of self-promotion.

When Democrat Jim Rex, the state superintendent of education who is running for governor, decided to do a recent conference call about his campaign, he promoted the event entirely on Facebook.

"You have to meet voters where they are," said Rex campaign aide Zeke Stokes. "And lots of them are on Facebook."

Rex also soon will begin a series of Twitter town hall meetings, discussing his positions on issues. Twitter users will be able to ask questions and get direct answers from Rex in real time.

Henry McMaster, the S.C. attorney general and a GOP gubernatorial candidate, is using Google ads to target S.C. voters as they peruse the Internet.

Google shows the McMaster ad to computer users that it identifies as likely South Carolinians based on key words that the user types into the search engine.

Currently, hundreds of Web sites frequented by S.C. voters display the ads.

"They range from college football Web sites to political blogs," said Rob Godfrey, McMaster's spokesman. "Our plan - and it's been very successful - has been to saturate those Web sites that S.C. voters visit often with Henry's positive message."

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, another contender for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, is dabbling in desktop broadcasting.

Soon, Bauer's supporters will be able to sign up for campaign updates on specific topics - like education and job growth. A desktop icon will flash whenever Bauer releases new information.

On several fronts, technology is turning traditional campaign notions on their ear, according to GOP strategist Donehue.

"It used to be where you only heard from candidates right at the end of elections, when they went up on TV," he said. "Now, they (voters) can hear from the candidate throughout the campaign. Plus, from a monetary standpoint, it is the cheapest way to communicate with voters ever."

But the new technology is not a political silver bullet, says state Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston, who is seeking the Democratic nomination.

The new technology is good, said Ford, adding he uses it. But it is only one small piece of running a campaign.

"I do all the shoulder rubbing and hand shaking I can," Ford said. "I get out and help people solve problems every day.

"You can't do that by Twittering or Facebook. That's good to have, but it doesn't take the place of good old-fashioned grass-roots campaigning."