bytes and ballots

I recently had a chance to read this interesting new book, "Applebee's America", by Douglas B. Sosnik, Matthew J. Dowd and Ron Fournier. The book uses the recent reelection campaigns of both Bush and Clinton, as well as looks inside megachurches and the restaurant chain Appleee's, to explore new ways that organizations are attracting voters/members/dollars, in a world that is rapidly changing.

There is a lot in the book about the Bush and Clinton reelection campaigns, and a lot of discussion of how campaigns are now using technology to connect to voters. In particular, they focus on two "myths": first, that technology is making for a more disconnected America; second, that the easy availability of information is forcing fewer voters to turn to others for information. The authors assert that both myths are false, and argue that Americans are using technology increasingly to build social and political connections, and that information technologies are leading voters to increasingly turn to reliable individuals (called "Navigators") to help alleviate information overload.

It's an interesting book, and an easy read. Not a lot of analytic content here, but for those interested in political networks, and how campaigns are rethinking the use of information technologies, it is a worthwhile read. And by the way, the book contained one of the most accessible discussions of "microtargeting" that I've read!