With big names like George Allen and Tim Kaine in the race for Virginia’s open U.S. Senate seat, the rest of the field has flown largely under the radar.
But in the information age, those candidates have more outlets to connect with voters even if they don’t have the money to advertise on TV and radio. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flicker are now a staple of most campaigns to help build name recognition and rally grassroots support.
Tim Donner, one of George Allen’s likely opponents in the Republican primary, has actively utilized social networks to get his message out. And he had strong words Thursday on Facebook for the protests on Wall Street that have spread to major cities throughout the U.S., going so far as to call the participants “putrid.”
David McCormick, another Republican in the race, used Twitter to comment on the protests throughout the week. On Tuesday he said: “1.Do any of U have real jobs? 2.Can U leave& return without permission? 3. Arrest bonuses?” and followed that up Tnursday with: “1.ur timing is off,Tarp was 3 yrs ago 2.socialism fails miserably-look Europe&Obama policies.”
Jamie Radtke, a Tea Party leader and perhaps Allen’s best known challenger, was more subtle on the topic when she Tweeted on Sunday: “#itbugsmewhen liberal protests are considered noble and conservative protests are considered radical.”
Kaine and Allen have ignored the anti-Wall Street movement, at least on social networks.
