Could a non-millionaire run for president entirely on the internet?

[Philosoraptor]

I mean afterall, here we are in the most advanced stage of our modern communications evolution as a species, and the internet is the new frontier for reaching out to people, and an alternative to the unstoppable t.v. machinery.

I'm tired of looking at the hypnosis machine and seeing a stage full of millionaires all saying the same tired shit, nothing, and dragging my ass out to vote for the least obnoxious one.

I just wish a REAL person would run for this once honorable office, someone like you and me, a non millionaire with only a modem and an idea.

[1932]

1. Only if the millionaires who own the media allowed it.

[soothsayer]

2. Of course, but he/she would be unlikely to win I reckon.

[Totally Committed]

3. Not yet, but I'd love to see the day!

TC

[TahitiNut]

4. Sure. (Winning is another thing, though.) Do you know how many candidates there are???

For just the Democratic nomination, there are 28 announced candidates ...

Laura Davis Aaron
Warren Roderick Ashe
George H. Ballard
Joseph R. Biden
Ryan Joseph Brady
Emperor Caesar
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Randolph Wilson Crow
Jack L Dietz
Christopher J. Dodd
John Reid Edwards
Philip Epstein
Richard Francis Flynn
Michael Keith Forrester
Maurice Robert Gravel
Albert Hamburg
William Charles Hughes
John Joseph Kennedy
Karl Everett Krueger
Dennis J. Kucinich
Monroe Lee
John Christopher Mason
Sherry Ann Meadows
Lee L. Mercer
Barack Hussein Obama
Bill Richardson
Barbara Ann Scaff
Scott J. Sheldon

http://www.vote-smart.org/election_president_search.php?type=party

[zalinda]

5. No, and maybe not ever

We (who visit DU) tend to forget that not everyone is on the net, and those that do visit the net, actually do just visit. Everyone who logs on goes to their own little private interest on the net, be it entertainment, how to do things, information, news, shopping, email or chatting. The VAST majority does not and probably will never go online to look up who's running for whatever. And in order to get noticed on the net, you have to run ads, kind of like the one at the top of this page, that costs money.

You want to change things, do it within the dem party. Thats exactly how the neo-cons took over the repub party, (which had been a sane party before invasion). But in order to do it, you have to come off as sane reasonable people, who have a plan to keep the dems in power. Vilifying the dem party as it is today, will not get you in the door. Set out a plan, with statistics on how IRV will help the dems, include in the plan a better way to finance elections. In short, offer a clear, well thought out solution, and you just might get noticed.

zalinda

[L. Coyote]

6. NO, not entirely. However, any candidate could better utilize the Internet.

For a "REAL person" to game the system seems rather far-fetched. Maybe a populist candidate could start by hijacking Iowa and an early primary. Even that possibility is being precluded by concentrating a lot of primaries early, making it a money game. The Internet is, perhaps, the one available end-run on that obstacle, primarily as a means for a populist to fund a run.

[M155Y_A1CH]

7. With the right exposure

"Lil Bush" ran successfully on the internet.

The major media coverage could be for free or even paid
if a phenomenon were to present itself online.

[StudentsMustUniteNow]

8. Only if you're a pornstar

Seriously guys, most sheeple don't use the internet to discuss politics.

[Robson]

9. Possible but only upon continuation of Net Neutrality

http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/2007/06/18/by-ten-to-one-public-urges-fcc-to-protect-net-neutrality/