Comments for Obama vs McCain Website Smackdown

Obama vs McCain Website Smackdown

2008-06-06T05:01:18Z

This week Barack Obama won the Democrat nomination for US President, pitting him against Republican candidate John McCain. At the same time both candidates have ramped up their web efforts, with Obama's camp calling for web developers to "Write Software, Change Washington" and McCain's camp launching a new-look website. In this post we check out the latest web developments in the race to become the next US President.

]]> The Obama campaign is currently looking for "exceptionally talented web developers" to take their web presence to the next level. The job requirements show that we can expect some rapid innovation in using the Web to win an election:

"This six-month opportunity will allow you to:

Create software tools which will enable an unprecedented nationwide voter contact and mobilization effort

Help build and run the largest online, grassroots fundraising operation in the history of American politics

Introduce cutting-edge social networking and online organizing to the democratic process by empowering everyday people to participate on My.BarackObama"

Meanwhile John McCain's campaign has beefed up its own web presence. The Huffington Post recently reported that McCain's new website is now very similar to Obama's. The HuffPost's Sam Stein noted McCain's new "Obama-like slogan, and an image that seems uncannily similar to Obama's trademark campaign logo".

The Vanity Fair blog did a good analysis of the two websites. According to web entrepreneur and design expert Doug Jaeger, Obama has "the best design, in terms of typography, color, and website architecture." He also notes that "Obama has by far the most links under what he calls "Obama Everywhere." Links to Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Blackplanet, FaithBase, Digg, Twitter--he's doing it all. He's more Web 2.0 than some of the people I hang out with."

Barack Obama's official website

I agree that Obama's website is a tour de force of web magic, with seemingly every social networking base covered. I was also impressed at how the first page you're confronted with on Obama's site is a donation form! It's not done in an 'in your face' style either, there is a 'skip this page' link very clearly marked at the top of the page if you don't wish to donate.

McCain's new site is impressive too. Donations, calls to get involved, and social networking are features to the fore, and overall it is a clean and usable design. It does indeed seem to take inspiration from Obama's site, down to the "A leader we can believe in" motto!

John McCain's official website

In truth, both are great websites and packed full of useful features and excellent integration with 'real world' efforts - such as getting donations and spreading the word about their respective candidates.

Further ReadWriteWeb coverage of the US election relating to web tech:

Comment from Vishal Sharma on 2008-06-06

2008-06-06T14:38:00Z

One major difference in approach of putting together this sites is Technology -
Obama's Sites is built using PHP(opensource stack = freeworld, new hope & change) McCains site built on .Net framework(closed model no hope). It just shows the peoples thought process....

Comment from rick on 2008-06-06

2008-06-06T17:23:51Z

And McCain's site has a Golf Gear tab! /sigh...

Comment from Ken on 2008-06-06

2008-06-06T18:14:48Z

McCain's site is an improvement over the old one. Obama's site attempts to make him look like Christ bathed in a halo of light---terribly unrealistic. Yeah, like he's going to save the world for all of us...get real.

Comment from Nat on 2008-06-06

2008-06-07T02:27:01Z

I noticed all the time that Sen.McCain always stole the idea of Obama, whether it's website, policy and so on. He doesn't have any originality, Obama have "Change we can believe in" and McCain updated their website and put "Leader we can believe in" and stole the blend color of Obama website. I don't think he know anything about Technology..

Nat
www.workersinc.com

Comment from k.en on 2008-06-07

2008-06-07T08:55:14Z

McCain's new website is a ridiculous copy in any way!
There's nothing that catches the eye, nothing to keep me browsing through the site... I didn't see his old site but his current site is badly designed and looks as old as he is. I didn't plan to become personal on this one but couldn't resist. Sorry. A website for old men!

If I'd be in the web design team of Obama and would hear people saying McCain stole our website design I would sue them all. From a designer's view those two sites have nothing in common. Obama's fresh, clean and very well built design contra McCain's dusky, gray and unclearly structured "design" which looks like straight from a ready-to-use template set.

"A leader we can believe in" ... Seriously, believing in a thief?

Comment from Leo Klein on 2008-06-07

2008-06-08T01:14:48Z

"I was also impressed at how the first page you're confronted with on Obama's site is a donation form!"

This in fact is a common attribute of political sites -- depending on their financial needs. Sometimes the splash screen is there and sometimes it isn't.

I think Obama's site scores best on the social networking factor though it was lifted almost entirely -- at least at the beginning -- from Democrats.org.

I agree with the 'halo' effect of the graphics. What can I say? To be fair, when you're involved in a campaign, your candidate can often seem like a saint.

Somewhat more restrained was Hillary's site. In fact, I kind of liked the graphics a bit more on her site. Edwards' and even Dodd's sites were no slouch either.