What's In an Endorsement? An Analysis of Web-Based Marketing in the 2004 Presidential Campaign

This study examines the role of endorsements in the 2004 presidential campaign by analyzing the Web sites of candidates and endorsing organizations. Because the Web sites are controlled by the respective organizations, examining their content provides objective information about the use of endorsements by candidates and endorsing organizations. The study finds that endorsements in the 2004 presidential election had very different roles and prominence for the Democratic and Republican nominees: there were very few publicized endorsements of President Bush. Analysis of the postings by 75 organizations, 71 of which supported Senator Kerry, shows that these organizations allocated more space to their endorsements than did the candidates. The candidates' Web sites tended to publicize the endorsements of larger organizations and more generous donors. Union endorsements tended to be posted by both the candidates and the organizations, but issue group endorsements were more often found only on the endorsing organizations' sites. Similarly, endorsements by organizations focused on the economy/jobs tended to be posted on both candidate and endorsing organization sites, whereas endorsements by organizations focused on social issues tended to appear only on endorsing organization Web sites. The Kerry Web site's emphasis of endorsements from organizations concerned with homeland and national security was not reciprocated on the Web sites of the organizations themselves.