"How Howard Dean’s bid gave birth to Web campaigning"

Steve Friess (Politico):

Almost every innovation now commonplace in politics — search ads, social networking, online video hubs, do-it-yourself grass-roots tools — has traceable roots to a ragtag bunch of techies whose dream candidate was a loser. (SNIP) The most visible alum is the Obama 2012 campaign’s chief digital strategist, Joe Rospars, 31, whose key innovation for Dean for America, by some accounts, was his craftsmanship in writing email fundraising solicitations, a skill clearly evidenced in the Obama team’s prolific and intensely successful email program. MORE...