There are term limits for US presidents -- they can only serve a maximum of two terms, or eight years. But their campaign websites can live forever on the Internet, and even presidential candidates who weren't elected can have their campaign promises immortalized online. Take the 1996 campaign of Republican candidates Bob Dole and Jack Kemp. Their campaign website is still active, two decades after they lost to the Democratic ticket of Bill Clinton and Al Gore.
Who is keeping these aging campaign websites on life support? They're part of the educational site 4president.org, which has archived media memorabilia dating back to the 1960 presidential election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. The site includes general campaign information from each election, a Twitter feed, and a sampling of television ads. Prior to the 1996 election, presidential campaigns had no online presence.
Presidential politics, 1996 style:
- On his 1996 website, Bob Dole extolled the possibilities of interactive media to allow "American citizens to express their ideas, enhance individual liberty, and create and engage in electronic commerce."
- The Bill Clinton/Al Gore site is a bit more sophisticated, with more links and even some primitive audio.
- The Internet's role in presidential elections continues to expand. In 2012, candidates effectively used social media to communicate directly with voters, discuss their political views, ask for campaign donations, and rally support.