Abstract
With access to the Internet becoming a daily part of many Americans' lives, it has become critical to examine how presidential candidates are using this new tool to communicate with citizens and to what effect. This study investigated how candidates used their websites and electronic mail to communicate about issue positions and character traits and whether that communication influenced citizen perceptions of the issues and the candidates' character. It also examined the effect of the communications on decisions to vote and candidate choice. The results found that candidates were more likely to emphasize issues owned by their respective parties during the primary period than they were during the general election, when John McCain and Barack Obama showed more inclination to cross over. As for candidate characteristics, the results find some support for trait ownership theory during the primary period but no support during the general election. Little difference between Obama and McCain during the general election period was found. Perhaps most importantly, the study found some support for the hypothesis that online campaign exposure influenced the decision of whom to vote for, suggesting that the Internet provides campaigns with a new tool to mobilize partisans and depress voting by the opposing party's supporters. Implications for these findings are discussed.