The Kucinich Campaign Stumbles Into Second Life
It’s hard to say anything bad about Dennis Kucinich. It has been scientifically proven that he’s the one presidential candidate that Americans agree with on nearly every major issue. And then there’s his wife, Elizabeth. If he’s good enough for her, he’s good enough for America. Still, I have my doubts about where the Kucinich campaign is headed with its recent move into Second Life.
Kucinich is the second presidential candidate to officially authorize a campaign presence in the virtual world (behind Mike Gravel who has been here for almost six months). Somehow the title “Second Presidential Candidate in Second Life” doesn’t have much of a ring to it. When you’re running well behind the rest of the pack in real life, second place in the Metaverse doesn’t count for much.
I probably wouldn’t be so harsh on the Kucinich campaign if it appeared that there was a method to their madness. Unfortunately, after several visits to their new Second Life location, I’m almost certain there is no plan.
While I’ve said that second and third tier presidential candidates need to be more aggressive in their use of new media, I’m starting to think that Second Life may be the exception to this rule.
When Newt Gingrich strolled up to the podium on the steps of the virtual Capital Hill last week, it was almost like any other Washington photo-op. The differences were subtle, but noticeable to the trained eye: Gingrich looked to be a good 30 pounds lighter, the protesters were levitating fifty feet above the ground, and the audience was just a slight bit furrier than typical beltway insiders. 
I’ve been to more conferences than I can remember and this is the first time I’ve ever arrived at one without either jet lag or a hangover. The problem with virtual conferences is that the open bars just don’t compare to real life. The technology is improving rapidly, but I suspect this problem will persist for decades to come.
As political scandals go, this was an odd one. 
I always think of Japan as a technological utopia — a world of super-cool robots and ultra-high-tech gadgets. There are over 85 million Japanese citizens on the net, and Japan’s mobile phones make the iPhone look like a cheap toy. Given the fact that Japan has one of the most wired populations in the world, you would expect that its politicians would be using the latest technology to connect with voters. But that isn’t the case. In fact, it’s actually against the law for Japanese politicians to use the Internet to campaign. 
There was a time, not so long ago, when money was the only ingredient any candidate or political group needed to disseminate a political message to the masses. Billions of dollars have been spent producing and distributing political advertisements. To this day pundits and analysts gauge a candidate’s prospects for competing in an election by the amount of money that candidate can raise in order to buy media time. 
Anywhere but Second Life the sight of a Japanese Zero zipping around the skies on Memorial Day weekend might just start a riot. Not here though. In this surreal world a vintage fighter plane from the wrong side of the tracks isn’t likely to raise an eyebrow. 
It’s no secret that social media will have a huge impact on the 2008 US presidential race. The leading candidates are already using every social networking tool at their disposal to reach as many voters as possible. You can be 
I was flying 600 meters above a region called Janni when my submarine suddenly burst into flames. I’d taken to the sky because the area around my previously remote water compound has been invaded by an army of Brazilians and a small band of nudist Wiccans. Somehow they’ve managed to completely block all water routes. Fortunately my submarine flies. Or it used to anyway. 
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