Month: June 2020

Presidential campaigning in the 19th century was based on newspaper reporting of the various candidates speaking up on public issues, and speaking to small local crowds in the area nearby the candidate’s home.

The “Front Porch” campaign was common, as best exemplified by William McKinley in 1896.

But the same year, his opponent, young and vigorous 36 year old William Jennings Bryan, traveled by train across much of the nation, an estimated 30,000 miles to meet voters at train stations.

That was a revolutionary change in Presidential campaigning, and ever since, Presidential contenders and candidates, and even incumbent Presidents, have gone to the people to promote their cause and inspire voting.

But now, 124 years since William Jennings Bryan, and in the age of the internet and the CoronaVirus Pandemic, a new way of campaigning has developed.

Regular, every day internet events by Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden are becoming common, and President Donald Trump, of course, gets regular cable coverage, as well as on the internet.

This is a turning point, and is likely to prevail from now on, and the one advantage that stands out is the saving of energy and lowering of the exhaustion level of all candidates, by avoiding constant travel and 18 hour days of campaigning.

It is often said that campaigning for President is more arduous than being President, and it rings true, so we may have seen the last hurrah of regular, sustained, in person campaigning.

It does not mean that the President or Presidential candidates will not appear in person, but likely much less often, and this will also help to protect the President and Presidential candidates from the danger of violence and potential assassination threats.