2/21/2008 -
Liberty Concepts featured in Boston Herald
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2/12/2008 - Liberty Campaign site featured on NBC stations across North Carolina
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Liberty Concepts takes politics to web.
By Christine McConville
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
©Boston Herald
The Internet has come a long way since Jonathan Karush launched his Web-based political consulting firm seven years ago, while still an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Back then, the biggest competition was a friend of the candidates who knew how to build a Web page,” he said.
These days, political candidates spend heavily to establish cutting-edge online profiles, while their supporters, and critics, gleefully post videos of the candidates.
And while the Internet can be a valuable fund-raising tool, no one knows if the bikini-clad Obama Girl and Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, who both sang their candidates’ praises then posted them on the Internet, will matter on Election Day.
“That’s the big question,” said Karush, 28, from his Allston office.
His company, Liberty Concepts, creates Web sites and campaign-enhancing software for Democratic candidates, as well as a handful of other clients.
It is an increasingly big business.
Karush estimates that the average challenger for a U.S. Senate seat will spend between $2 million and $14 million on the quest, and with each election cycle, more of that money gets spent on the Internet.
“The largest goals are to raise money and recruit volunteers,” Karush said. “And you also want to collect e-mail addresses so you can go back to people later.”
In his opinion, YouTube and the political videos it has fostered hurt the candidates more than they help them.
“The best examples are former presidential hopeful John Edward’s ‘I Feel Pretty’ video, and the macaca video,” Karush said.
Both Edwards and now-disgraced Sen. George Allen, whose racial slur was captured on video and circulated on the Internet, suffered from the fallout, he said.
“YouTube works best for a slur campaign,” he said. “It hurts you more than it helps you.”
But John Gallaugher, an associate professor of information systems at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, said positive things have been happening online. He credited the Internet, and its popular social networking sites, with helping young people feel more empowered in the political process.
“The ’Net is a great way to get the message out, and this year, it’s more user-friendly,” he said. “It’s become second nature to refer to these places first.”
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1074968
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2/12/2008 - Liberty Campaign site featured on NBC stations across North Carolina
In a recent profile of campaign web sites and the role of the Internet in the upcoming elections, NBC 17 in North Carolina featured the campaign web site of Lt. Governor Bev Perdue, who is campaigning to become the next Governor of North Carolina. NBC also featured BevPerdue.com, where a local Internet expert described the site as on par with the Presidentials.
Liberty constructed the web site for Perdue in late 2007. The site, BevPerdue.com, features some of Liberty’s newest design schemes and software systems. In the heated Democratic primary, Liberty has been instrumental in helping the Perdue campaign stay on message.
“We are gratified to see our web sites receiving strong press, and helping our campaigns reach their goals,” says Jonathan Karush, President of Liberty Concepts.
Footage of the web site feature can be seen at:
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