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It's becoming standard practice for me to begin posts about the 2010 Mayor's race with some comment on the size of the field (it's 12 candidates large). I can't help it; it's the biggest storyline of the race so far. Candidates' platforms are just starting to be announced and there have only been a few opportunities for them to personally address the electorate. But the size of the field and the relative new-ness of the campaign are both really compelling reasons to do the one thing that can yield an early competitive edge: build a fantastic website.
I've spent some time on each of the candidates websites, and have surmised that some candidates understand how important the campaign website is (and can afford to make it really spiffy), and some don't (or can't afford it). I've picked out a few highlights and lowlights about the eight campaign websites that have launched—four candidates don't have one—and offer my take on them below, in alphabetical order. Also, if you're interested in knowing more specifics about the campaigns' websites, please check out Steve Magruder's research into which local and non-local firms designed them.
Tyler Allen (Tyler4Mayor.com)—Allen's site says right away that he's running a different sort of campaign than the other candidates. For one, he's forgone the ubiquitous fleur de lis logo; the top of his site features a cool sky blue Louisville skyline against a black background. It also features a testimonials-style page, where visitors can submit comments about the candidate. On the downside, the content is a little vague—too many abstractions and too few tangibles. Clean layout, easy navigation, nice color scheme. B+
Greg Fischer (GregFischer.com)—The first thing you see when you visit this site is an incredibly annoying intro page, called a splash, where you have the option of watching a little video, contributing money, joining the mailing list, volunteer for the campaign, or (the least prominent option) skip the intro and go to his site. It's commonplace on campaign websites now, but I don't know of anybody who likes having to go through another step to get to where he wanted to go in the first place. The site itself is nicely organized and pretty easy on the eyes. The best part is Fischer's bio—a photo gallery with paragraphs under each photo. Nice. But it pimps Fischer's endorsements a little too much, and asks for money in too many places—the message seems to be “See? These people like him, you should too.” A-
Jackie Green (JackieGreenForMayor.com)—Green's site is packed with information, but it's not very well organized and is tough to read. It does feature an interesting link to an article about bicycle helmets that is worth reading. When you navigate around it, only the content in the center of the page changes, which means there's a picture of an intense-looking Green staring at you no matter where you go. C-
Hal Heiner (HalForMayor.com)—This site is also packed with info, but the main page is a little hard to take in. Some elements of the site, like the headings and links, are disproportionately big, which produces kind of an overwhelming effect. The video introductions for each issue on the “Vision” page are a good idea, but Heiner's camera presence seems forced. The “Ask Hal” video Q&A section is unique among the other sites. Nice color scheme, well organized. A-
Jim King (JimKingForMayor.com)—The best asset of King's site is his biography—very compelling. And it has a cool shot of the Louisville skyline at the top of each page, but it's set against a cheesy background of people holding American flags that looks like it has to be a stock photo. Headings with two or more lines of text get squished together and overlap. More problematic, though, are the lack of personal touches on the site—no signature, no use of the first person. B-
David Tandy (ElectDavidTandy.com)—The site has a nice color scheme of yellow and navy blue—it's attractive, and if it worked for Jerry Abramson all those years, maybe it'll work for Tandy. A link to “The Tandy Plan” is prominently placed at the top of the site, but it's a single document that's 31 pages long. He'd have done better to break it up and incorporate it into his website. The site looks nice and doesn't commit any faux pas, but it doesn't exactly make you want to stay and look around. B
Jonathon Robertson (JRForMayor.com)—Robertson's site is brand new, and it looks like he should have taken some more time on it. The main page looks hastily thrown together, with the lone link taking you to an “About JR” page that looks even worse than the main page. Better to have no site for a while and do it right eventually than to put up an amateur effort. We're talking about Mayor of Louisville, here. D-
Chris Thieneman (ThienemanForMayor.com)—This is the most confusing site of all the candidates, because it's just a single page. It features two nice pictures of Thieneman, with bright-looking picture of downtown Louisville, and a section where you can sign up to receive e-mail updates. Oh yeah, and a link to contribute to the campaign. No bio, no positions. When you visit it, you get the feeling that there must be more to it, and that you're the one who can't figure it out. D
UPDATE
Thieneman launched a complete site on Feb. 5, and this one's navigable. The layout is clean and neatly organized. I especially like the “Thieneman TV” tab, where you can watch video of Thieneman talking about various issues, the first of which being State Senate Bill 80. The “News” page needs a lot more news; the man was talking about suing the city last summer, and the only two articles that are on this page of the site are about the entire mayoral field and about the issue of Senate Bill 80. The pictures of Thieneman on the site are pretty good—mostly of the candidate in candid shots, and a few of him gazing into the distance—except for the one on the “Issues” page, where it looks like he's staring down a frat boy. Overall, a nice looking site. B.
Shannon White (White4Mayor.com)—This site is easy to navigate, and is clutter-free. It's also a little plain. On the issues page, it links to a generic-looking blog that features White's position on ethics reform in Metro Government and the city's relationship with the Cordish Company. She should put those and the rest of her positions on the site itself. In her bio section, the “Paid for by…” small print floats up from the bottom (where it belongs) into the text itself. C
As of now, Burrel Charles Farnsley, and Lisa Moxley have not launched campaign websites.
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John LaFollette