• The New York Times, Monday, December 10, 2007 10:45 AM

In some respects, Howard Dean is the forefather of online campaigning. His 2004 campaign drew enormous buzz for its ability to draw funds and volunteers from the Web, resulting in the birth of a new discipline for political strategists. His campaign might have sputtered out in the end, but Dean's online success is a model the presidential hopefuls on both sides have tried to replicate this year.

But success has proved elusive. Each of the 2008 candidates have "failed to grasp an essential truth" of Dean's campaign: It was orchestrated by strangers. "Dean for America" was created--and it could be argued, unmade--by people whom he'd never met.

Marketers understand this. Web users demand to be part of the conversation, and if you don't afford them that right, you don't deserve their attention. Heavy-hitters like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani have either ignored or failed to acknowledge that trend. Instead of inviting conversation, the candidates are trying to control it. Instead of engaging voters in the political process, they're switching them off.

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