The Web on the Candidates

• The "wine track" vs. the "beer track": the division between upper- and working-class Democrats can be seen as "a competition between upscale 'wine track' candidates and blue-collar 'beer track' contenders," writes Ron Brownstein in the LA Times. While Hillary Clinton naturally connects with working-class voters, Barack Obama is too cerebral and aloof, and "has got to expand his base in order to be consistently competitive," says Democratic strategist Bill Carrick. It's a great piece about a long-standing Democratic problem.
• John McCain's been inviting the media along on his Straight Talk express, and while he's more accessible than any other candidate, he's also more exposed, and every utterance -- and every gaffe -- can quickly show up on the web. "I hope there's a statute of limitations on saying stupid things," he said. Two recent gaffes showed the risk involved with having the media trail your every move. In Ames, Iowa, McCain said, "One of the reasons Republicans lost the war -- excuse me, lost the election..." and in Milford, N.H., he said "My friends, we lost the war -- we lost the election, we lost the election because of spending." Both ended up on the web and on the late-night talk shows.

The Candidates on the Web

• Mitt's money: Mitt Romney is paying college students commission to raise money for him. After their first $1000 they will get 10 percent of the money they raise online. Most candidates can depend on youthful energy and passion to create a buzz on college campuses; does Mitt need more of an incentive?
• TechPresident's David All recently interviewed Mitt's press secretary, Kevin Madden. David gets Madden to talk a bit about Mitt's approach to MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and online fundraising, as well as Madden's love of the New York Yankees. (Is it a conflict of interest -- or sacrilege -- top be a Yankees fan while working for the ex-governor of Massachusetts?)
• Chris Dodd is still rocking the DoddPod, and he needs your help. According to ABC News' Jennifer Parker he's asking voters to "suggest a song, podcast or audio 'testimonial' for his iPod." Suggestions have ranged from Radiohead's "Optimistic" to U2's "Elevation." PdF's Anthony Russomano suggests something from the Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat" album because "he needs some street cred."

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Yesterday Mike Turk received an e-mail from the DNC laying out plans for a new state-by-state strategy. It's not the same old 50-state plan, and should make the GOP cringe.