A communication professor at MU did some research showing Al Gore’s official website was more effective than George W. Bush’s. Glenn Hansen studied 260 students, many of whom spent several minutes with one site or the other. Hansen’s research shows students were positively affected by the Gore site, but were negatively affected by the Bush site. He hasn’t been able to pinpoint the exact reason but says the findings show candidates web presence can affect votes. He admits that his research is based on the reactions of college students, who are not typical of the general electorate.
