CAMPAIGN 2012

RNC Launches New Online Effort

GOP tries to catch up with Democrats through the 'Social Victory Center'

Updated: May 1, 2012 | 9:47 a.m.
May 1, 2012 | 9:24 a.m.

The Republican National Committee launched a new online platform on Tuesday, an attempt to catch up with Democrats, who have traditionally had a clear online advantage.

The Facebook application, called the GOP Social Victory Center, is a grassroots networking tool to connect voters with the RNC. It allows users to connect with friends and find local events, while also displaying latest news from the party.

“We are confident it will prove an important asset in voter contacts and Get Out the Vote efforts,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus in a release, adding that Republicans are fully capable of taking on President Obama in the digital realm.

Democrats have had an advantage online in recent years, thanks in part to the 2008 election, when Obama used online tools effectively to tap young voters and promote activism. Occupying the Oval Office has likely increased that advantage. In the last week, for example, Obama had almost 15,000 Twitter replies, according to Topsy Labs, roughly three times Mitt Romney's total.

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