You are now a media expert!

Bret Schundler's campaign for New Jersey Governor recently sent an email asking supporters to help pick his next TV spot. A year ago, I used this same technique on a Congressional race in North Dakota. I'm not mad: I stole the concept from Howard Dean's campaign manager Joe Trippi (that's what he gets for putting his ideas in a book). Truthfully, the concept is a terrific mixture of new and old: Using a new medium (the internet) to make strategic decisions about a medium that has been around for forty years -- and still dominates -- TV ads.

Here's why the idea works: The contest may generate free publicity (I'm writing about it) and who can ever have enough of that? Voters will view the ads at no charge to the campaign (this is especially important in New Jersey where political candidates must purchase air time in the New York and Philadelphia media markets.) Allowing voters to view the ads before buying air time also allows the campaign to "focus group" the spots. Supporters can help nix bad spots before they are aired. Some supporters may email the campaign and recommend tweaking certain parts of the ad. And perhaps most important, supporters who have been allowed to participate in the strategic process are more likely to become involved in more traditional forms campaigning (they might make a contribution, volunteer, or call friends and ask them to vote for the candidate).

This idea flies in the face of the traditional top-down approach taken by most traditional campaigns. These campaigns pay lip service to inclusiveness, but the big decisions are really made by the so-called "smart people" from Washington, DC and New York who decide (from a smoke-filled room, preferably) which ads to run. You can vote for the ads here.