Rudy Learns the Downside of Internet Innovation

You probably saw this yesterday:

The International Association of Fire Fighters accused Republican Rudy Giuliani of exploiting the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because a supporter is holding a $9.11-per-person fundraiser for the presidential candidate.

The union -- already a vocal critic of Giuliani's -- said Tuesday that the fundraiser's "$9.11 for Rudy" theme is an abuse of the image and symbols of the 2001 attacks.

Here's the statement Giuliani spokesperson Maria Comella about it:

"These are two volunteers who acted independently of and without the knowledge of the campaign. Their decision to ask individuals for that amount was an unfortunate choice."

First, it's entirely possible this was planted by another campaign.  How easy would it be for campaign A to have volunteers sign-up for a house party for campaign B, and then do something like this?

... Of course, this underscores the danger of using the internet and of being innovative. 

Rudy's admirable goal was to empower his supporters to take a leadership role in the campaign, by planning their own events.  Yet he got burned.

When we criticize stodgy political consultants to advise their candidates not to fully-engage the internet, this is the reason.  When we criticize top-down campaigns that want to micro-manage every last detail of the campaign, this is the reason.

Ultimately, the benefits of running an innovative campaign often outweigh the loss of control.  But it's only fair to point out that there is a downside to giving others control of your campaign ...