Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz is living proof that social networking can level the playing field during election campaigns.

In 2008 Barack Obama harnessed the influence of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in an unprecedented way to connect with voters, organise support, raise funds and ultimately win the contest for the White House. But in addition to raising more money than any other US presidential candidate, Obama also outspent his opponent John McCain in advertising.

In the same year, Chaffetz (pronounced ‘Chay-Fits’) managed to unseat a 12-year incumbent to win the Republican Party nomination in Utah’s Third Congressional District, although he was outspent by over US$600,000. His opponent, Chris Cannon, also had the endorsements of then President George W. Bush and two state senators, as well as support of the party. In stark contrast, Chaffetz ran his campaign without a paid staff, without polling, without free meals for voters, or a campaign office. He won by a 20-point margin and avoided going into debt. “It’s because I could use these new media tools to help communicate,” he explains, “I didn’t have to spend the traditional dollars on advertising.”

Instead of paying for a 30-second TV ad, Chaffetz says, he could take two minutes to explain something in depth. He also managed to organise over 1,000 volunteers for his campaign, which relied heavily on his website as well as Facebook, Twitter and a Yahoo News Group to reach voters. He is especially fond of Facebook, saying it is “more interactive,” allowing him to communicate with constituents, as opposed to the rapid flow of information from followers on his Twitter-feed, which he admits is hard to keep up with.

In addition to a Blackberry, Chaffetz carries a flip camera, which he uses to make videos that are eventually uploaded to his website within minutes. According to him, a key benefit is the accessibility that the social media connection allows. “Most people think that their politicians are too far, too distant, they’re not listening,” he says, adding, “I think that one of thing that is a benefit of social media is that it is a two-way street. It’s not just me pushing information out. It is also them communicating and the magic for me is just to respond to them, just real quickly, as best as I can…”

A recent study, exploring the use of Twitter by members during a two month period in the 111th Congress, noted that “the development of new electronic technologies has altered the traditional patterns of communication between Members of Congress and constituents.” In fact, many members are now using official websites, blogs, YouTube channels and Facebook pages to communicate with their constituents. The study said the technologies have served to enhance the ability of members to fulfil their representational duties, while allowing them to reach large numbers of constituents at a relatively small fixed cost. Noting that the social media allow communication with constituents in a potentially interactive way, the study concluded that “the ability to collect and transmit real time information from constituents could be influential for policy voting decisions.”

Meanwhile, Chaffetz rubbishes the notion that the new media is only reaching young voters, explaining that older persons have been and are becoming much more in tune with getting information using social media. He thinks it is a lot of other congressmen who are resistant to the new tools. “What makes it work for me is that I do it,” he says. “A lot of my colleagues try to have somebody on their staff do it. And people don’t like that. They recognise the difference. They understand that it’s not that person, so the fact that I do it firsthand is something that makes it work a lot better.”