John McCain has always prided himself on being a take-it-to-the-bank maverick with a rebellious streak that underscores his appreciation for independent thinking and resourcefulness—not, as his opponents would prefer to characterize it, for recklessness or indiscretion. This willingness to buck the system automatically puts McCain at odds with true Reagan Republicans who operate under a strict code of following scripted language and never attacking a fellow Republican in public. As an individual, McCain is already out of sorts with the Republican Party's internal brand alignment. But how well does McCain's website represent his—and his party's—interests?

Very well. In recent history Republicans have been perceived as hawkish, tie-wearing white men with gray hair who value hard work and organization and who often can't understand why poor people just don't get their act together and go to Yale. John McCain doesn't come across as that type of guy, and neither does his website—but they both are very organized.

McCain's website does an excellent job of offering a disciplined and balanced multi-media approach that capitalizes on the collective power of promotional videos, political endorsements, recent newsworthy links and listings, profiles of his personal background and political positions, and, of course, a call to action for his supporters to register and actively contribute both their time and money to his campaign. And if the youth vote—the giant octopus of political demographics, witnessed by many but never really accounted for—ever actually shows up in full force on Election Day, McCain can rest assured he did an admirable job of appealing to their tech-savvy minds and socially-networked hearts.

Not only are politicians human, so are the political strategists and webmasters orchestrating the online arm of their campaigns. John McCain's website is both bolstered by and suffers from his employees' political acumen and love of spin. First, what they do correctly is treat his hero status with tact and deftness. Americans like their heroes to be humble, and the word "hero" appears only once on the home page—aptly in a caption beside a link to a video that begins with McCain being interviewed as a POW. McCain's courage is real and is such an integral part of his brand strength that not even a fleet of swift boats could force his reputation into rough waters.

The website does, however, undermine McCain's brand for being straightforward by utilizing hackneyed political speak that turns off Americans more than drunken profanity at a Wiggles concert. Take, for instance, the prominent section dedicated to his bus and campaign icon, The Straight Talk Express. Was McCain behind the wheel of The Straight Talk Express on his journey of political penance to Liberty University where he pandered to the Christian right and Reverend Jerry Falwell's loving embrace of all mankind? How was the toilet pressure on the bus that day? A politician is a politician. A bus is a bus. Don't mix the two, especially on a web site. It's a crap idea.

Also, visitors to the website must wonder exactly what being a "McCain Ace" entails. Technically, it requires a "donation of $25 or more," but since when did donating money make anyone an ace at anything? Hyperbole is of course endemic in politics, but stretching this connection is a major leap in logic. Educated and involved adults support their candidates of choice with financial contributions. People who dream of becoming flying aces read the back of a Captain Crunch box in the morning.

Furthermore, on the website McCain is endorsed by George Allen, former Governor of Virginia and eagle-eyed maccaca spotter, which probably isn't the best choice of personalities for a personal and political reference. Enlisting the help of someone who managed to sabotage his own slam-dunk campaign probably isn't the wisest political move—especially when courting the independent, and maccaca, vote.

Nevertheless, John McCain's website does an effective job of representing his brand as both a loyal Republican and independent-minded American hero who believes, and behaves, according to a profound sense of duty. To read about his political stances, visit McCain's website. To assess McCain's prospective competition, check out brandchannel's recent article on Barack Obama's website or visit Hillary Clinton's website.