won’t get caught, Jackson says. “The Internet, for better or worse, allows people to vent some of the most vicious investments in racism and xenophobia. You can really be nasty and you can really be offensive and horrible in a way that you wouldn’t be if someone could actually call you on it and hold you accountable for it,†he adds.
Yet, despite the challenges the candidates face in beating down Internet rumors, it’s important that the medium not be vilified, experts say. In fact, it can tremendously help the candidates too if they can effectively take advantage of the opportunity to connect with voters, Smith says.