Ancient Web: Clinton/Gore 96 Put Shockwave and Screensavers on the Campaign Trail

Part of the Ancient Web Collection.

In 1996, putting an election campaign on the Web meant explaining the Web to voters while asking them to download a political screensaver.

Visit the preserved Clinton/Gore 1996 campaign site.

This surviving campaign material, hosted by the Living Room Candidate's historical collection, opens with image-based menus, a photograph-heavy layout, and a welcome message from Vice President Al Gore. His recording is offered in RealAudio versions labeled for 14.4 and 28.8 connections—modem speeds that immediately date the experience.

The page is a historical reproduction of campaign advocacy from 1996. It is not a current political endorsement or a live organization soliciting support.

A campaign website that taught its own users

One menu leads to Meeting America's Challenges, where policy topics appear under families, education, economic security, crime, environment, world leadership, and government. It quotes President Bill Clinton's January 1996 State of the Union address as part of the reelection messaging.

A different section, labeled Technical Information, acknowledges that visitors may find the new medium confusing. It offers frequently asked questions, a glossary of Internet terms, a search tool, and specifications for accessing the site.

Then there is the Electoral College Computer. The site explains the basic electoral-vote system and invites visitors to run a 215-kilobyte interactive demonstration using Macromedia Shockwave. The preserved instructions survive; a modern browser should not be assumed capable of running the original plugin.

The downloadables section treats digital election memorabilia as something new and exciting. It offers categories for buttons, videos, wallpaper, PDF files, bumper stickers, and a campaign-themed horizontal rule. The site suggests using these materials even when not connected to the Internet.

What survives is the moment political organizations began treating a campaign website as a combination of brochure, volunteer office, software catalog, and public lesson in network literacy. The imagery and technical requirements are as historically interesting as the slogans.

Explore the 1996 main menu and its downloadables.

Part of the Ancient Web Collection.