Web Packs Political Punch; the Top Four Florida Governor Hopefuls Have Sites They Hope Will Click with Primary Voters

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Byline: J. TAYLOR RUSHING

TALLAHASSEE - When Sen. Rod Smith took his gubernatorial campaign to Jacksonville in July, an aide needed mere minutes to post pictures of the North Florida Democrat with a small crowd of local dignitaries, firefighters and their families on the campaign Web blog.

Attorney General Charlie Crist's Web site doesn't have a blog, but it does have a ticking clock counting down the days until Crist presumably triumphs over his GOP primary opponent, Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher. But not so fast - at the top of Gallagher's Web site is a chart stressing key differences between himself and Crist before the Sept. 5 primary.

The Web has never played as integral of a role in a Florida political race as this year's contest among the four front-runners, Republicans Crist and Gallagher and Democrats Smith and Jim …