Post Combines Politics and Multimedia

For many Americans, a presidential candidate's background is just as important as their platforms and policies. The Washington Post created a really cool interactive timeline of John McCain's and Barak Obama's life time lines.

Check it out at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign08/timeline/

I think the keys to a great multimedia package are two-fold: aesthetic appeal and substance.

The Post's timeline has both. Users focus first at how the package looks including colors, pop-ups, creativity and the ability to adjust the controls of the tool. Then users focus on substance. Voters are interested in where candidates come from, including their families, faith, passions and experiences. The media has an obligation to outline these areas for the public.

Users can scroll through the timeline and click on the years and captions in each candidate's life that they want to learn more about in small pop-ups. The timeline includes everything from the year Obama's parents separated to the year McCain divorced his first wife. Voters want to feel as though they know the person they're supporting- every minuet detail. A timeline is a great way to briefly showcase these points in an organized and interactive way.

Google maps has even caught the politics bug. Visitors can track Obama's and McCain's travels, from birth to every place they've lived, all acrross the world.

Check out both candidates' life journies by www.mibazaar.com:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl