Meanwhile, Capriles’ casa por casa (house by house) tour across several states remained largely under the press radar, even in opposition outlets. However, despite lacking the international spotlight enjoyed by Chavez, the Capriles campaign website revealed a frantic schedule of campaign appearances crisscrossing the country, largely in poor neighborhoods that were traditionally pro-Chavez strongholds. Whether speaking to impoverished communities about the lack of basic services and quality jobs or pledging to indigenous leaders that his government (especially the armed forces) would defend their human rights, the site depicted an unexpectedly warm reception. Capriles' stop in Chavez's birthplace, Barinas, for example, raised some eyebrows among the opposition.
The messaging and calendar found on the Capriles' site reveals a campaign directed not at the news media hungry for headlines, but at Chavez's core supporters--the lower class that may not buy newspapers or watch TV news programs. The strategy of targeting individual voters rather than the media could allow the opposition to gain traction among undecided voters and disillusioned Chavez supporters needed to win. Previous candidates, by focusing on anti-Chavez rhetoric, only talked past those voters. Whether or not this new strategy works, it appears to have caught the attention of the Chavez regime, as President Chavez and the state media relentlessly smear Capriles, boast of insurmountably leads in the polls, and--seemingly--co-opt opposition campaign themes.
