Kerry, Bush crowd mailboxes, both real and cyber, in a push to win votes and funds.

By Paul Barbagallo

For years, the Republicans had the jump on the Democrats, both in terms of database sophistication and direct mail inventiveness. During the Reagan years, Republican candidates and conservative mailers practiced sound direct marketing, sparing no expense by offering donors and prospects fine paper stock, embossed certificates, plastic membership cards, four-color glossy photographs of the candidate and his wife, and stickers and decals.