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New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson called himself an underdog, but he looked like the serious statesman yesterday as he sat in his office wearing a snappy suit as he announced -- in English and Spanish -- his plan to make a run for the White House.

When Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was nestled on a comfy couch with family photos nearby, offered the same pronouncement the day before, she seemed approachable as she asked to "chat" with Americans.

And a few weeks back, when John Edwards kicked off his U.S. presidential bid, he appeared more like a gritty correspondent than a former senator in his khaki shirt, sleeves unbuttoned, while, behind him, children helped rebuild a house ravaged by hurricane Katrina.

Forget news releases, summoning the press and hitting the talk-show circuit in the lead-up to the 2008 presidential election. The Democrats are taking their carefully choreographed images directly to the computers of the American voters. If the medium is the message, the Democrats are using the Internet to bypass the news media.

"You can do your announcement any way you want," said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "But you've got to get in and fight the sharks -- both the press and the other candidates -- in order to win this thing."

Most observers point to Howard Dean, who failed in his bid for the Democrat nomination in 2004, as kick-starting the Internet trend in U.S. electoral politics. He successfully used the Web to tap into the activist roots of the party and attract a flood of campaign donations, emerging as a serious contender before losing to the eventual nominee, John Kerry.

Now, presidential hopefuls are expanding their use of technology in a way that has never been seen before. They are bursting out of the gates with slick, unfiltered messages. They are avoiding questions from reporters. They are also reaching out to those who are more comfortable with a mouse than with newspapers or television.

"While I can't visit everyone's living room, I can try," Ms. Clinton, a perceived front-runner and former first lady, said in the highly polished video posted on her website Saturday. "And with a little help from modern technology, I'll be holding live online video chats this week, starting Monday."

Mr. Edwards, a 2004 vice-presidential nominee, turned to popular video-sharing website YouTube.com to say he would formally announce his intention to make a second bid for the Democrat nomination. He promises a live online video discussion Wednesday after the President's State of the Union address.

Clarence Stone, a professor emeritus of politics at the University of Maryland and self-described "senior citizen" who isn't that hip to the Internet, said the Democrats' use of technology could further distinguish them from the Republicans, and specifically, President George W. Bush.

"[Mr. Bush] doesn't come across as someone who is particularly high-tech. He's out cutting brush on the ranch, so there could be an implicit 'Look, I'm different from that guy. I'm with it.' "

The Republicans, meanwhile, have stuck largely to traditional tactics.

But over the weekend, Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, whose support is based on the religious right, placed his bid for the Republic nomination on the Web, both in press release format and in a video with folksy musical backdrop.

The Internet is just another tool for politicians to try to control their message, explained Edward Greenberg, a political scientist at the University of Colorado. "For a short while, they can control how they present themselves, but in the end, they can't. They try to, but they can't."

"Somebody needs to tell the Republicans about the Internet. . . ." Prof. Jillson said. "The Republicans are still scared of BlackBerries."

Democrat Barack Obama, an Illinois Senator with the support of influential talk show guru Oprah Winfrey, appeared businesslike yet relaxed in an open-neck shirt as he issued his Internet intention last week. (A smart move, pundits pointed out, as he avoided questions about his utter inexperience for the country's top job.) He pledged to formalize his candidacy on Feb. 10.

No doubt, it'll be on the Internet.