The Internet and Elections

From personal experience, I can tell you that this post will be an unpopular one. The internet is only good for 2 things when dealing with political elections.

1. Raising funds. As had been amply demonstrated by any number of local, state and national campaigns, people will donate money in staggeringly large quantities to campaigns that are packaged properly. Never forget this.

2. Leaking information. It's an old adage that if you want something leaked, start a rumor denying it. There's no better place for rumor-mongering than the on-line world, and no better way to dish the dirt on your opponents than through on-line connections.

And that's it. I have yet to see internet activity, forums, chat rooms, postings, vmobs, conferences or even good-old-fashioned web sites sway votes. For all the sound and fury roaring from the under-30 on-line crowd, it has yet to convert into real-world votes.

But that will change in time.

(more later)
-Shawn