The 2008 presidential elections are shaping up to be one of the most interactive and engaging elections that we have ever had thanks in part to the Internet. No matter if you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, you can find a world of information about your favorite candidate online, as well as participate in public forums and social networks with your candidate and others who share your views. All it takes is a computer and a few clicks of the mouse.
Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee for president, has raised the bar of getting people involved and keeping them informed through the Internet. His campaign has established a massive online network that stretches across multiple social networks. Even his choice for vice president, Sen. Joe Biden, was sent out first via text message to his supporters before being reported to the mainstream media. With an extensive Web site at www.barackobama.com, you can find out a wealth of information about the both Obama and Biden. You can also find the campaign at all of the popular social networking sites such as Facebook.com, Twitter.com and MySpace.com.
John McCain, the Republican nominee, is a latecomer to the online party, but the campaign has established a Web site at www.exploremccain.com. You’ll find information about McCain’s campaign as well as background material on his year in the Senate. There are community forums as well as a blog where the campaign posts information on a daily basis of events happening around the U.S.
Of course, besides the official sites, there are also tons of sites with information on the candidates and analysis of their campaign platforms. Sites such as www.factcheck.org are a wonderful resource for getting the facts behind all of the campaign ads. This nonpartisan Web site examines the campaign ads and researches statements made to see how accurate both parties are in their television and radio ads. In addition, your neighborhood search engine such as Google or Yahoo can reveal a ton of information about the candidates just by typing in their name and the information you are looking for.
Lastly, the blogosphere is alive and well with a lot of political chatter. Millions of people have blogs where they post their own analysis and opinion of the candidates. You can either read the blogs or start your own to share your own opinion of the candidates and the issues at hand. Sites such as Microsoft Live Spaces (spaces.live.com) and Blogger (www.blogger.com) are great places to start your own blog and post your opinion.
With the election less than eight weeks away, the Internet is “the” place to be for the latest political news, opinion and gossip. No matter who wins in November, the Internet has secured its place as one of the best ways to get information about the candidates. But be careful – don’t get so caught up in searching for the latest political gossip that you forget to vote come Election Day!
Boonville Daily News
