As we transition from the presidential campaign to an Obama administration, the looming question is, "What will become of all those people networked via My.BarackObama.com (MyBO) and Obama's massive email list?" Is there a place in government for the swarming grassroots masses? And can we capitalize on its collective intelligence in order to make its contribution meaningful?

Danny Elfman, the avant-garde rock star and composer is making a rare incursion into politics. While the Simpsons are gearing up for their Halloween special, their theme song composer Elfman has launched Our Greatest Fear.

I didn't know I was running for president until I saw this new video from AARP. Now, the guy running AARP's online advocacy program is a friend, but I was nevertheless stunned to see AARP wanted me for president. Geeesh!

It simply boggles my mind that neither the Republican or Democratic Party websites link to their respective convention websites from their homepages. Nor do they even mention the conventions--no dates, no locations, no nothing!

Not only is turnout at record levels in primaries across the country, but the role the internet is playing in the election is setting records that bury previous high marks. According to the Pew Internet & American Life report issued today, a full "46% of Americans have used the internet to get political news and share their thoughts about the campaign. Online video and social networking sites have taken off, especially among Obama supporters." So let’s stop asking whether the internet will ever elect a president and accept the fact that no candidate can afford to downplay the importance of it.

There seems to be no limit to the power of the people to use the internet to express themselves politically, artistically, ... you name it. Continuing in my emerging pattern of video show-n-tell, check out Hillary's Downfall. You can watch the video and vote on whether you find it offensive on this Democratic Underground post. I thought it was offensive, but I was laughing too hard to cast my vote.

(NOTE: I had reservations linking directly to this video, so I have posted to an item that allows people to vote on whether it is offensive, as an extra filter. As I indicated in my opening sentence, this video shows that there is no limit to how citizens can use the internet to make political statements.)

Without further ado, I want to share with you the satire of the satire... It's Raining McCain - Slayer Style!

In the immortal words of Stan Lee, "'nuff said."

Think MTV's Street Team '08 once again puts MTV News at the leading edge of election news coverage. I have long been a fan of MTV News and its coverage of electoral politics. Back in the early '90's, while I was researching presidential use of television to manipulate public opinion for my dissertation, I was an avid viewer of MTV News. Kurt Loder and Tabitha Soren were doing some really edgy stuff, from gathering college students into a Boston University auditorium to measure their real-time reactions to the presidential debates, to Tabitha Soren interviewing George H.W. Bush on the back platform of a moving train the Sunday before election day (who could forget Poppy referring to "MTV afficionados," showing how completely disconnected he was from young voters?), MTV offered a new breed of television news.

And that tradition continues on today, as MTV News migrates most of its news programming online, including the beta site Think MTV. Think MTV's foray into election news coverage is an ambitious project called Street Team '08. MTV has recruited and hired 51 amateur journalists to blog about the election. 51, as in one for every state plus one for DC. Supervising Producer of Street Team '08 Michael Scogin talks more about the project here:

Now you see it, now you don't.

I tried to show my Internet Advocacy Communication class the new McCain Girls video this evening. We have been following their adventures as we study YouTube's impact on the election, and POOF!, it was gone.

I just watched the new McCain girls video, "Here Comes McCain Again" and I am totally creeped out. Aside from the fact that they have butchered one of my favorite songs, the goth motif is really spooky. And the scene with McCain looking in through the window... call the cops! We got a peeping John.