A must-read article from The New Times this weekend summarizes what insiders have know for a while: "Democrats and Republicans are sharply increasing their use of e-mail, interactive Web sites, candidate and party blogs, and text-messaging to raise money, organize get-out-the-vote efforts and assemble crowds for rallies." The article notes that 50 million Americans use the Internet every day for news. That is nearly double the online audience during the last election cycle. But, it also warns readers about its limitations... the countries most reliable voters -- those over 65 -- are least connected. No one will win a campaign just because they have a Web site and a blog. But, as the 2004 election demonstrated, tools like blogs can be an efficient, rapid communication tool

for campaigns. Candidates that properly incorporate these types of tools into their campaign strategy can recruit volunteers, raise money, educate voters and deliver votes. IDI actually helped to pioneer the concept of including a blog strategy for campaign organizations in 2003 with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) website FromTheRoots.org, which is still in use today. Building a community online is a challenge. Yet the rewards of targeting your audience and reaching them individually are the cornerstones on which American political engagement is built. It's the natural next step -- from door-to-door to dsl-to-dsl. Read the NY Times article, "Net injects sweeping change into U.S.politics," on News.com