Online politics anyone? Way to GO! The Web gives anyone — candidates, advocacy groups, corporate interests and ordinary folks — affordable and powerful tools to mold policy, influence elections and shift the direction of public discourse. Welcome to political prowess in the age of digital dialogues and the wisdom of online communities. The all important role of the Web is making politicians sit up. So core is the Web to politics today that a certain anxiety pervades the political classes. And it comes from the perception that folks have become disaffected with traditional media. Indeed, the wired generation are using social networking to move their political activism from cyberspace to the real world. It is apparent that new people, coming together in new ways to participate in a process are changing the way we understand the medium and the way we understand politics. And I would argue that video is key. When this generation wants to find out about a candidate, the first and probably only thing they do is watch videos of the person online. The first place they go for videos is the candidate’s website. So it is important that a candidate’s website is easy to find and use so that it becomes the main source of information about the politician. Barack Obama does this really well. Many people regardless of whether they support Obama, have seen his official videos on his Website, allowing him to have much more control over his message.Obama’s comparative advantage is the level of 2.0 technology in his Website that allows digital natives to forge online community. You can join “the movement” in his Website and meet supporters, ask questions, learn about campaign events, donate money, and canvass with phone numbers and addresses taken off the site. This is a great way for keeping volunteers informed, organized, and motivated. It is a very important tool for engaging young people in the campaign. It remains to be seen whether the Web will bring about a shift from indifference to engagement in politi