Since the campaign internet explosion in 2003 with Howard Dean's more participatory campaign, a new marketing technique has been coined: Web 2.0. While something like Web 2.0 is something that developers and coders really should only concern themselves with, what you need to know is that Web 2.0 is a new way of playing around on the computer.

Before, the internet was a fairly isolated way of interaction. There is you.... and a computer..... and a website. Then there was email.... and then chatting. 2.0 expands that to integrate this quickly evolving world of social networking. Now you are not only able to share pictures and videos with your friends you can know what they are doing down to the most minute detail at any moment. For example - Pam (our fearless leader here on EDC) is thinking right now that God got something right when he made golden retrievers. I was invited to a Progressive Happy Hour in Montana, and today is my friend Todd's birthday - Happy Birthday, Todd!

Today the internet is key in participation and in staying connected. Last week I got a business card from someone new I met, to which I responded - "Thanks! I'll facebook you." This person wasn't 25, or 20, or even 30. She was 45. The internet is not going away.

News websites have capitalized on this new world in the Internet by providing more opportunities for viewers to participate online through blogs, polls, video, iReports, and more. If you miss one of your favorite shows on TV and you don't have a DVR, you can watch it at NBC.com or download it via podcast. I always sleep in on Sundays now - because I can download Meet the Press to my iPod.

"People who rely on the internet for campaign news turn to a wide array of websites. The most frequently mentioned online news outlets are MSNBC (at 26%), CNN (23%) and Yahoo News (22%). However, numerous other outlets also receive mentions, including non-traditional sources of campaign information; 3% each say they go to the Drudge Report or MySpace, while 2% specifically mention YouTube as a site where they get campaign news."

While many people scoff at the Blog, MySpace, YouTube, Facebook revolution, the cool thing about these new technologies from a political campaign prospective is that they are free. And if 2-3% of people are getting their campaign info from these sources you know you're going to connect with them if you can just upload a video, or have a page set up.

"In this regard, substantial numbers of young people say they have gotten information on the campaign or the candidates from social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Overall, more than a quarter of those younger than age 30 (27%) – including 37% of those ages 18-24 – have gotten campaign information from social networking sites. This practice is almost exclusively limited to young people; just 4% of Americans in their 30s, and 1% of those ages 40 and older, have gotten news about the campaign in this way.

At a time when a declining number of young people rely on television for most of their news about the campaign, a sizable minority are going online to watch videos of campaign debates, speeches and commercials. Roughly four-in-ten people under age 30 (41%) have watched at least one form of campaign video online, compared with 20% of those ages 30 and older." Pew continues

While these technologies are great at delivering news from a controlled message, what is most important is that it keeps existing supporters plugged in and involved. The hardest thing for a given campaign to do is keep people interested, especially in this year of campaign overload. And keeping them involved and volunteering or donating for a local campaign is hard in a year when people want a democrat in the White House.

The reason I'm prompted now to talk about this is because of the amazing websites and connectivity I'm seeing from candidates from all over - but particularly out of Kansas.

In the past Kansas hasn't been the most tech savvy state when it comes to the ways our campaigns utilize new media - but this year things are different. US Senate candidate Greg Orman didn't just launch his website, he launched his website, his myspace, and his youtube (complete with why I'm running video), LinkedIn, and Flickr page all at the same time. This was after a facebook group collected supporters hoping to draft Orman into running. This dude... is Web 2.0 to the max! And the website - bright, clean, great side buttons, rollover color on the cross tabs, and lots of issues to talk about - just all out super clean and nice.

Donnald Betts, Congressional candidate out of the Kansas 4th - is the same way. Great flash on his site, lots of pictures, clean lines, bright buttons, and lots of social networking with LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, and MySpace.

On the Republican side it use to be laughable. Sites were awkwardly designed, no one was involved on their website, no one used social networking, and blogs? Well blogs are for liberals. Not any more.

Check out Lynn Jenkins for Congress - perhaps the most Web 2.0 candidate in the race for the Kansas 2nd. Once you click on the homepage you see it takes you to the "sign up" preliminary graphic. More campaigns (particularly the big ones) are doing this now to help capitalize on collecting emails and contact info for the people visiting their sites. It isn't required to enter a site but it makes it look like it is (until you see the "continue here" link). This is a super smart way to grow your list, and when we're talking about Kansas - growing your list is key.

Continue on to her homepage and you'll see a lot of the things I've said are indicative of a successful web campaign. Very bright, cheerful, packed with information, interactive polls, clean lines, drop down menus, pictures, audio, videos, links to her social networking sites (myspace, facebook, flickr, youtube).

Her opponent Jim Ryun's site is a vast improvement from his 2006 campaign. Lots of glossy slide shows, glossy cross tabs, with drop down menus. it is considerably darker but that darker red color is textured to look like a leather couch or something. Its interesting - makes the website look like someone's designed living room. If it weren't for the flags I'd say this looks more like a tribute site - where someone's inviting you into their cabin to tell you tales of the good ol days. No links on the homepage to any social networking sites. A Blog that hasn't been updated since Christmas, indeed neither has the homepage, and oddly the frame for the site requires you to scroll down to read more of the front page - not scroll your browser... but the frame within the browser. This is awkward. No social networking links - though I know he's got them on Facebook and myspace. Good try - great development, needs improvement.

And now on to Congresswoman Boyda's site. I have to say this is the most disappointing website in all of the candidates I've seen running for Congress this year. At some point several months ago, someone let their kid brother redo this site. It use to have a nice mast (head bar of the site) and be chalked full of updates, pictures, press releases, and information. Now there is some kind of awkward tool bar along the side that takes you to nothing, a picture of her that looks like it was taken with a Polaroid camera and scanned the resolution is so bad, the gray background makes it look like a rainy day.

This is just sad. Essentially the only link that takes you to a notable place is the Contribute function. This is honestly just a site that is used to funnel money into the campaign. Volunteers, young people, indeed all people who want to stay involved are not welcome here. You want to get involved in a campaign - move over to Greg Orman or the presidentials. Similarly to Ryun, Boyda has a nice set of fan run social networking sites but you wouldn't know it from either of their websites, and like Ryun Boyda hasn't been on her website since the holidays.

This day in age - people are using the internet to learn more about campaigns. But more - people are using the internet to get involved in a campaign, and anyone who knows anything about a campaign knows that volunteers and enthusiasm from your supporters is key in creating buzz, getting monthly donors, fueling blog traffic, and all around keeping your supporters happy.

Need help learning more about how to market your organization or campaign? Ask someone under 30 or an x-hippie - those are generally the demographics that tend to know what's up and are on the cutting edge of what is hip and works best.

If you're a supporter and you agree - I'd suggest sending a quick note to your candidate of choice to ether congratulate or reprimand their web work. And if you need to give your candidate a friendly push toward this new and exciting world of the Internet - start a facebook group or a blog!