YouTube? It's So Yesterday

When former Virginia governor Mark Warner showed up this year in the online virtual world "Second Life" to talk to voters before he abandoned a presidential bid, the event was overlooked by everybody but geek blog BoingBoing.net. Too bad. Places like "Second Life," with its 1 million "residents," and World of Warcraft, a massive online role-playing game, are regularly outdrawing networks such as CNN and Fox. In time, virtual campaigning will be an essential part of any successful campaign, and "gaming outreach coordinators" may be a hot commodity for the 2008 candidates.

It's easy to imagine a 2008 primary season in which politicians begin raising armies of followers on World of Warcraft and Ultima Online. The first candidate who does so may be mocked -- until her opponent's supporters notice thousands of political warlocks, chanting slogans, infiltrating banquets and chat rooms. Just imagine the battle of Helm's Deep from "The Lord of the Rings" with Democrats and Republicans instead of Orcs and Elves.

A virtual campaign would be more fun and more inclusive. It could include a violent rally -- complete with tire-burning, stone-throwing and maybe blowing up of opponents -- with no one getting hurt. If you think we're polarized and partisan today, just wait. In the fantasy worlds of the Internet, real political participation can mean more than just holding a sign. It can mean boiling your opponents in oil and firing catapults: Medieval mudslinging meets Lee Atwater.

A new kind of dirty campaign.

In politics, yesterday's taboo is today's mainstream practice. In the 18th century, it was considered undignified for a candidate to leave his home to campaign. When Bill Clinton appeared on "The Arsenio Hall Show" in 1992, it was daring and new. Ditto for Howard Dean's first blog.

So we have to wonder: Who will be the first politician to quietly start using Internet gambling and pornography sites to reach voters? Sure, the initial reaction may be sharp and nasty, but the need to reach people where they are may overcome public embarrassment. These sites may also be one of the few ways to reach a crucial demographic: the politically disaffected male voter, age 30 to 49. Today, about a quarter of all online searches are for porn -- and campaign dollars may one day follow.

Total accountability software.

Nowadays, cars can tell us when problems are beginning to develop -- some even tell us when they've been stolen. Hard drives report damage, and investment accounts happily tell us how they've been doing. We all think we're too busy, which is why performance-monitoring technologies are so popular.

People are already training this technology on another of our supposed servants -- our elected representatives. Like wayward pets, politicians can wander pretty far from what they say they're going to do. Hence the need for "Political Accountability Software" -- complete solutions for keeping track of your representative.

In the same format that you may use to check your stocks, you can check out where your legislator is spending time (thanks to GPS) and whom he's meeting. Advanced accounting software will keep a running tally of how much Ms. Senator has brought home to the state, how much she has raised and lowered your taxes, and where contributions have been coming from. A sophisticated text-analysis engine can detect direct lies and erratic voting behavior -- sending you the kind of alert message you receive if your checks bounce.

Political affinity zones.

"This is a four-bar blue zone," you say, consulting your BlackBerry in an unknown part of Pittsburgh. "Democrats everywhere." Mobile devices are getting better not just at making phone calls, but at telling us about the world around us. Mobile social software such as "Dodgeball" is supposed to let you know if your friends are nearby, and can help you find the closest place for good Chinese dumplings. In time, it may also tell you what kind of political air you are breathing.