Direct Marketing Observations

This is a definite “now ” category since we are in the midst of deciding who will be running for president.  This list will change but currently it consists of a little bit of everything that is currently relevant to electing the next president. Interestingly enough, the internet has become more and more of a prominent player in helping us decide who we like, fund-raising, and obviously campaigning. Here are our top 15 in no particular order:

essembly-essembly is a free, non-partisan social network that allows politically interested individuals to connect with one another, engage in constructive discussion, and organize to take action.

Election2008 TV- Looks like a social networking site, feels like a social networking site, but kind of an odd name..

20DC-20DC is the first step in the future of politics. The way we elect candidates, organize action, disperse information and even fundraise is changing as fast as Internet technology develops. 20DC has a vast array of features that allow for political discussion and organization

Connect2elect-Connect2Elect is an independent, unbiased matching service that uses some of the coolest technology on the Web to give citizens the power to navigate through the oftentimes confusing process of selecting the best candidate for the most important job in America.

RedBlueAmerica-RedblueAmerica.com is a place where people can find out how people with differing views from their own think. It is a place where they can test their thinking against the best thinking on the other side. It is a place where they can stay current – where they can find fodder for today’s equivalent of water cooler conversations – knowing that they’re getting the whole story. It is a place where they can talk with people who think differently, people who want to engage in a civil conversation about the issues. It is a place where they can share their thoughts, a place for thoughtful dialogue

Politweets- Political twitter

Adonkeyandanelephantwalkintoabar-Probably the best name of the bunch, A Donkey and an Elephant is a social tool and political aggregator for folks into politics and activism from all political spectrums. Connect with other activists in your area and find like-minded groups and events! A great way to keep on top of what’s going on in your area.

Policosmos-a nonpartisan network designed to bring citizens, candidates and elected politicians together in an online community.

Mondoglobo-Interesting name as well, All political change starts with defiance of some authority, some established power structure that does not want to be weakened or eliminated. We are reminding concerned citizens of this simple fact, and bringing non-authoritarians together

TakePart-Locks up my pc with some sort of quicktime error, so use at your own risk.

techPresident-”It is time to find out who can actually claim to be the country’s first TechPresident.”

Rockthevote-Rock the Vote is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, founded in 1990 in response to a wave of attacks on freedom of speech and artistic expression. Rock the Vote engages youth in the political process by incorporating the entertainment community and youth culture into its activities. From actors to musicians, comedians to athletes, Rock the Vote harnesses cutting-edge trends and pop culture to make political participation cool.

Ifimpresident-wel-kuh m] ifimpresident.com (iip for short) is a network that lets your share your political views. [iip nooz] news from established sources presents you with stories to comment/reply to. [iip dis-cus-sions] discussions allow you to create a post, and dialogue with others from the community. [iip pol-uh-sees] policies let users establish their views on some topic, and see how many people agree. [iip e-lek-shun] the 08′ election keeps you updated on news stories from the upcoming election. [iip pro-fayle] your profile provides you with updates of you and your friends actions, to keep the dialogue going.

Lastly Im going to combine Facebook and Myspace into 2. Though they are not niche based, they are still 2 very powerful social networking tools used by the candidates in their efforts to connect with voters.

Are there any social networks geared towards or for the voters that I’m missing? Candidate based social networks do not count, though I’m sure some are equally as powerful at convincing voters that their way is the right way, as the above mentioned are at enlightening poltically minded, socially conscious voters. We shall soon see.