More Americans doing politics online

This Pew Internet & American Life study has received a lot of publicity, but it can be linked to here. The key points are:

• 46% of Americans have used the internet, email or cell phone text messaging to get news about the campaign, share their views and mobilize others.
• Two-thirds of internet users under the age of 30 have a social networking profile, and half of these use social networking sites to get or share information about politics or the campaigns
• Barack Obama's campaign has the edge over John McCain and the Republicans, as he did over Hillary Clinton in the use of social media for political information, recruitment and fund raising.

The key question in Australia will be who will take the lead in the use of social media in political campaigning. The evidence of the 2007 Australian Federal election would suggest that it will be Labor, but there is surely more to be followed here.