Webb: The use of the Internet is expanding rapidly in political campaigns. Some respected political analysts and technology gurus have flatly stated that the next president will be elected over the Internet.

The Internet will clearly play a large role in Utah's 2006 election. We're already seeing candidates make use of advanced Web tools, especially in the U.S. Senate race.

Both Steve Urquhart and Pete Ashdown, who have launched long-shot bids to unseat Sen. Orrin Hatch, vow to use online campaign tools to their advantage. Hatch's campaign manager Dave Hansen says Hatch will match them technologically, but he added there's nothing like old-fashioned wearing out of the shoe leather, noting that Hatch has personally visited Sevier, Garfield, Millard, Piute, Sanpete and Juab counties in the past few days.

The Web and its related tools and technologies facilitate every aspect of a campaign, including fund raising, grass-roots organizing, scheduling, managing volunteers, sophisticated voter targeting, get-out-the-vote, neighborhood walking maps and literature drops, and all sorts of communications (automated voice broadcasts, campaign newsletters, rapid response to criticism, creating a "buzz," making announcements, getting people to events, delivering policy papers, sending campaign postcards that spread like a virus, etc.)

All of this can be particularly effective in targeting a limited political audience, like the 3,500 Republican state delegates up for grabs by Hatch and Urquhart.

Another fascinating political tool coming into its own is blogging. Millions of bloggers exist out there, and some of them have become influential political pundits. A handful of political bloggers operate in Utah (see list at www.utahpolicy.com).

Bloggers are known for their roles in bringing down such luminaries as Trent Lott and Dan Rather. With millions of readers acting as eyes and ears, bloggers can bring to light new information and keep a story alive.

Blogs are great tools to create a "buzz" and get people talking. Liberal bloggers fanned the flames of the Cindy Sheehan story until it exploded into the national spotlight.

Blogs and the traditional media feed off each other. A blogger may write about an issue or come up with a political "scoop." Other bloggers comment on that post and link to it. Pretty soon someone in the traditional media or on a radio talk show makes note of the issue and mentions the blog. Other bloggers then link to the story in the traditional media. Before long, the story is all over the newspapers, radio and television. The blogging/media world becomes an echo chamber that really revs up the buzz.