MySpace has launched the Impact Channel, a political community focused on the 2008 presidential election. The channel will feature a voter registration tool and links to all official candidate profiles. Future plans for the Impact Channel include a viral fundraising tool and customizable badges.
“As the country’s most trafficked Website, MySpace will play a powerful role in the upcoming election. Our digital candidate banners will be the yard signs of the 21st Century and our political viral videos and vlogs are the campaign ads of the future,” said Chris DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace. “By empowering our users with easy-to-find information, offered in a way they can relate to it, Impact will ignite their involvement in the political process.”
The Impact Channel will connect political candidates and civic groups to the sites user population. It is based on existing content channels such as MySpace Music and Video, the channel will allow users to learn about the candidates, experience the political process and explore issues and organizations relating to their lives.
“It is already clear that MySpace will be a primary hub of activity in the 2008 Presidential campaign,” said Andrew Rasiej, Co-Founder of techPresident.com. “The Impact Channel will confirm once and for all that the Internet is not just an adjunct to the traditional political landscape, but an entirely new and distinct battlefield where voter generated content will drive much of the discourse, upend the conventional wisdom, and impact the election in ways that the traditional political and media establishment is just beginning to understand.”
As part of the launch 10 presidential candidates have added their profiles to the channel. The 10 candidates include five Republicans, McCain, Rudolph Giuliani, Duncan Hunter, Mitt Romeny and Ron Paul. The five Democrats are Obama, Clinton, Edwards, Biden and Kucinich.
“MySpace will be a powerful force in the next election,” said Julie Barko Germany, Deputy Director of the Institute for Politics Democracy & the Internet at George Washington University. “MySpace users will have direct access to candidates and be able to serve as digital storefronts for their campaigns, taking netroots politics to the next level. It’s part of a trend that’s revolutionizing the way politicians and the public interact.”
