Blogs and Elections

Much has been written on how the internet will affect commerce, politics and everything else. (This morning's WSJ reviews two new books on politics and the web.)

The political party conventions are now being covered by bloggers; ideas and opinions are being formed and shared faster than ever.  That's the bad news and the good news.

What difference will it make?  Will voter interest and turnout be affected?  If so, will the consequences tilt to either side?

Candidates' good hair and sunny disposition matter in the era of high opportunity costs, greater rational ignorance, low voter turnouts -- and paper-thin levels of interest by most non-interest group voters.  The proof is the amount of money going into political TV ads.

TiVo and web entertainment are new worries for traditional network TV.  Will web-politics similarly impact politics on TV?  One can only hope. 

Good ideas may, yet,  come to dominate good hair.