The current presidential race is certainly interesting. Each candidate has been falling over themselves to position their campaigns for what promises to be a historic election. But you won’t find too many television spots, billboards or newspaper ads. No, the battleground has been contained thus far to the internet. A web-based campaign initiative is extremely cost-effective, can be updated quickly and easily, and the web’s community aspect gives superb potential for viral messaging.

No one will argue that the internet has reached a new level of maturity since the last election in 2004. With millions of blogs, news and video sites, and online frequency at an all-time high, the digital experience has become, especially for the under 35 crowd, the standard medium for information consumption. And there’s no reason to doubt that the online community will be even larger next year, spurring a whirlwind of online activity as we reach November.

Here’s a bold statement: The next president of the United States will be the one who can successfully navigate and deliver their message in this growing medium, yet not bend to the fickle whims of the online community.

But this online forum isn’t very forgiving. It’s unlike any other marketing venue in one respect – it talks back. For every blog article posted by a candidate, there are thousands of political discussions on hundreds of blogs run by average citizens. For every slick, well-produced video posted by a candidate, there are 10 amateur YouTube videos that get just as much traffic. Everybody has an opinion on the internet, from the insightful to the clinically insane, and it’s this level playing field that gives everyone equal face time that will help steer the outcome of the election, for better or for worse.