Republican and Conservative political analysis and commentary

MediaPost reports on a new study from online ad network Burst Media that finds "mounting evidence" that the web will be "a critical communications and educational tool for the 2008 Presidential election." Burst Media says voters "are relying on the Web more than any medium to research candidates and their positions."

One-quarter of likely voters cited the Internet as the best place to research candidates' positions and general election issues, according to Burst. By contrast, about a fifth--21.3%--cited TV as the ideal source of election information, while 17.3% said newspapers were their key source of information. Trailing, just 6.9% cited radio, 4.4% said magazines were best, and 3.3% cited direct mail.

In Burst's recent survey of 2,100 online users who are likely to vote in the 2008 Presidential election, it found that more than 20% of likely voters had already visited a presidential candidate's Web site; one-quarter had clicked on a candidate's or advocacy group's ad.

"The Internet provides candidates, advocacy groups and marketers with a high touch medium to reach new audiences and enhance existing constituent relationships," said Chuck Moran, manager of market research for Burst. "Our study confirms that the Internet is a valuable source of political and advocacy information."

YouTube and online video are popular ways voters access political information, too, though more popular with men than women, according to Burst.

Nearly half--50.7%--of likely voters would watch a video clip on a candidate's Web site featuring the candidate discussing his or her positions, the study finds. Notably, men are significantly more likely than women to cite the Internet as the best source for election information--28.7% versus 21.1%, respectively. Men are also more likely than women to say they would watch a video clip online--50.1% versus 43.9%, respectively.

Burst also notes the power of online fund-raising.