Heisenberg’s Uncertainty

Recently, both the traditional media as well as the blogosphere have made much of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's s showing in the "money primary". Many credit the freshman senator's surprisingly successful performance on his apparent comfort with a new political process.

A new political process that encourages people to use the internet to become take part in it.

Many people have heard the call and placed themselves within the process. Some have added themselves to the process through the creation of sites like Conservapedia, a website that markets itself as a Wikipedia for conservatives. Others, like the creator of the "Vote Different"ad, Phillip Vellis, use technology to change the process itself. Even blogs like those of Daily Kos ,Andrew Sullivan, Scripting News and Instapundit and even smaller ones like this one attempt to observe the process and almost like Heisenberg they change it by observing it.

All of these changes to the process encourage people to take part. Most importantly, it encourages people to take part in whichever manner they are most comfortable. Barack Obama can testify to the success that comfort with the idea of dialogue can bring. However, if you listen closely you can still hear the ghosts of John McCain and Howard Dean's 2004 bids warning to beware any magic bullet that can guarantee losing 20lbs overnight or political success.

Undoubtedly there exists an enthusiastic blogger or technologist willing to claim that this election cycle comfort with the digital dialogue is enough to guarantee success. This enthusiastic blogger, however, is willing to claim that this election cycle, discomfort with the digital dialogue is enough to guarantee failure.