The Web on the Candidates

• Bachmann's Remarks Spark Netroots Retaliation: The full fury of the progressive netroots has turned on Minnesota Republican congressman Michelle Bachmann -- and it might put her House seat in jeopardy. This story begins with Bachmann going on MSNBC's Hardball and raising worries that Barack Obama might hold "anti-American views" and pal around with "people who hate America." [YouTube clip here.] That appearance lead to a spontaneous burst of anti-Bachmann fundraising, of which her Democratic challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg was the happy beneficiary. Tinklenberg has hauled in nearly half a million dollars since Friday, at least a quarter of that through ActBlue. That, of course, is no small potatoes in a House race, especially in the midwest. But with online fundraising, anyone from Minneapolis to Millinocket, Maine and beyond could kick in some change with a couple of clicks, even if they'd never heard of Congresswoman Bachmann before her sitdown with Chris Matthews. The local paper, the Star Tribune, put it this way: "Suddenly, Bachmann Race Looks Different." #

• Twittering Robocalls: The National Political Do Not Contact Registry's Shaun Dakin has picked up on the Twitter Vote Report idea and proposed using Twitter to track the automated campaign calls that have been in the news of late. Now, not all robocalls are negative, but the ones that are benefit from the air of mystery that a lone phone call can carry. Exposing them might help efforts to end caustic robos. Shaun's recommending the hashtag #robos, and that's being tracked on the Twitter visualization service Plodt. Other ways to pull back the curtain on robos? Record 'em and post the thing to YouTube. #

The Candidates on the Web

• Analysis of Obama's $150m September Haul: Wowza: The news today is that the Obama campaign raked in $150 million last month. That's a ton of money, and it frees Obama to compete in parts of the country where the math heretofore didn't make sense for a Democrat. In other words, it might be enough scratch to turn a photo-finish into a blowout. With the news, Micah Sifry highlights two important aspects of the $150 million small-donor based success. First, that more than a million people who had previously donated to the campaign reaffirmed their support for Obama last month. And second, evidence suggests that small donors make especially committed volunteers. ePolitics' Colin Delany also has a great look at the enduring power of small online donors. With the web, the nation of small donors amassed by the campaign is, Colin notes, able to respond in real time to campaign events -- creating a symbiotic relationship between a candidate and his allies. And that might give a Obama a ready base of support should he win come November 4th.#

• State of the Online Union: Here's your regular dose of "Obama's better on the web," this one from Roxana Tiron writing in the Hill. Not satiated? Here's another, this one from the San Francisco Chronicle's Matthew B. Stannard -- though that one gives a nod to McCain's social networking work. Money quote, from our own Micah Sifry: "Once you get a taste of this kind of participation, you think you go back home and watch Monday (Night) Football?"#

• McCain Maps a Personal Approach to Early Voting: One area online where McCain seems to to be besting Obama? Tearing down any roadblocks that keep supporters from voting early. The McCain team has been sending out clever personalized emails telling voters precisely how far their early polling place is from their house -- and step-by-step driving directions on how to get there, based off of the home address the campaign has on file for them. (Thanks Patrick Ruffini) #

• Faking It: Inside Campaign Micro-Comedy: Forget Tina Fey -- Twitter's FakeSarahPalin is the funniest take on the Republican vice presidential candidate going this cycle, and with a smarter political angle than SNL. (Full appreciation of FakeSarah's comedic genius only comes from consuming the full stream of tweets, but here's a taste: "So this is awkward... How do politely tell your boss they smell like feet and whiskey?") Washingtonian's Catherine Andrews has a fascinating sit down with the real people behind FSP as well as FakeJohnMcCain and FakeJoeBiden. Catherine reveals that all are DC-area progressives. As for FakeBarackObama, the account hasn't been updated in months. Dude's just not mockable. Just ask Fred Armisen. #

In Case You Missed It...

With official state election websites falling down on the job, Nancy Scola profiles six great sites that can actually help America vote this fall, from the League of Women Voter's Vote411.org to Google Maps powered by the Voting Information Project to the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Micah Sifry looks at the Obama campaign's Neighbor-to-Neighbor and the McCain campaign's Voter 2 Voter and proclaims that "Obama's tool is much more deeply embedded in the ecology of the internet than McCain's, by a factor of anywhere of a hundred to a thousand times."

And a hearty congratulations are in order. As Micah reports, our own Andrew Rasiej has just won the 2008 eDemocracy 2008 award at the World eDemocracy Forum in Paris. Well done, Andrew!