On February 1st, I used a new account to sign up for email from 25 potential prez candidates from both parties to study their use of the medium. Here's a summary of what I've found:

1. Most of the candidates have studied how email was used in the 2004 prez campaigns and have adopted elements that worked

2. Just like with their websites, nobody has offered anything innovative or interesting. (If even to engage the press or DC insiders only, you would think they would be putting more attention and energy into their mass emails) ...

The Republican National Committee just launched a new online game called Scariest Democrat, a Halloween-themed contest attacking the Democratic presidential field that invites visitors to "click on the Scariest Democrat." Complete with creepy sound-effects, the site drew 65,000 visitors by 4pm on its first day, and RNC e-campaign manager Cyrus Krohn told Marc Ambinder that "nearly 9,000 people had spent the time to give the RNC their e-mail address in order to vote." But DNC internet director Josh McConaha isn't impressed by the RNC's numbers, and points to the Dems' recent online campaign for S-Chip that, he says, was as much as 16 times as effective at mobilizing supporters.

Getting ready for tonight's CNN/YouTube debate; it's good to see all of the Republicans participating, and the introduction of user-submitted videos is a welcome change, but we're still wishing it involved the public in the question selection process; debate executive producer David Borhman continues to be skeptical of allowing the pubic to choose the questions; UStream is becoming a significant player in online political video; James Kotecki takes a bath, guest curates YouTube's front page; the DNC announces a new video library of Republican campaign appearances; John Edwards launches a new anti-lobbyist project; and Hillary and Barack both teach their supporters how to caucus.

So the winners in NH or Clinton and McCain, much to everyone's surprise. Mike Connery has an excellent explanation for Clinton's success among young voters; Jeff Jarvis wonders if Obama could be the first candidate elected by the Internet; Todd Zeigler reviews Obama's revamped site design, and likes what he sees; Jose Antonio Vargas investigates the netroots' tepid support for Obama; Hillary Clinton suddenly voices support for government bloggers and transparency; and the RNC and DNC post stale responses to last night's victories.

MoveOn.org Political Action is hiring, looking for someone to work "on the development of cutting edge online organizing tools." The job description lays out an ambitious but not unrealistic plan for the giant e-group, and hints at some significant upgrades in its integration of technology in its field organizing. Can the Right match it?

Edwards endorses Obama, and we first found out about it on Twitter, of course; where was Elizabeth Edwards last night?; Edwards takes advantage of the renewed media glare to promote his own project; Edwards for AG? Maybe. VP? Don't bet on it; Sarah Stirland on the guy who produced the viral Obama smear video; Dean announces the DNC's "State Blogger Corps"; Marc Ambinder on Obama's understanding of the web; and Obama wields an iPhone. Is that thing a 3G model?

BlogHer interviews Barack Obama; a literary deconstruction of an anti-Obama smear; Brave New Films hits McCain with another biting video; blowback from the DNCC's choices for credentialed state bloggers; get your Jews For Jews Against "Jews For Obama" t-shirts now!; tracking the Democratic veepstakes on Technorati; McCainPedia claims to be a wiki. It isn't; and The Road to Victory goes behind the scenes in all 33 Democratic Senate races.

A quick note about the Law of Unintended Consequences in action: A post on Crooks and Liars earlier this afternoon reported that the RNC's Facebook group had surpassed the DNC's group in membership, and the RNC was actively shopping the story around to reporters. The progressive Netroots hit back swiftly.

Citizen-journalists chosen by Decision '08, contest for "Why are you a Democrat/Republican," what do pollworkers of the 21st Century look like?, fears of security threats at the Democratic National Convention, Twitter scandal erupts over fake "speakerpelosi" account, and coded messages directed at Evangelicals in John McCain's "The One" ad.

New vs. Traditional media is apples and oranges, Cybersecurity advice for the next President, DNC responds to "Democrats Praising McCain" ad, McCain offers prizes to spammers and realizes his recent YouTube dominance, and the #dontgo Twitter debate continues...