Polifluentials, IPDI

The Institute for Politics, Democracy, and the Internet seems to be the leading authority on the growth and influence of Internet politics. Much of their work provides insight into this growing field from those who have worked so hard to establish it.

Polifluentials attempts to define the new inluencers in political campaigns. Much of what is brought to light through the the survey discussed in Polifluentials are hackneyed points driven home in every IPDI publication: The use of the internet in political campaigns is growing. More and more politically active people are getting their news from the internet. Blogs are becoming more powerful as agenda setting tools. Social networking utilities have become potent political organizing tools.
These truths are made clear through every IPDI publication. So what makes Polifluentials different?

Polifluentials is well discussed with another work assigned earlier this semester. Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point outlined those amongst us who act in special social capacities as bridges for social phenomenons. Those of us who help to connect and to drive new trends. Those who Gladwell calls 'connectors' and 'mavens' are welcomed into the online world in Polifluentials as 'politicals', 'influencers, and of course 'polifluentials'.

What makes the wooing of 'polifluentials' so attactive, is their ability build for a candidate or a campaign a strong online presence which will result in a stronger offline volunteer and activist base. This contribution of 'polifluentials' to the broad discussion on the influence of internet and politics is valuable. We then must ask what the emergence of such a group of activists truly means for political campaigns. This is still unclear. While it's undoubtedly true that 'polifluentials' can have a very positive effect on a candidate, it's difficult to say what kind of negative effect they can inflict on a candidate. Online organizations like MoveOn have tried to beat candidates before and failed, Joe Lieberman being the prime example.

What's important to realize is that this communiy is still growing in influence and in politicay maturity and savvy. I have no doubt that a time will come when some of the most truly inluential 'politicos' do most of their work online.