In the democratic race, is it really a surprise the win was taken by the candidate who has been using the Internet to energize young voters and brings a fresh appeal to politics? Barack Obama has embraced the Internet as a tool to target, reach and inspire voters to take action.  So far the Internet has seemed  an awkward dance for Hillary Clinton and indeed the Iowa caucus numbers show she has underperformed.

For the republicans, the impact of the Internet is less clear as no candidates have been seriously focused on using the web to an advantage. It is reported that Mitt Romney outspent Mike Huckabee 10:1 in Iowa, paying $10 million for the privilege of getting hammered in the final numbers.  How much of that was tossed into the empty hole of traditional media?

Obama gets it. His campaign is highly engaged on the Internet and right now he is on his way to spending time in the oval office. Does Huckabee get Internet politics too? Voted to the top by a base of evangelicals in Iowa, can Huckabee become an Internet evangelist to reach beyond his current constituency?