It is believed that the internet played a significant role in the 2008 presidential campaign. 74% of internet users went online to read or post information on the election. Americans mainly used the internet to see how the race was going and to get involved in political debates regarding the campaign and the candidates. About one in five internet users posted their thoughts on the campaign on an online forum such as a blog or social networking site, 45% of internet users went online to watch a video related to the campaign, and one in three internet users forwarded political content to others. From this information it is obvious to see that in fact, the internet did factor in to the 2008 campaign. People also turned to online news for a large amount of political information; nearly half of online political news consumers visited five or more distinct types of online news sites during the 2008 election cycle. But research has shown that people are beginning to prefer social media sites and blogs where they can publicize their own political views rather than reading news about politics. This could have a negative affect since blogs and social media sites publicize personal political opinions which may be distorted and can provide false information to the public.
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/6--The-Internets-Role-in-Campaign-2008.aspx
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