The Web on the Candidates

• Reaction to McCain Muted : The tubes were notably quiet on the right last night just after Senator John McCain's acceptance speech, but Red State's Erick Erickson perhaps summed up what response there was: "This past evening, Senator McCain walked down the stage and accepted the Republican nomination for President. Then he spoke. It was not a great speech. John McCain is no Sarah Palin. He is, however, a hard worker." You have to imagine that, no matter the slight to the top of the ticket, after the rough introductory week McCain's VP pick got the words "John McCain is no Sarah Palin" in any context is music to the campaign's ears. Perhaps the quiet is explained by convention fatigue. Maybe it's that the Palin speech provoked such a rush of emotion that there wasn't must left in the well for McCain. But we'll see today and in the next several days if the McCain speech moves the needle much on this election. Keep an the RNC08 Tracker, put together by the David All Group, to get a taste for the reaction to his address on Twitter. #

• Palin's Base Backfire?: Our own Micah Sifry was right. As Micah predicted, Sarah Palin's speech spurred a major fundraising haul -- on the Democratic side. While her address on Wednesday night and its fiery attack on Barack Obama immediately preceded a one-day Democratic fundraising haul of a reported $10 million dollars. According to the Obama campaign, that marks a contribution record. As Micah wrote, Palin's speech, in which she mocked the idea of community organizers, may have tweaked some in that world into mobilizing a pushback that involved opening their wallets for the Obama-Biden ticket. #
  

• Polls to Go: CrunchGear's Devin Coldewey points us to a new iPhone application that tracks '08 voter polls and electoral vote estimates in real time. For just $.99, you can be ridiculously current with the latest political numbers. Got another buck burning a hole in your pocket? Then you can also get your hands on a McCain or Obama inauguration countdown clock. #

• The Power of the Microblogging Press: Some of the most insightful reporting on last night's acceptance speech by John McCain was being done by Twittering reporters conveying the news in 140 characters or less. Now we have a growing list of journalists at newspapers big and small who are tweeting the news. (via David Cohn) Take particular note of political reporters at some of the more local papers who might provide just the insight you're craving into local races or issues. On a similar tip, Mashable's Adam Hirsch reports that CNN is making major moves in the Twitter space, with some anchors even asking on-air for tweeted feedback to the stories they report. #

The Candidates on the Web

• The Green Screen of Death: Forget substance. Forget, even, the delivery of the words that flowed out of John McCain's mouth last night. Just what in the heck was up with that glowing green display that loomed behind him? First off, it was distracting in its garishness. But put a politician in front of a green screen, and you're pretty much begging for folks to fire up their Photoshop and get creative. Stephen Colbert has had fun with McCain's use of a green backdrop in the past, and, we're betting may well do so again in a bid to spice up his speech. #

In Case You Missed It...

Nancy Scola looks at how protesters at the RNC in St. Paul are using mobile tools to organize and outfox police by spreading logistical information far and wide.

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