When John Kerry stood up to accept his party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Boston last month his website was receiving more than 5000 hits per second. The internet is becoming a potent force in politics as politicians learn how to exploit it. They're not only using it in the most obvious way - to get their policies across to the wider electorate - but also to raise money. The internet is now the largest source of money for the Kerry campaign, yielding $44 million from March to May this year (see Graph). On the day he accepted the Democratic nomination, Kerry raised a record $5.6 million through credit card donations on his website (www.johnkerry.com). Bloggers (web loggers) are also beginning to make a difference in some election campaigns, raising money and creating a buzz.
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