PoliticsUSA
Excitement grows as the 1996 presidential campaign gathers momentum. The various twists and turns that plague competitors along the campaign trail have already claimed a few casualties. Wishy-washy California Governor Pete Wilson dropped out early, followed by General Colin Powell who withdrew his tentative probe of electoral viability. Still, a full field of mostly elderly white males persists, striking ridiculous poses to capture the hearts and minds of the body politic. The question is, Where you will take your seat to observe The Great American Spectacle. Newspapers, TV news, radio, and magazines all have their various well-established box seats. And you can bet the Internet, the new media kid on the block, has some pretty cush skyboxes too.

PoliticsUSA is an online resource that intends to offer complete coverage of politics in America. It transcends simple reporting, and leverages the interactivity of the Web to provide public resources unavailable via other mediums. Steve Hull, President and CEO of PoliticsUSA, says the Internet is the "most important development in politics since the coming of television, and that ultimately it could be even more important." Hull wants PoliticsUSA to be the premier place where people express opinions, communicate with candidates, contribute to public polls, and receive up-to-the-minute campaign information. Perhaps if PoliticsUSA positions itself correctly, voting in the 21st century will be as simple as pointing your browser to the left or right.

The news on the site is extensive, professionally presented, and covers hourly headlines as well as analysis of specific candidates. A section on big issues provides a quick device for help in finding out a candidate's position, and a list of schedules will give you fair warning on when your town may be visited by a campaigning contender. Once the primaries kick in gear, expect this site buzz.-WKC



Dole Watch
As the presidential election approaches, those with an active interest in the contest will be looking for ammunition to support their man. This page offers plenty of irreverent firepower for the anti-Bob Dole camp. In fact, anybody interested in Dole, liberal or conservative, would probably find this site interesting. There is not a huge amount of material here, but I suspect the site will grow rapidly as the presidential race heats up.-BB

B+

Earth First ! Journal
I imagine the Internet presents Earth First! with quite a dilemma. The environmental group's Luddite members probably have a hard time with their online presence. Then again, the Web does offer certain advantages over traditional means of communication, especially for a group with such a strong do-it-yourself philosophy. Perhaps the group compromised by posting the Earth First! journal in a text-only format - much better than reading it on dead trees. If you're into radical environmentalism EF! style, the site is probably worth a read. It may not hold much appeal for others.-BB

D+

Electronic Town Hall Project
The Electronic Town Hall Project is an Internet Relay Chat channel devoted to discussing the agenda of United We Stand America, the populist group led by Ross Perot that is trying to establish a third political party. This site intends to introduce newcomers to IRC in general, and the Project specifically. You'll find links to IRC-related articles, transcripts of Town Hall sessions, and info on Town Hall participants. If you're interested in this project, you'll find this to be a trove of information. However, it is not well-organzied, and you won't find any fancy graphics.-BB

B+

">National Party
The National Party: It *sounds* innocuous enough. But sometimes letter bombs come in plain brown wrappers. Dig the mission statement: "The National Party is a political and social organization which actively represents, protects and advances the interests of White people in America. It is committed to being the foremost driving force for White separatism" Bigoted venom aside, this graphically barren site is well-written, easily navigated, and concise. Tell all your racist friends! -JP

C

Political Theory on the Internet
This site is a collection of links to the major contributions of big-name political theorists. For each of the dozen or so theorists listed, you'll find a portrait, a discussion of the theorist's life and major ideas, and links to original works. There is also a page of links to political theory resources. While this site lacks extensive content, those with an interest in political theory may find this to be a great clearing house for information. You'll find complete texts, not excerpts.-BB

A-

">Reform Party of Canada
This site presents a comprehensive, compelling argument for a unified Canada, and last year asked readers to cast "no" votes during the referendum on sovereignty for Quebec. As you may or may not know, unionists squeaked by with a 1 percent margin. My friends and I were crushed. We applauded the sheer weirdness of the insurrection, and were looking forward to knowing very little about not one, but two, northern neighbors. Links are available in both English and French - perhaps a concession to woo back the disenfranchised. -JP

A-

Turn Left
"Liberal" is a term that's bandied about a lot nowadays, but few know what it means. This site addresses this shortcoming by providing a solid introduction to Liberalism. The site also offers a large number of links to Democratic Party organizations and hundreds of other groups that set liberal philosophies to action. I can only criticize the message wall section: It desperately needs a decent visual interface, and is aesthetically boring.-BB

B+

">Upstream
Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Upstream is "home for the intellectually heterodox, the politically incorrect, and other independent thinkers."It's also a thorough compendium of scholarly, far-right-wing philosophy. A search utility eases travel, and you can opt to receive automatic e-mail alerting you to site updates. Though a lot of the material centers on South Africa, Upstream is nonetheless a requisite stop for rabid social Darwinists and the people who keep them in check. -JP

B

Votelink
Sooner or later, it was bound to happen: Someone would develop a dedicated polling site for the Web. This site gives you the chance to vote on select issues of the day. How do *you* feel about primary elections in Arizona? What about the demise of "Calvin and Hobbes"? You can view voting results, as well as read and post comments. I found the interface quite confusing. -BB

B+

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