PolitiWidget

KEEP a running commentary of comments being sent to your favorite (or least favorite) candidate with Jott the Vote.com's widget (see below).

The widget constantly updates with the calls being made and emailed to candidates through Jott, a site that connects campaigns and constituents. Jott makes it all too simple to copy the code for a candidate's widget to your personal Web site.

It's microcosm of the props and problems with campaigning on the web. There is immediate access, a permanent political debate you can constantly keep up with. But, since the jotts are sent with the ease of a quick phone call and the comments never censored, the 'debate' sometimes turns vitriolic and petty (check out a Clinton widget).

I haven't seen any jott widgets out there yet, so I'm curious if the idea is taking off. In theory, they're great, but since you get both the hateful and the helpful comments sent to your politician, I can't see the widgets working on anything other than general election sites and blogs. If they do get out there onto MySpace or other popular blogs and sites, I think they'd be successful baiting the younger set to do a little more research. The more ... passionate...comments on them definitely draw people in and get you reading, and hopefully wanting to actually learn about the issues--exactly the gateway function that makes the widget as effective as the cover of a magazine. But I won't hold my breath.