• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, April 4, 2007

Getting a jump on the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, News Corp.'s MySpace plans to host a general presidential vote on Jan. 1 and 2 of next year. The move is the latest attempt by MySpace and its rivals to engage users in what is certain to be a fiery election where online components will play a significant role.

The vote corresponds with a MySpace Impact, a page launched last month and dedicated to aggregating candidates' official profiles, as well as an online voter registration drive launched last year. (For the drive, MySpace partnered with a nonpartisan/nonprofit group named Declare Yourself.)

In the same vein, YouTube earlier this year launched its You Choose '08 Web page, which brings together the individual video channels created by U.S. presidential hopefuls including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. Candidates can post videos addressing particular issues, while users can submit video and written comments for possible posting.

With the virtual vote, MySpace also encroaches further onto MTV's terrain as the voice of young people. MTV, which has had difficulty tailoring its programming to what many now call the "YouTube Generation," has for years tried to tap viewers' activist sensibilities with its "Rock The Vote" initiatives.

"I think this is a fantastic way to engage young people," said Forrester Research analyst Peter Kim. "The driving force behind social networking--that people want to be heard and connect--is bound to have a huge impact on future political races."

How well does MySpace represent the overall U.S. adult population? Well, while MySpace's registration system is far from fail-safe, comScore Media Metrics reports the site has some 65 million monthly U.S. visitors, 85% of whom are of voting age.

It's also important for political consultants to note that MySpace users 18-and-up exhibit a high level of efficacy and are three times more likely to interact online with a public official or candidate, according to Nielsen//NetRatings.

In addition, MySpace users are 42% more likely to watch politically related online video, 35% more likely to research politics online, and 44% more likely to listen to political audio online.

For the record, the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary are scheduled for Jan. 14 and Jan. 21, respectively.

Sensing the sea change in national politics, candidates have been campaigning online since January. Sen. John Edwards' blog ads, for example, began appearing that month on political sites like Daily Kos, AmericaBlog, and Crooks and Liars.

At the same time, Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign also began running ads on blogs more in line with his conservative views like OutsideTheBeltway.com, RightWingNews.com, and the Townhall.com blog network.