I've written about SightSpeed several times in the past, and done a couple of interviews and many conversations with CEO Peter Csathy, who's becoming a good friend.  Now SightSpeed has a new, important angle that I've alluded to in the past - enabling election campaign communications.

To start things rolling, here's a post from IP Democracy, a site focued on Innovative Thinking About IP Media and Society.

New Campaign Tool: Targeted Video Emails

The mid-term elections of 2006 will go down in the history books as a watershed in new technology campaigning. MySpace, YouTube, text messaging, Second Life and, of course, blogs play, if not lead, then important supporting roles in the campaigns of almost all candidates at every level of government. Now, Internet video phone company SightSpeed is hoping another trend catches on with candidates: video email.

SightSpeed is best known for its web-based video calling or conferencing service, a free option that delivers pretty good two-way video communications. (Just like Skype, SightSpeed offers its free service in the hopes that consumers will upgrade to premium options). SightSpeed offers a video email service, also free (but again with premium upgrades), and it’s this option that at least one political campaign has deployed.

Campaign strategists for Democrat John Garamendi, who is running for Lieutenant Governor in California, decided to send a video message from the candidate to around 1,100 supporters as a test of the service. The video, embedded as a link in emails, worked well, according to Garamendi’s Director of Strategy and Outreach Terry Leach.

Garamendi's approach got positive reaction from some. Particularly from the recipients. It got less warm reception from others, but some candidates are more adept with technology than others. For some this will be a powerful tool.

My oldest son works in politics. It's his career. Here's an excerpt from his post Technology Meets Politics in California

As someone who works in politics, and has just recently started checking out SightSpeed, I’m excited about the possibilities that CEO Peter Csathy and his team have made available to my colleagues in the political world. This is just the beginning.

As a follow up to this story, I'll be chatting with both Dan Miller, Chairman of SightSpeed, and Terry Leach, Outreach & Strategy Director for the Garamendi for Lt. Governor Campaign. As it looks now, I'll talk with both of them tomorrow and will have a written interview, oro fi we can get the logistics working, a podcast, online tomorrow.