Virtual Edwards HQ Virtually Vandaled

Well this is a new level of strange. An Edwards '08 supporter (not officially affiliated with the campaign) created a virtual headquarters for the Edwards campaign in the virtual reality world Second Life, only to have it defaced by vandals hours later. I can't decide who's nerdier: the guy (you know it's a guy) who created a campaign HQ in a virtual world or the guy who went to the trouble of messing it up?

For the most part, this is just a funny little blippy thing that happens on the Internet these days and effects no one. But the site TechPresident.com, which allows bloggers to comment (in a bi-partisan way of course) on potential candidates' Web sites or MySpace friend counts, brings up a good point. If candidates do start using these virtual venues to connect people to their campaigns, who is going to protect them from Tha Haters?

I don't think we need to concern ourselves too much about this. I can't really see McCain or Ron Paul building themselves a kick-ass Avatar. But it is an interesting idea to think that a campaign candidate could be born, built, and promoted in a virtual world, and he or she could quickly become a rousing success or a pitiful failure, all without ever shaking a single hand.