When it came to what they actually did, however, the nerds of New Media were cold realists. “We never do something just because it’s cool,” the campaign’s official blogger, Sam Graham-Felsen, told a NEWSWEEK reporter. “We’re always nerdily getting something out of it.” He showed off the Obama ‘08 iPhone application. With its deep Obama blues, correct fonts and glassy graphics, it looked like an electronic bauble for the well-heeled voter. Closer inspection revealed a sophisticated data-mining operation. Tap the top button, “call friends,” and the software would take a peek at your phonebook and rearrange it in the order that the campaign was targeting states, so that friends who had, say, Colorado or Virginia area codes would appear at the top. With another tap, the Obama supporter could report back essential data for a voter canvass (“left message,” “not interested,” “already voted,” etc.). It all went into a giant database for Election Day.

—Lengthy Newseek report on the 2008 Election