ONNURI - As of Saturday, John Edwards’s campaign to become the Democratic nominee for President of the United States of America has been underway for six days. In Second Life, anyway. Mark Warner was the first politician to make use of SL as a campaign stop, but Edwards is the first to launch a full-fledged presence inworld.

Jose Rote is the primary contact for the Edwards 2008 campaign inworld, and he is officially charged with running the SL campaign by Edwards’s real life campaign. He spoke at length regarding Edwards, the campaign, SL, and the future. The campaign headquarters in the Onnuri sim is a work in progress. Rote stressed the nature of this project, emphasizing that it is, and is meant to be, a grassroots effort, involving people from all over the world who are interested in Edward's ability to “bring people together that you would usually think of as being on opposing sides.”

The Presidential campaign has gotten off to an early start this cycle, and many Americans are looking for a clear front-runner in the race. So far, no one has taken a clear lead, but Edwards hopes that the presence he is creating in SL through Rote will help establish him as the leader of the pack among the residents of SL.

Net Neutrality is going to be at the forefront of Edwards’s SL campaign. Rote said, “Avatars don’t eat or sleep but they do lag.” If Net Neutrality laws flag, smaller companies like Linden Lab may be unable to pay the high fees associated with greater bandwidth and faster service, and users of SL will be the ones to pay the price. “While I can’t promise that Edwards could do away with lag, I can tell you that he would support Net Neutrality, and that would ensure that the problem wouldn’t worsen,” Rote added.

In addition to Net Neutrality, the issue of the so-called digital divide – the fact that, because of cost, access to technology and the internet is basically limited to the wealthier members of society – will be addressed in Edwards’s inworld campaign. “There are so many great services and opportunities that technology offers us today,” said Rote. “But, because of poverty and the digital divide, only those who are already at an advantage get to enjoy the advantages of these new worlds.” In RL, Edwards has campaigned strongly for the use of technology to better the world, and has championed causes that work to eliminate poverty.

There are other issues that Rote and the Edwards campaign staff believe will translate well to the virtual world of SL. “Homelessness is another big [issue],” Rote commented. “We can use SL to bring attention to the problem of homelessness in America, maybe by giving away virtual homes to residents. It’s a way to engage people and make them consider real problems in a fun way without making light of the seriousness of the problem.” Camp Darfur in SL is an excellent example of how a virtual world can be used to open people’s eyes to problems in a very real way while still keeping them in a relative comfort zone, says Rote.

Currently, Edwards has an avatar (John Edwards) but has not made any official inworld appearances. Rote said that the Edwards Campaign Headquarters in SL had not yet officially opened. Perhaps Edwards will attend the ribbon cutting. “Right now, we’re still organizing, getting people to come together for this,” said Rote. He encourages people to join the group “John Edwards 2008” in SL. Members of this group will help set the course for the SL campaign. It is, after all, a campaign from the ground up.

Rote suggested that not just Americans should be interested in Edwards’s campaign. “Our climate is dissolving,” he said. “Edwards will work with businesses and individuals to help repair the environment.” Recent reports have ended dispute as to whether there is a climate crisis, and Rote indicated that solving the problem as soon as is possible is on Edwards’s mind, and will play a key role in his campaign. “People all over the world are affected by America’s decisions regarding climate change,” he said. Surely, the 2008 American Presidential race will be watched closely the world over.

Once Edwards’s SL campaign is underway, Rote hopes to have inworld meet and greets, question and answer sessions and more that involve Edwards himself. There are seats, a podium, and freebies waiting for the many avatars Edwards hopes to draw to his inworld rallies. There is even a way for SL residents to send email to Edwards. For more information on John Edwards’s campaign and issues that affect SL and the world, visit John Edwards Campaign Central (Onnuri 169, 25, 87) or contact Jose Rote.