Eli Pariser responds

Yahoo! readers wrote in this week with questions and comments for Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org's Political Action. Thanks to everyone for contributing and to Mr. Pariser for participating.

Readers' posts covered many different topics, including MoveOn's support of certain candidates, how the Internet can be used to motivate people on issues, and the future of elections.

Eli Pariser, right, speaks with the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut, Ned Lamont, at left, and his wife, Annie Lamont, second from left, in New York on Aug. 26. (AP/Douglas Healey)

The interview took place in Mr. Pariser's home office in Maine with questions being asked by Talk to Power Producer Ilyse Veron.

Below is a breakout of questions and Mr. Pariser's responses to them.

Big Issues for Americans

Many Yahoo! readers noted MoveOn's close association with the Democratic party. One reader asked if the organization was just "preaching to the choir."

See Mr. Pariser's response.

Common Concerns 

One reader asked: "Why doesn't your organization make an effort to find some common ground on which to rebuild the nation's trust in our political process?"

See Mr. Pariser's response.

On the use of the Internet 

For the first time since we've launched Talk to Power, Yahoo! readers began commenting about the power of technology, particularly on the Internet.

One wrote: "There are blogs, chatrooms, MySpace.com, e-mails, text messages but with all the buzz, what is really going on? It seems to me that speed is being valued over depth in terms of discussions. Do you agree? How can we use technology in a way that leads to productive and intelligent political dialouge and not just unproductive polarizing arguments?" 

See Mr. Pariser's response.

On the electoral process

A reader asked, "What do you think of Approval Voting (where each candidate is voted 'approve' or 'disapprove' instead of selecting one favorite candidate)? This would allow people to vote for third-party candidates without 'throwing away' their vote. Do you think this would help remind the major parties that there are more options than the two (or one) they represent?"

See Mr. Pariser's response.

Online voting 

Finally, a reader asks what the future of elections might hold:

"Do you think it would ever be possible for direct election of representatives via the Internet? In any case, it would be ideal, IMHO, that each vote would count equally.... Can you imagine such a system? What does it look like?"   

See Mr. Pariser's response.

Thanks again to all the participants.