... And he wants to give a year's supply of it away to you if you win the latest from American Solutions, the "Free Gas Video Contest."

In a YouTube video announcing the contest, we get a glimpse of the softer / lighter side of Newt Gingrich as he "busts" an intern watching clips on YouTube (only to be "busted" doing the same):

Clever. Funny. Easy to produce. Effective for the medium. Good work Newt, David Kralik and Tim Cameron.

As for me, I ditched the Bimmer this past January and have never been so happy relying on my feet, cabs, the metro, and ZipCar to get me where I need to go. So, I'm not sure what I'd do with all that gas... but certainly a solid incentive for the rest of ya.

Earlier this year, I blogged quite a bit about Second Life because I think that the notion of a 3D Internet has promise. However, I've struggled to pay much attention to it because Second Life remains stuck in its infancy with way too many flaws to be relevant in the 2008 political cycle. In short, I recognize the potential, it's just not where it needs to make the jump to the mainstream.

There's a story in today's Politico which takes quite a few shots at those politicians willing to even try the new technology. The only nugget which I actually found interesting was this:

[Newt] Gingrich, who is considered a leader in the Second Life political movement, said he has publicly urged Republicans to join up, but the party has been slow to respond, while Democrats have charged forward. “I think Republicans are now playing catch-up,” he said.

Newt explained how he views Second Life--or more importantly, the promise of a 3D Internet--earlier this year in a speech on the West Front of the Capitol Lawn (in Second Life). Here's a report from a Second Lifer worth watching:

I agree with Newt today as I did back in January in a blog post I wrote on how Republicans could engage the space:

A few folks in the tech + politics business who matter, including RNC eCampaign Director Patrick Ruffini and Personal Democracy Forum’s Micah Sifry, are extremely skeptical about politicians jumping in to their Second Life.

I’m in a different category. I don’t think Republicans can afford to cede any ground to Democrats, especially in modern, exponentially growing communities like Second Life and whatever else tomorrow will bring. At the very least, we need to keep a close eye on successes and failures in Second Life and learn from Second Lifers — like Nancy Scola — about what is on the horizon.

After all, we don’t live in a brave new world folks. We live in a modern world populated by you, me, and millions of our closest friends. We shouldn’t be afraid to reach out and touch someone.

However, until the technology catches up with "brave" souls like Newt Gingrich, I doubt we'll expect to see much traction worth noting. This egg isn't ready to hatch.

Those who are measuring the use of Web 2.0 technologies by Republicans may need a new yardstick soon, given conservatives rapid adoption of everything from Facebook applications to the virtual reality world Second Life.

Tomorrow, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will host a series of seminars dubbed Solutions Day. While the actual events will take place in Atlanta, Gingrich and his organization have pulled together an impressive network of companion events across the country. The grassroots nature of these events is impressive in and of itself, and the content of the presentations is sure to be thought provoking, but what is most revolutionary about Solutions Day is that it will also take place in Second Life.

Second Life is a virtual world that has been the focus of much debate in corporate marketing. While many people invest countless hours working, living, and playing in Second Life, it has not caught on in the mainstream the way other social media platforms such as Facebook have.

According to the Solutions Day website, "Since Solutions Day is the beginning of the next movement, it made sense that American Solutions rent the virtual West front of the U.S. Capitol to hold a workshop in Second Life on September 27 where 13 years to the day earlier the Contract with America was signed on the steps on the real West end of Capitol."

The Solutions Day virtual workshop will take place at 2:00 pm EDT on September 27. More information can be found on the American Solutions website at www.americansolutions.com.

In addition to Gingrich's foray into the virtual world, a conservative PAC is reaching out to the Facebook world. RedStormPAC has developed a Facebook application that will allow small donors to contribute to conservative candidates utilizing "the 'long tail' of online fundraising."

I've written in the past about why Republicans need Facebook, and actually wrote a "bonus tip" urging conservative web gurus to develop Facebook applications. Facebook is the platform today to connect with and motivate online political activists. In addition to posting links, starting groups, and advertising on Facebook, creating an actual application can bring measurable ROI to a campaign's online efforts.

On their website, RedStormPAC focuses on Virginia races. This would suggest that if one state-based PAC can build a fundraising mechanism through Facebook, web developers in other states or working on a national level will likely follow suit.

Each day, emerging technologies provide new opportunities for conservatives to reach their target audiences and gain a competitive advantage in campaigns at all levels. Whether holding a press conference in front of a virtual U.S. Capitol or asking a network of friends for small donations, the next evolution of campaigning is clearly taking place at the intersection of communications and the Internet.