1-Click candidates

Amazon.com's latest contribution to online "commerce": You can now contribute to presidential candidates' campaigns using its patented 1-Click easy-shopping system.

According to the FAQ, the company is "trying to take the friction out of grass-roots contributions" by "making it as easy for people to contribute as it is to buy the latest Harry Potter."

I'll leave it to the real pundits to debate whether it's a good idea to turn lending financial support to a potential leader of the free world into an impulse buy.

However, I will say that it does seem to be a logical -- if rather surprising -- application of the online retailer's basic technology. It's also an intriguing step in the evolution of the interactive voters' guide: not only can you learn about a candidate's stance on the issues, but you can show your support right on the spot.

And, in true Amazon.com fashion, you can see just how much each candidate has raised and how many contributions have been made to his or her campaign. That's probably at least as interesting as, and no less reliable than, many other unofficial indicators of which way the political winds are blowing.