Colin Delany -- the founder of epolitics.com and a former legislative staffer in Texas -- has written a new guide on how to use the Internet to campaign for office.

This free manual -- available for download here -- puts particular emphasis on lessons that down ballot candidates can gain from exploring the examples of the Obama campaign and other efforts in 2008.

Delany has compiled information on how to choose the tools to power an online effort, how to go about building a following, and how to tap online supporters to become volunteers and donors.

While 2010 will be a very different election from 2008, there are still plenty of important that the winning strategies from previous races can be put to use by candidates looking to come out on top next year. For any campaign looking for a set of good ideas, Delany's new guide is a good place to start.