The past few months have been fascinating ones for political observers — and not just because “third time was the charm” for conservatives who have bitterly protested Anderson County’s past decade of overweening and ineffectual political “leadership.”

We’re proud that the Independent-Mail and Independentmail.com provided local residents an awesome array of reporting and other information on the candidates and their stands in the run-up to elections for the city of Anderson as well as the party primaries for county, state and federal races — not to mention a venue for their political advertising.

More questionably, that information appears to have stoked the robust, wide-ranging and sometimes raucous debate that has raged in Anderson’s new “talksphere,” the ground zero for the politically engaged on the left and the right.

The toppling of three progressive Anderson County Council members obviously was the result of the victorious candidates’ hard work.

But it’s not a stretch to suggest the strength of the protest vote was tied to an echo-chamber effect, where the incessant chatter from a few “celebrity” pundits had a major influence on voters.

The talksphere had its start in the daily rants on local talk radio station WAIM-AM’s morning show, and many still believe that ultra-conservative host Rick Driver is some form of Rasputin-in-waiting.

The Cocklebur, an online talk community that grew out of this column, gave Anderson its first home for respectable political chatter, at least by Internet standards, becoming the secret click of business and community leaders, political junkies and even everyday folks who want to hear the voice of the grass roots.

Since The Cocklebur’s founding in March 2006, more than 600 members have generated more than 40,900 posts, and its relaunch last week at www.thecocklebur.net promises to keep it on a steady growth path.

But that steady stream of local discussion and dissent became a flood when comments were enabled for registered users of Independentmail.com. This year alone, we’ve seen 14,587 comments on stories there, nearly half of them in the last six weeks.

Candidates are learning that they ignore the talksphere at their peril. Anderson County Council District 1 Republican runoff contender Raymond MacKay chose The Cocklebur Forum to answer critics of his decision to vote in a Democratic presidential primary.

It’s easy to bemoan this turn of events. But gossip wasn’t invented with the Internet.

Remember, it was Winston Churchill who said that a lie can travel halfway round the world before truth can get its pants on.

I like to think that at least the truth has earlier warning now — and a chance to catch up.