A little over three months ago, I wrote a column for Townhall about the GOP’s pathetic attempt at online fundraising. Having spent the months leading up to the 2006 election as a founding participant with Rightroots, the ABC PAC-created fundraising mechanism for bloggers, it was particularly frustrating to see little innovation in the months following the GOP’s shellacking.

I’ve tried to remain patient, as I was told repeatedly that a conservative version of ActBlue would soon arrive. It appears that moment is now upon us. The good news is that conservatives won’t have just one online fundraising tool to use. There will be at least three choices and possibly more.

The newest kid on the block made an impressive splash today. It’s called Big Red Tent, and with an endorsement from RedState, it instantly took the lead over its rivals. Being the first out of the gate no doubt has its advantages, not to mention that founders Ryan Gravatt and Brad Jackson have been perfecting it for two years. Big Red Tent’s name alone should appeal to all factions in the GOP — something that hindered Rightroots’ success last year.

Speaking of which, a new-and-improved version of Rightroots is nearing completion, I’m told. I don’t know when we’ll see it launch, but the key players behind ABC PAC haven’t given up hope on their baby. They clearly have an advantage having already been through one election cycle. But that also means they also have the most to prove.

Also on the horizon is the launch of Slatecard, a joint project of David All and Sendhil Panchadsaram. They’ve been working on it for the past couple of months and, based on what I could gather from a comment David left on RedState today, will be launching fairly soon. “Good to see there are other fish in the sea working toward the same ends. May the best fish win.”

I’m not sure any one of these sites will ultimately “win,” but I’m certainly enjoying the show. As I’ve said repeatedly, including yesterday, I’m all for competition when it comes to new technology. Best of luck to all three vehicles and the people behind them.