Why Political Bloggers Will Control the Electoral College in '08
Political blogs are a new medium that may have a significant effect on the upcoming Presidential election in 2008. Blogs started out as personal online journals. In the years prior to the last presidential election, blogs dedicated to politics began to appear. As the popularity increased, the writing began to be used as another tool in politics.
Recently, political blogs have become one of the most popular types on the internet. Most link to articles and add comments to support the bloggers position on an issue or about a particular candidate. They link to sources that can back up the position of the blogger with information or relevant statistics.
As blogs have become more mainstream, traditional media outlets have taken notice. News services and reporters have begun blogging. Political consultants now write blogs about political issues on a regular basis. Large group blogs such as The Huffington Post and the RedBlueBlog have cropped up with writings by many bloggers on one site. Politicians of both parties guest blog on these sites.
Candidates first used political blogs in the 2004 elections. Both John Kerry and George W. Bush had blogs on their websites. In the primary elections, Howard Dean and Wesley Clark were both blogging. Dean used blogs and his website successfully for fund raising. These candidates understood that this is an effective way to reach voters who may not be watching cable or network news. Younger voters may not be watching, but they are reading.
The 2004 South Dakota senate race was influenced, in part, by local blogs devoted to politics. Two well known bloggers routinely wrote favorably of the Republican candidate, John Thune. They also campaigned against Tom Daschle, the Democratic incumbent. Daschle was the leading Democrat in Congress, but lost his seat in that election. Later it was discovered that the two bloggers were paid by Thune’s campaign.
Blogs were initially seen as nothing more than partisan gossip, but are gaining credibility. Occasionally, bloggers actually break a story before the mainstream media. An example of this is the now infamous comments made by Senator Trent Lott about Strom Thurmond. Lott said that the country would have been better off if Thurmond had won the presidency in 1948.
Since Thurmond had campaigned on an anti-desegregation platform, this was perfect fodder for bloggers. Some began to investigate and found other interviews and documents to show the racism beneath the comment. Once the bloggers broke the story, the mainstream media picked it up. This eventually led to charges of racism and Lott eventually stepped down as Majority Leader.
Reading political blogs has benefits for voters, especially those who are undecided. Prior to the explosion in blogging, the undecided voter had to rely on debates between the candidates and information from the mainstream media to make a decision. The evening news too often resorts to sound bites when reporting on candidates. This can make it difficult to weigh the issues and differences between candidates. Reading a variety of political blogs from both parties can help crystallize the issues and decision making for the voter.
Both positive and negative implications exist for politicians - there is the benefit of a broader audience, spreading the word to more and more people. But that isn't always a good thing. Every time a candidate or politician makes a mistake or a bad decision, the bloggers will be there to record it. This has been a problem for George W. Bush during his presidency (one of them at least). Bad decisions and inaccurate statements he has made have been given more attention than they would have before the advent of political blogs.
The accuracy and integrity of political blogs continues to come under fire. Both parties accuse the other of using these writings to damage the credibility of the candidate’s opponent. This is a valid complaint and happens on both sides. It can be difficult for the voter to get an unbiased look at the candidates by reading blogs. It’s important to evaluate the source when relying on the information given.
Voters can expect more situations like the South Dakota senate race in upcoming elections. Politicians have learned the power of blogs and will be more likely to use this to their advantage in the 2008 election cycle. The parties will use blogs in the upcoming election, particularly in battleground states that can impact the Electoral College and therefore, the presidency.
In actuality, it remains to be seen how much influence bloggers will actually have on the 2008 and future elections, but it is likely to be a notable one. As interest in these writings continues to grow, they seem poised to have an impact.
reputation management
Recently, political blogs have become one of the most popular types on the internet. Most link to articles and add comments to support the bloggers position on an issue or about a particular candidate. They link to sources that can back up the position of the blogger with information or relevant statistics.
As blogs have become more mainstream, traditional media outlets have taken notice. News services and reporters have begun blogging. Political consultants now write blogs about political issues on a regular basis. Large group blogs such as The Huffington Post and the RedBlueBlog have cropped up with writings by many bloggers on one site. Politicians of both parties guest blog on these sites.
Candidates first used political blogs in the 2004 elections. Both John Kerry and George W. Bush had blogs on their websites. In the primary elections, Howard Dean and Wesley Clark were both blogging. Dean used blogs and his website successfully for fund raising. These candidates understood that this is an effective way to reach voters who may not be watching cable or network news. Younger voters may not be watching, but they are reading.
The 2004 South Dakota senate race was influenced, in part, by local blogs devoted to politics. Two well known bloggers routinely wrote favorably of the Republican candidate, John Thune. They also campaigned against Tom Daschle, the Democratic incumbent. Daschle was the leading Democrat in Congress, but lost his seat in that election. Later it was discovered that the two bloggers were paid by Thune’s campaign.
Blogs were initially seen as nothing more than partisan gossip, but are gaining credibility. Occasionally, bloggers actually break a story before the mainstream media. An example of this is the now infamous comments made by Senator Trent Lott about Strom Thurmond. Lott said that the country would have been better off if Thurmond had won the presidency in 1948.
Since Thurmond had campaigned on an anti-desegregation platform, this was perfect fodder for bloggers. Some began to investigate and found other interviews and documents to show the racism beneath the comment. Once the bloggers broke the story, the mainstream media picked it up. This eventually led to charges of racism and Lott eventually stepped down as Majority Leader.
Reading political blogs has benefits for voters, especially those who are undecided. Prior to the explosion in blogging, the undecided voter had to rely on debates between the candidates and information from the mainstream media to make a decision. The evening news too often resorts to sound bites when reporting on candidates. This can make it difficult to weigh the issues and differences between candidates. Reading a variety of political blogs from both parties can help crystallize the issues and decision making for the voter.
Both positive and negative implications exist for politicians - there is the benefit of a broader audience, spreading the word to more and more people. But that isn't always a good thing. Every time a candidate or politician makes a mistake or a bad decision, the bloggers will be there to record it. This has been a problem for George W. Bush during his presidency (one of them at least). Bad decisions and inaccurate statements he has made have been given more attention than they would have before the advent of political blogs.
The accuracy and integrity of political blogs continues to come under fire. Both parties accuse the other of using these writings to damage the credibility of the candidate’s opponent. This is a valid complaint and happens on both sides. It can be difficult for the voter to get an unbiased look at the candidates by reading blogs. It’s important to evaluate the source when relying on the information given.
Voters can expect more situations like the South Dakota senate race in upcoming elections. Politicians have learned the power of blogs and will be more likely to use this to their advantage in the 2008 election cycle. The parties will use blogs in the upcoming election, particularly in battleground states that can impact the Electoral College and therefore, the presidency.
In actuality, it remains to be seen how much influence bloggers will actually have on the 2008 and future elections, but it is likely to be a notable one. As interest in these writings continues to grow, they seem poised to have an impact.
reputation management
