Despite Outreach, Politicians Still Blogging Blind

Nancy Pelosi believes in blogs. She discussed her speaker election with them. Prior to the State of the Union, she arranged a question and answer session for them. She even hired a blogger outreach specialist. "The speaker will be blogging," promised Karina Newton, Pelosi's director of new media. "She understands the power that the netroots have."

Bloggers are important. They possess organizing, discussion, and fundraising power. During the 2004 campaign of Howard Dean, their value was established. However, their worth has also been overstated. Democrats bloggers allegedly dismantled the President’s social security agenda and defeated Joe Lieberman. Their role in these results is inflated. Capitol Hill stalled the President. Grassroots organizing, not online bloviating ultimately defeated Lieberman.

While Pelosi’s aggression is laudable, her tactics remain flawed. Conference calls and blogging are imperative. However, individual interviews, endorsements, and continual information exchange will win campaigns. Bloggers are a unified phenomenom. Their blessing can have a community impact. "It's a mistake to think that these people just sit behind their machines and don't do anything other than talk to each other and send money," said Joe Trippi, who managed Dean's campaign. "These people are very active in their precincts, in their communities."

Bloggers are politics’ next generation. However, their effect and utilization has been consistently misread. Media does not understand. Politicians do not understand. The vast majority of operatives do not understand. Pelosi’s initial glance is impressive. The question is, will those reviewing and courting bloggers see the whole field?