Thanks for reading and commenting. If we could only come up with a better term than “blogosphere.” I don’t mind it so much, but I hear others in it say they hate it. And, I guess I have to say that it does make me think of John Travolta and the boy in the bubble movie from the 1970s or whenever that was.

It will be fascinating to see how candidates and campaigns adjust to this new level of transparency, and how voters adjust as well. I think it’s important, but I guess we also have to be careful that we don’t make mountains out of the wrong molehills, or something. All too new to really predict yet.

I did read somewhere today, though, that campaigns expect to go flat or decrease television ads in future cycles, in favor of the Internet. I’ll see if I can find the story and post it later. Probably not a big surprise.

As Pho says, I am blog friendly & I read all your blogs usually daily, sometimes more. My opinion is that some of the best political blogging in the state, perhaps the country, is right here in NE Ohio–Psychobilly, Pho, Chief Source, WLST, WOM, Yellow Dog Sammy, etc.

I think Pho & Red are right & it’s something I thought of later but in the heat of the moment forgot to say–blogs are perhaps most valuable in simply getting information & stories “out there” where the MSM may or may not pick up on them.

Politics is being changed dramatically by the Internet. Without “the Macaca Moment”, George Allen is reelected & the Senate stays in the hands of the GOP. What a tremendous impact You Tube & blogs, which pushed this story & never let up, had on 2006.

Keep up the good work all–I’ll be reading & learning.

p.s. I told Haas about the damn show but he slept in–said he had a long night the night before. Lame excuse.

As for the ‘sphere’s pull: I agree with Pho. At this point, our real power, if I can use that word, is to put stories out that the MSM then picks up.

Both left and right, we saw that throughout this cycle. I can only imagine that will increase.

Thank you for the support. I follow your lead, buddy.

The big news is that media sources are reading blogs. Blog readership will be a relatively small cohort of self-selected, highly engaged voters for the foreseeable future. But when we have the ability to nudge a neglected story into the mainstream media, we can truly be a force for good.

Good for you for calling, Jill! Phyl tells me you identified yourself only as “Jill from Pepper Pike,” but one of the panelists recognized you as the author of WritesLikeSheTalks, “one of the better blogs.” Nice try, but you are far too highly regarded for anonymity at this point!