O impacto dos blogs

Os blogs começam a influenciar decisivamente a agenda política (via ABC News):

Blogs (short for web logs) are websites that can be as basic as an online diary, or as fully fledged as a political community. And when the latter variety seizes upon a topic - creating a blog swarm - the results can be overwhelming.

From former CBS anchor Dan Rather, stung by blog exposure over his use of forged documents, to the negative buzz about Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, political blogs aren't just reacting to the news: they're making it.

That's why politicians are eager to co-opt them - or, at least, engage them.(...)Movers and shakers in Washington, especially their younger staff, pay attention to blogs and, increasingly, seek to engage them.(...)The nominations of John Roberts and Ms. Miers, the first Supreme Court nominations in 11 years, were also the first to test the power of the blogosphere to shape debate on a complex, fast-moving story.

(...)activists on both sides of the aisle expect the Miers hearings to draw much more blog interest. "On the Roberts fight, the blogs didn't add much to the debate. But on this one, they're vital," says Manuel Miranda, a conservative activist who is leading a coalition opposing the nomination.