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January 02, 2006BELTWAY BLOGROLL
Hillary Clinton And The Blogosphere
Communications professor David Perlmutter of PolicyByBlog, the author of a forthcoming book on political blogs, thinks Hillary Rodham Clinton may have reason to worry about bloggers in her own party if she runs for president.
Perlmutter said the New York senator, whose only blog entries to date were "press releases rather than real posts," may need her deep campaign coffers, high name recognition and solid poll numbers if bloggers decide to attack. "Clinton is faring poorly among the left/Dem/liberal blogs and partisans precisely because of her consistent attempt to steer a 'middle' policy course and win swing voters," he wrote.
According to Perlmutter, the problem for Clinton is that bloggers "tend to be passionate, idealistic about their politics, and less forgiving of the gamesmanship, issue-flopping, expediency, rhetorical hedging, 'message discipline,' 'good optics' and compromise on positions that is part of normal politicking for office" -- practices where Clinton excels.
He said much the same of Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the one candidate who is Clinton's current equal in polls. Right-leaning blogs are not all that fond of McCain because of his moderate views, Perlmutter said. "Politicians have always needed to balance the base and the middle. Blogs make this tension, if not more difficult, more public."
Posted by | 04:44 PM
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