This is more about the post I ran yesterday about Lefty blogs looking to rake in the dough from the causes they support. Advertising Age has some commentary about it that I think is spot on:
All that said, realistically speaking, no one believes that political blogs on either side of the aisle are anything more than water-carriers for their favorite parties or candidates. They’re not journalists — and don’t pretend to be. And they do provide a useful service: They keep the grass-roots watered and fertilized. Especially on the left, the big-name bloggers have grown and cultivated communities that, jokes about Lamont aside, can have a multiplier effect and provide buzz — and cash.
This is someone who understands new media, and what role blogs play in political advocacy. Read the whole thing. It’s insightful. This is also an area where the right wing model of organization by think tank is horribly disorganized and behind. This could have grave consequences for the right moving forward.
Despite the fact that NRA seems to be developing relationships with bloggers along this model, I also worry that they have not been keeping up with the left, when you really look at some of the things they are doing with online organizing. It’s astounding. If we don’t grab the best ideas, and use them ourselves, we could be out in the political wilderness for a long time.