Die Demokraten schwören auf Blogger

--- Die Demokraten setzen bei der großen Nominierungskonferenz für ihren Spitzenkandidaten John Kerry auch auf die Blogosphäre als Verbreitungskanal der durch-inszenierten Show: The Democrats are holding true to their "party of inclusion" billing vis-a-vis the online chroniclers, whose weblogs have leapt in popularity this year as political junkies increasingly get their fix with mouse clicks. Democrats say they'll offer media credentials to a handful of bloggers. The Republicans say they've yet to decide what to do about them -- credentialing deadlines passed with no announcement on whether bloggers could even apply. ... More than 50 bloggers met last Tuesday's deadline to apply for the Democratic National Convention credentials, of which an undetermined number will be selected based on originality, readership level and professionalism, said convention spokeswoman Lina Garcia. She said the Democrats consider blogs important for engaging younger voters and expanding journalism to the citizenry. ... Some of the bloggers seeking credentials say their coverage plans involve little more than going where the mood takes them. Their personal accounts are unfettered by editors -- and most don't pretend to be objective. "We don't have those constraints, which provides for more colorful coverage," said Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, whose Daily Kos is among the most visited political blogs. "If I want to use profanity in a post, I'll use profanity." Moulitsas, a 32-year-old from Berkeley, California, who has applied for Democratic credentials, said he would "probe and pry and look in corners that the political press isn't looking." ... "This is a real landmark for the legitimacy of the blogger and a testament to their growing influence, said Jonathan Dube, who blogs about online journalism. "That doesn't necessarily make them mainstream, simply because not enough people are reading them right now."