Not Exactly A Winning Description of Joe, But Great Power Accorded to Bloggers

Mark Leibovich for the NY Times has a 2 pager headlined "Lieberman Hopes His Fate Isn’t Sealed With a Kiss." "He is in his 18th year in the Senate, where he has prided himself as being moderate, collegial and willing to work with Republicans. He has built the kind of seniority that often leads lawmakers to consider themselves invulnerable." … "Mr. Lieberman’s physical posture is more hunched than usual these days, his normally deep and lulling cadences more clipped." … "Mr. Lieberman’s allies discuss him these days with a tinge of sadness, as if mourning a kindly gentleman who has wandered into a bad neighborhood." --- Quite apart from the decidedly unflattering depiction of Lieberman, the article makes several references to bloggers. No specific blogs in particular are mentioned, only a vaguely described monolithic borg-like collective term "liberal bloggers" is employed. As poorly informed and as silly as it is on its face to suggest that some ill-defined group of bloggers have the kind of influence needed to mount an effective challenge to an incumbent Senator, this kind of press is only good PR for blogging. Not only does it serve to promote an increased public awareness and curiosity about blogs, it bestows upon any given specific blogger - as far as the public is concerned - a certain level of influence and authority (put aside whether that is an accurate depiction). DC political clout has always been premised on the perception of power equals power. And by calling so much attention to blogs - notwithstanding the negative characterizations of "liberal blogs" in general - Lieberman, his supporters, and the NY Times all confer considerable power and influence upon specific bloggers. This is quite an amazing phenomenon. It's as if a guy is dealt four Aces and bets all his chips, then stupidly discards three of them, and ultimately loses to the guy with a lousy pair of 3s who barely anted up in the first place, but who somehow thereby becomes celebrated far and wide as a legendary poker champion whose mere presence at the table intimidates other players into wilted submission.