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24 Apr, 2009 05:05

Blogger gets offline to enter politics

Bloggers have become a well known feature of political campaigns. Barack Obama's march to office was at the head of a veritable army of political bloggers.

Some of them are now wanting to turn their internet influence into political power.

Judd Legum the first nationally known blogger running for political office in the U.S. Back in 2005, Judd founded the Thinkprogress Blog, which has become one of the most influential liberal news sources, helping bring the Democratic Party into power.

So could the transition from virtual to real world conquest be another trend he will spearhead?

“At first, bloggers were viewed as people in their basements in pajamas, writing about their feelings. And then it became more mainstream. I think part of that process is for someone who’s involved in blogging to take it to the next step, and stop just commenting and reporting, and get involved themselves, and that’s what I hope to do,” Judd Legum explains.

He’s already collecting donations online for his 2010 campaign in Maryland.

Barack Obama received record amounts of money in the same way.

Being a top blogger arms Judd with a built-in network that he’s not afraid to use.

“If something happens in the campaign, and I get attacked or if something untrue is said about me, I know I’ll have friends that will be able to back me up and get my message out there,” Judd says.

But people on the streets of Washington have mixed feelings about bloggers entering the political field. If some do not believe bloggers to be independent enough, others say they are worthy of attention, and much more trustworthy than politicians.

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