Edwards navigates the blogosphere

As Aaron noted below, Simon is quoted in this New York Times article on how John Edwards (and other presidential candidates for that matter) are learning how to deal with blogs. Edwards' faced a dilemma on whether or not to keep two bloggers on his staff who have written "incendiary comments" on sex, politics and religion. Below are different scenarios Edwards faced, offering insight on how campaigns view the power of the blogosphere:

Mr. Edwards could keep the women on his staff and have to answer for the sometimes vulgar and intemperate writings posted on their personal blogs before he hired them late last month. He could dismiss them and face a revolt in the liberal blogosphere, which is playing an increasingly influential role in Democratic politics and could be especially important to his populist campaign. Some bloggers saw the controversy as manufactured by conservative groups.

Or, as Mr. Edwards did Thursday, he could keep the two bloggers on staff, but distance himself from their views.

(Note: Edwards kept the women on staff)

For more information on blogs and the blogosphere in general, check out the work of the New Politics Institute here, here and here.

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.