Republican and Conservative political analysis and commentary

The Sunday Boston Globe front-pages a story about Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's efforts to reach out to bloggers as he runs for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. Globe reporter Scott Helman writes about "a growing effort by Romney and his political team to cultivate a relationship with the conservative blogosphere as he prepares to enter the Republican primary, which is already being shaped as never before by countless bloggers, pundits, and other online opinion-makers," and also mentions the online efforts of some of Romney's rivals in the race.

I'm quoted in the story:

Hobbs, the Nashville-area blogger, says it's valuable for candidates, especially this early in the race, to see how their words and deeds are being perceived online. His write-up of the Romney event, he said in an interview last week, provoked a robust online discussion in the area about Romney's viability as a candidate, whether he was socially conservative enough, and whether his being Mormon poses an obstacle.

"The political blogosphere is not just a big convention for political junkies," Hobbs said. "It's a giant, self-directed focus group on politics."

The Globe story offers a pretty good look at the cyber-primary.