ePolitics.com says the Washington Post's online efforts show the WaPo is one of the few media outlets showing that they "truly understand the the benefits that come from being a part of the broader internet conversation as well as the ability of user-generated content to build audience loyalty." ePolitics goes on to say that "political operations interested in turning casual site visitors into passionate supporters can look to them as a model."
While you're over at ePolitics.com I also suggest you also read this post about what the 2006 campaign season tells us about the current state of online politics. Delaney writes:
Many more people read about the George Allen "macaca" moment in a newspaper or watched it on television than actually saw it on YouTube. But, a critical nucleus of people needed to have seen it online before it could explode into the broader media. I'd argue that blogs function similarly: compared with the numbers of television news viewers, relatively few people read blogs, but those that do are disproportionately likely to be opinion leaders - or journalists. A blog with a few thousand readers can still influence the news read and seen by millions if the author can break a story or keep one alive that's otherwise being ignored.
Blogs and YouTube certainly played just that role in at least one Tennessee state Senate campaign, and a recent survey from the E-Voter Institute indicates a growing role for social media in political campaigns in future elections.
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