MORE ON BLOGS AND POLITICS:

While scores of political blogs don’t go beyond gossip and bickering, many are quite influential, analysts say. Some feature political commentaries, such as the liberal instapundit.com or the conservative electionprojection.com. . . .

It is impossible to obtain a precise figure for the number of political blogs, but they number in the thousands at least, according to the blog community.

It is uncertain whether these blogs will generate enough cash and attention to make a difference in the November elections and beyond.

But analysts say bloggers should not be ignored.

“Many people don’t take into account how influential bloggers are,” said Carol Darr, director of the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet at George Washington University. “Blogs are getting an increasing readership. People who are going to those blogs are real political junkies who can then reach everybody else.”

Indeed.

UPDATE: Some readers are amused at seeing InstaPundit called “liberal,” when so many journalists have called it “conservative.” One’s just about as accurate as the other, I’d say.