DC gets the reflections of a blogger

Eleanor Clift has a piece in Newsweek about a briefing hosted by the New Politics Institute called "Reflections of a Blogger." The blogger who was reflecting was Markos Moulitsas. I went basically because I wanted to see Markos in person.

The event was packed and included in the audience some of the key DC-based political reporters. Besides Clift, I saw David Broder and Dan Balz from the Washington Post and Ron Brownstein from the LA Times. I really got the sense that people came to see Markos so they could gain insight in to the blog phenomenon. The session was two days after Paul Hackett's astounding showing in OH-02. That really woke up the DC establishment to the power of the blogs. Kos already posted his take on the Clift piece.

Believe it or not, blogs are a mysterious entity here in DC. John and I were talking tonight about weird that is. I can't tell you how many people in this town have said something like "I don't get the blogs" or "I have never looked at blogs" or "How do you get into the blogs." I think part of it is that people in DC are so used to thinking that there are barriers to participating in politics. Or they can't grasp that so much information and insight is available for free. Blogs are so much less complicated than people in DC want to make them. In so many ways, the blogosphere defies any of the conventional thinking that pervades the DC political punditry. And, the same old people and groups don't and can't control it.

Markos said one thing last week that I thought was very important, and it was probably lost on many. He said the blogs were non-competitive. That's also true. I don't think people in DC can grasp that concept either. I mean, even organizations that ostensibly support the same goals compete viciously with each other.

Anyways, I have to say it was great to see Markos in person. Even better, was watching how people were trying to process what he was saying.