This is a interesting article that gives a timeline of bloggers' interest in the campaign and how they forced the DCCC and the DNC to pay attention.
http://www.motherjones.com/news/featurex/2005/11/blogs_and_hackett.htmlThe DCCC initially declined the Hackett campaign's request for financial backing. Imagine what might have happened if our leadership had gotten involved just a couple of weeks earlier.
The liberal blogosphere's huge potential as a force in electoral politics has been more discussed than realized. Paul Hackett's stunning effort in Ohio's 2nd district in August began to change that. From OH-02, which covers only the politics of Ohio's 2nd CD, to Daily Kos, the top progressive site in America, the blogs were in love with Hackett. More than 50 bloggers urged their readers to give donations—which they did, enthusiastically, mostly in increments of around $50. The total came in at over half a million dollars, more than twice what the DCCC forked over. (In fact, if it weren't for the buzz about Hackett generated by the blogs, the DCCC probably would have stood this one out, having initially rejected Hackett's request for money.)
True, other factors played a role in Hackett's near win. The Ohio GOP is saddled with an ongoing scandal and the least popular governor in America. Hackett had just returned from a seven-month tour in Iraq, where he had led Marines in combat. He had the kind of rough-hewn charm that plays well in his district: he was disarmingly gruff and straightforward, he swore, he loved guns. He showed Republicans that Democrats weren't just egg-headed elitists who disdained the Midwest and didn't understand their commitment to service.
In the end, though, Hackett's campaign wouldn't have been nearly as strong without the money and momentum generated by his following of blogs. The bloggers were on the ground; they saw what Hackett had and they exposed him to a nationwide network of supporters. In the end, it wasn't quite enough. But it showed, more than ever before, just how much influence the liberal blogosphere can wield. 
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