I'm not an easy believer in the whole emergent democracy idea - politics and the manipulation of public opinion is as old as humanity. That said, Britt Blaser's Political Power - Shall we shape it or endure it has some good stuff.

We're at democracy's inflection point. Democracy is where the web was in 1993 and we can shapeit any way we like. Broadcast politics seems vulnerable and the key to political power is to let go of the illusion that politicians, governments, campaigns and political parties are in charge of the voice (power) of the people (polis).

His "fact rich timelines idea" of campaigns actively empowering researchers nationwide who are able to pick apart each other's claims and ideas is particularly powerful. And will be successful because the media doesn't have a bias in any direction, what it has is a lack of resources to chase down stories. If political campaigns are able to spoon-feed the media in a manner that encourages external oversight, the media is going to have to stop accepting un-based claims. No news organization can afford to be out factchecked by amateurs.

The Veterans for Dean blog is indicative of this growing power. When a single writer can spoon feed a journalist to this extent:

David Hackworth's various enterprises have been showcasing the horoors for quite some time now. Stars and Stripes has printed a survey on morale.

The general press has bits and pieces, dribs and drabs, but does not put it all together.

- nationalizing the seized Irqi assets to help pay (Halliburton and Bechtel) for rebuilidingn Iraq, rather than allowing those assets to pay for formerly imprisoned American servicement who won a judgment in US courts

- making wounded and injured service personnel pay for their meals while in hospitals

- cutting the additional pay for combat service... gee, if one is shot after MAJOR combat operations is one any less shot?

- making veterans endure 6 month waits for initial medical appointments

- putting guard and reservists in vermin-infested barracks and not giving them the same access to medical care at plcaes like Ft Stewatr in Georgia

It is only a matter of time before national-level media and campaigns start mining the free journalism that is going on.