More Convention-Al Wisdom: Obama's Star Rising, Bloggers' Effects Obvious

Want a sense of the influence being wielded by bloggers at this week's Democratic National Convention?

First, newcomer Chicago Democrat Barack Obama captured nine of the top 11 bursty phrases in Wednesday's blog tabulations, either by name directly or by phrases quoted from his Tuesday evening speech.

Obama also leapt to first place among the "bursty people" list, and 18 other convention speakers appeared among the 40 top people mentioned in blogs for Wednesday's results. They included Howard Dean, Teresa Heinz Kerry (so many different ways to spell her name!), Ted Kennedy, Ron Reagan (Jr.), Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson and youngster Ilana Wexler, founder of Kids for Kerry, who brought down the house when she suggested a loooooooooooong time out for Vice President Dick Cheney and the "very very BAD word" he uttered a few weeks ago.

And among Wednesday's top links, the Obama-man managed to grab mentions in eight of the top 40 links.

Of course, there's more than convention news in blog-land today. Such as speculation about which Simpsons' cartoon character will be involved in a gay wedding in the upcoming fall season? Could it be....?" There's some Presidential-bashing, too...the challenger kind from Matt Drudge about John Kerry's war experience and the incumbent kind from Capitol Hill Blue about George Bush's mental state.

Meanwhile, continue to check out the entries of some of the 20 bloggers who received official press credentials to the Democratic convention. Among them:
Eric Schnure, official DNC blogger.
Dave Winer of Scripting News.
NYU Journalist Jay Rosen's Pressthink.
Markos Moulitsas Zuniga's Daily Kos.
Teagan Goddard's PoliticalWire.
Ana Marie Cox's Wonkette.
Patrick Belton's Oxblog.
The Burnt Orange Report, from "deep in the heart of Texas."
Pandagon, the blog of Jesse Taylor and Ezra Klein.
Jeralyn Merritt's Talk Left.

And for sheer political satire, don't miss the popular, animated "This Land" spoof created by brothers Greg and Evan Spiridellis. It's at their JibJab Web site.