Internet newspaper the Huffington Post has since its inception provided a means of communication and dialogue for left-leaning pundits and politicians to air their views to a predominately sympathetic audience. So it may have come as a bit of a surprise to regular readers when blogs and comments by Republican Party members began to appear more frequently on the site, Politico reports.

Surely, to obtain an appreciative reception to criticisms of their opponents and the pitch of their plans, it would be safer for Republicans to use conservative platforms, such as the RedState blog or the Wall Street Journal? Yet online political debate today, it appears, is all about stepping out of the comfort zone. Controversy and argument equal greater impact, and the reach is increased hugely by stepping into enemy territory.
Republican Senator, Ted Coburn grasped the opportunity last month, posting his criticism of the Democrats' health care bill on the Huff Post, recognising the benefits of bipartisan campaigning. Coburn's press secretary, John Hart explained, "with The Huffington Post, particularly, we see a lot of value in engaging with people who wouldn't necessarily be inclined to agree with our point of view".

Coburn is just one in a group of pundits eager to create a fuss on the site, Congressman Aaron Schock was the first to blog, although the ground had been laid previously by articles written by conservatives Tony Blankley and David Frum. Moreover, the Huff Post has actively invited House Republican whip, Eric Cantor, to blog. His press secretary said,

"The reality is that at the end of the day, like them or dislike them, sites like The Huffington Post, Plum Line, Salon, and others can drive news. For that reason alone, being responsive and even proactive -- especially on wedge issues -- has become more prevalent as political communications has evolved."

The site is indeed at the forefront of this evolution. In April 2009, the Huff attracted an unprecedented 8.8 million unique visitors, and according to Nielson, this included a significant number of mainstream media journalists and cable news producers, which play a pivotal role in the influencing of the wider public, particularly the all important swing-votes.

The Huff Post sees the inclusion of conservative content as indicative of its primary role as a serious news site, rather than a leftist soapbox. Its founder, Amanda Huffington, described the Republican contributions as, "a reflection of our traffic, our brand, and the fact that we are increasingly seen ... as an Internet newspaper, not positioned ideologically in terms of how we cover the news."

The practice is not driven by any definite Republican strategy, but it is developing as a more complex political technique. Rather than merely angering partisans, the use of the Huff and other liberal sites such as Talking Points Memo, can spread the seeds of doubt over particularly controversial platforms, such as the war in Afghanistan, engendering disaccord between Washington and the Democrat's party base.

The benefits of cross party dialogue must be seen as extremely profitable by the Huff Post editorial team, as the site has certainly benefited from the strong support it gave to the Obama Presidential campaign, a high point being the moment Obama called upon one of its reporters at his first press conference. Yet this is also an indication of the Democrat's equally shrewd use of new and 'alternative' media channels to avoid the traditional White House press corps, which is often skeptical towards the government in place.

The influence of the online media is undeniable and political pundits across the spectrum are rushing to find and create forums for commentary along the Huff and Drudge Report models. In March, Fox News launched its own opinion and news site, Fox Nation, while pundit Carlson Tucker announced today the imminent launch of his right-leaning project, TheDailyCaller.com.

Source: Politico