Drudge Power
Witness the maelstrom set off by a Drudge headline posted last evening that blared: "CHICAGO SLAPDOWN: REV. JESSE JACKSON SAYS OBAMA TALKING DOWN TO BLACKS."The item, which featured a hint at the comments made about Barack Obama by Jackson in front of an active Fox News Channel mic and later reported on "The O'Reilly Factor", immediately shot around the newsrooms of the country and reporters sprung into action.The Post's Jonathan Weisman posted a piece entitled: "It's Jackson vs Jackson on 'Ugly' and 'Demeaning' Obama Remarks"; The New York Times "Caucus" blog wrote an item of their own -- "Jackson Apologizes for Remarks on Obama" -- as did the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal among many, many other news outlets. Every cable network covered the story extensively and the CBS and NBC evening news both fit the story into their ever-shrinking news hole.While the story would almost certainly have gotten attention due to its salacious nature, make no mistake: Matt Drudge made that story and ensured that it dominated the world of political journalism for at least 24 hours."Drudge has become center court at Wimbledon," said Alex Castellanos, a Republican media consultant and adviser to former governor Mitt Romney's presidential bid. "If it doesn't happen there, it doesn't happen."What explains Drudge's reach?