From a post at Open Left:

Some pundits...have pointed to Hillary's "magic moment" in her last debate answer last night and to the standing ovation she received. But I was there. The standing ovation was for both candidates. In fact, a CNN stage manager was waving his arms for the audience to stand, signaling the debate was over. [Emphasis mine.]

It's a stark reminder that a politics like ours, completely played out in the media, has nothing to do with the issues, or policy, or anything rational or intellectual.

It's a game. A charade. A mediated spectacle that only allows us to see what the media's lens chooses to show us.

It's a reminder of how little control we have over the process. Especially bloggers, like the bloggers here, who all post so passionately about the very sureness of their position: The Cult of Obama! The Experience of Hillary!

And that's fine. Let it out. Blog it out.

But let's not fool ourselves into thinking that we bloggers have any real significance, that a blogger is more politically powerful than a CNN stage manager waving his hands.

That, my friends, is power.