Extreme Mortman is interviewing top bloggers from early presidential caucus and primary states. Here is Peter Glenshaw of Democracy for New Hampshire.

Mortman: Tell me what Democracy for New Hampshire is.
Glenshaw: Democracy for New Hampshire is a non-partisan, big-tent organization that promotes grassroots community involvement in the democratic process in New Hampshire. DFNH works to protect the foundations of our democracy and the integrity of our political process, and supports fiscally responsible, socially progressive candidates who speak honestly about policy choices.
We were formed in May 2004 as a New Hampshire state political action committee. We are the largest grassroots political group in New Hampshire, and the first political organization in the Granite State to emerge from the NH primary.

Mortman: What is your role?
Glenshaw: I am the Chairman and a co-founder.

Mortman: How will blogs and online communities affect and change the New Hampshire presidential primary in 2008?
Glenshaw: As I’ve already written, I believe Internet-based communication will have a huge impact in the NH primary 2008. Visit this page to learn my predictions about video iPods and the 2008 election.
And while I am bullish about so-called Web 2.0 tools in 2008, I am also reminded that blogging, et. al., is not going to conquer the world or theNew Hampshire primary.
That said, this is some of what we might see:

1. Paid bloggers within each campaign ­ providing behind-the-scenes or informal views of a candidate and his/her campaign; imagine people blogging about each campaign stop!
2. Guerilla bloggers ­ independent analysts who cover events, trends, campaigns, staff, and (yes) candidates in NH in 2008. Regardless of what Donna Brazille and others in the DNC do to amend the primary process, New Hampshire will be the test for viability for all Democratic candidates.
3. Mainstream media bloggers ­ you will see CNN, Washington Post, NY Times, LA Times and others either dispatch current staff or employ local NH bloggers to augment their daily coverage in both New Hampshire and Iowa. Grasp to be edgy.
4. Random ­ NHInsider and Politics NH both will employ volunteers and paid staff to report or blog about the primary.

Mortman: Compare the impact blogs and online communities will have in 2008 primary campaigning and voting to that of the mainstream media?
Glenshaw: There is some evidence to suggest that blogs (and their kin, including podcasts [video and audio]), rss, and other web 2.0 tools) will have an important, maybe even a huge, influence in 2008. I’d say, though, that by 2008 (or more fairly, 2007) we will see new technology/formats beyond blogs. Already there is a video podcast that garners more viewers than a cable news broadcast (Rocketboom vs. Abrams report on MSNBC. Mainstream media won’t sit quietly as this revolution occurs, but I expect it will be an iterative process ­ with bloggers pushing MSM, MSM responding to blogers, and so forth.

Mortman: Will blogs follow the mainstream media or will the mainstream media
follow the blogs?
Glenshaw: See above. It will be interactive. Blogs and Mainstream Media need each other.

Mortman: What role will young, web-savvy voters play in the 2008 primary?
Glenshaw: Unclear. The world of Internet-based advocacy is very different from on-the-ground, grassroots politics. It remains to be seen whether Net-activists leave their laptops behind to meet ordinary people in NH, IA, and other retail states. Or whether ordinary people will take to the Internet. I’m bullish on the proposition, but it has yet to be implemented at scale.

Mortman: Which potential candidates, Democrats and Republicans, have been organizing online campaigns?
Glenshaw: I know the Democrats best. I see Russ Feingold in the lead in this domain. He has done podcasts, email, and Internet communications. It’s good stuff.

Mortman: As we approach the NH primary, which candidates, both Dem and Republican, will have more appeal to blogs and online communities — and why? And which will have the least — and why?
Glenshaw:
Raw guesses:

1. Dems ­ Feingold will go over well with the Netroots. If he runs, Gore will, too. Maybe Warner. I don¹t see Richardson, Clinton, or Biden breaking thru to this constituency.
2. Republicans ­ McCain, just because his brand says “maverick.” Forget Frist, Pataki, or Romney. They will have their thing, but it will be empty. Wildcard: Chuck Hegel of Nebraska.

Mortman: Who will win the 2008 New Hampshire presidential primary — both Dem and Republican?
Glenshaw: One of the first questions asked of anyone in politics who lives in New Hampshire is, who is going to win the 2008 primary? I don’t know. There is a lot of life and politics still to unfold and we will know more 30 days before the primary and then even more about five days before the primary. But at a certain level, it’s really not the most important question.

Yes, it matters if a Democrat does well in NH (and later, like in the 2008 election). And, duh, we don’t want a Republican to win. But ultimately this fight is more about convincing likely voters that a socially progressives, fiscally responsible worldview is the right approach. Politicians who support this approach are important, but they are they last mile in the solution.

Mortman: How will Democracy in New Hampshire cover the primary?
Glenshaw: DFNH is a state PAC, and we tend to focus on NH issues. That said, I think DFNH will take a keen interest in the NH primary. After all, our origins lie in the 2004 primary and we recognize the important ­ even crucial ­ role that the Granite State plays selecting the next President.