There's an interesting conversation going on about candidate blogs.

Are candidate blogs glorified public relations? Yes and no. But is that a bad thing?

Blogging and PR departments aren't mutually exclusive. If blogging has done anything, it's forced more transparency into the communication process and facilitated a way for true, two-way communication to take place on a mass scale.

Campaigns will always need PR. Without clear positions and official statements that public relations departments produce, there is only chaos, opinions and pundits.

As much as bloggers hate to admit it, the mainstream media is still a powerful force. The majority of this country receives the news from reading a newspaper or watching TV. Blogging and Web 2.0 have changed the way in which media relations are conducted for the best. As long as there are newspapers and TV stations, press statements will be made, but the media is no longer the only gatekeeper. Blogging not only encourages transparency, but it also allows a candidate to shine through with a real voice and create a community.

It's regularly noted here how crucial it is for communications and web departments to integrate. There's an important balance to be struck, and the functions need to work together for the best outcomes.

While we want to create a free-flowing web community, at this point it only influences the early adopters. Conversations are wonderful for the 10 percent of Americans who live and die by the web, but bloggers need to remember that reporters read blogs too. The minute that a candidate looses his or her message in the conversation of a blog, it's a wasted opportunity to reach other groups. The majority of Americans want to cut through the noise and see what the candidates' positions are.

Blogging helps public relations because it limits the PR-speak that everyone despises. We'll never be rid of spin in politics, but blogging adds and element of realism to the art of communicating. PR also benefits blogs by adding credibility and prioritizing information. Blogging allows campaigns to directly engage readers in a discussion. Too often, discussions on blogs devolve in to shouting matches that never accomplish anything. When blogging is combined with public relations, posts are strategic and serve a purpose. PR also provides a check for knee-jerk reactions in the blogosphere that could later harm the campaign.

Blogging requires a presence. Successful candidate blogs create a narrative that makes messages come alive. The oft-mentioned Dean blog did this in 2004, and Fred is the best example this cycle. Not only is Thompson familiar with the blogosphere, but he has a distinctive style that translates well into blogging. Successful blogs work when the author develops a unique voice.

Blogs should never be another place to post a press release, nor should they be the place to post a re-worked press release masquerading as a blog post. When a narrative is developed, it makes the posts come alive and gives the reader a reason to come back again.

Blogging also shouldn't be a free-for-all. Each post needs to have a purpose, or readers are wasting their time. Posts may vary--announcements, fundraising, discussion, position and links to media coverage. Blogging is by far the best place for candidates to directly reach voters on the web.

Candidate blogs are also a wonderful way to build community. As it was noted at MyDD, comments are ignored far too often. Comments allow the candidate or the delegate to directly engage with readers. If one person has a poses a question or comment on a candidate blog, you can guarantee that thousands of other people are wondering the same thing. Sort through the comments and address them. Blog comments also present great opportunities to identify highly involved supporters that campaigns can use to build encourage online communities.

Are candidate blogs public relations? Yes, but there's a good argument that all 2.0 activities fall under the PR umbrella. Blogs should never use PR-speak. They fail when posts read like AP articles or press releases. Campaigns need to create a unique voice or identify a surrogate with that ability.