CNN.com - Blog Tracking

What's the buzz on ... Nancy Pelosi?
Each week, CNN.com takes a look at trends in the blogosphere by tracking one topic across gender and generation with the help of analysis tools from Umbria, Inc. This week we focus on Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, who became the first female speaker of the House of Representatives when Congress began its new session in January.

Overall opinion (January 17-23)

So what does this mean?
Bloggers posted mostly neutral messages about the first female speaker last week, followed closely by negative messages. Key factors contributing to those negative posts were a perception that House Democrats would not roll back oil industry subsidies as much as promised and a disdain for a focus on global warming. Positive blog conversations concentrated on issues including Pelosi's fashion sense and the House Democrats' success in completing their 100-hours agenda.

In their own words
Glenn Greenwald on Unclaimed Territory

The point here is not that Pelosi is the Greatest Speaker Ever. She has only been in office less than a month and any judgments about her Speakership would be absurdly premature (though less absurdly premature than the tidal wave of condemnations and even death sentences before she even began). But what is notable is just how vapid and ill-informed all of that chatter was that filled up the airwaves and conventional-wisdom-spouting newspaper and magazine columns for weeks and weeks after the midterm election.

Flap on FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog

The Democrats including Speaker Nancy Pelosi have NO PLAN to help President Bush and the United States deal with the problems in Iraq.

The Continental Op on Reports from Poisonville

Nancy Pelosi, the vaunted "San Francisco liberal," has once again demonstrated why she is nothing of the sort. In an interview with Diane Sawyer, Pelosi ruled out cutting off funds for the Bush administration's escalation of the war in Iraq ... And just how, exactly, does Pelosi plan to "hold the president accountable" and make him "answer for his war"? Why, by a non-binding resolution, of course. Yes, that's sure to make him think twice.

Steve, in a comment thread on MatthewYglesias.com

Every time we object to coverage of Nancy Pelosi's fashion sense, it's like we're saying "she's doing a man's job, so drop the trivia and judge her by male standards." The implication is that talking about her as a fashion plate takes away from her accomplishments as a legislator somehow; yet no one suggests that it trivializes Gerald Ford's political accomplishments to talk about his athletic achievements, for example. Think about it. There's all kinds of trivial coverage of male politicians, yet we often don't even notice because it's trivia of a sort we're accustomed to.