Lagging presidential candidate turns to Robert Scoble

Even as John Edwards gears up to launch his presidential campaign, the commentators say the Democratic nomination will be a two-horse race. Newsweek, proclaiming The Race is On, put Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on its latest cover. But what does a stodgy old print magazine know? Edwards, like Microsoft with its misconceived marketing campaign for the Zune, has developed an affection for the web as rapidly as the mainstream media has turned skeptical on his chances. His campaign has invited Robert Scoble, the Buddha-like geek who helped humanize Microsoft with his Scobleizer blog, to New Orleans, where Edwards, John Kerry's running mate in 2004, will unveil his candidacy. Paid reporters submit expenses to their employers; Scoble has yet to disclose who's paying for his trip. Update: Scoble says Podtech, his current employer, is covering expenses.

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