Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.), the Democratic frontrunner for 2008, already has a huge fundraising lead over any of her potential GOP rivals for the presidency. And with more than two years to go, Clinton has already hired her own “blog adviser” -- a job that each presidential campaign will have to fill.

Clinton isn’t the first, however. While nabbing Kerry ’04 online guru Peter Daou was considered a monumental accomplishment for Hillary this early, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner began working with Jerome Armstrong (of MyDD and Howard Dean fame) months ago.

Where does that leave Republicans? They’ve been taking baby steps by comparison. While potential ’08 candidates have kept busy traveling the country or jockeying for position in straw polls, they haven’t actively courted blog advisers -- yet.

That is about to change. Whether it happens before or after the ’06 election -- my feeling is that most potential candidates are likely to see how this cycle plays out first -- the time has come for Republicans to step up to the plate. With some top-tier advisers already in place for campaigns (Ed Gillespie for George Allen and Terry Nelson for John McCain), online/blog outreach is a logical place to turn next.

Here’s my list of eight potential “blog advisers” who could fit the Daou/Armstrong model on the right.

Mike Krempasky: As a vice president at public-relations giant Edelman, he might not even want to be part of the daily grind of political campaign. But with a passion for politics -- he’s one of the co-founders of RedState -- he ranks right at the top for any campaign that is looking for an adviser with connections in both the political and business world.

Chuck DeFeo: He served as Bush-Cheney '04 eCampaign manager, so this could be he second go-round for him. After the ’04 campaign, DeFeo took a job at Salem Communications, which recently took over Townhall.com. DeFeo’s current mission is to turn the new Townhall.com into a portal that gives conservative grassroots folks a voice. He’ll be a top target for ’08.

Patrick Ruffini: Since taking the job as eCampaign director for the Republican National Committee, Ruffini has made outreach to bloggers a top priority. He’s even lured administration big-wigs like Karl Rove to talk (on more than one occasion) with bloggers. The team he has assembled at the RNC will be an important group in ’08, but Ruffini might have more sway working directly with a candidate.

Mark Tapscott: The former Heritage Foundation staffer and current Washington Examiner editorial page editor has a background as a newspaper man, policy wonk and blogger. Those three attributes could be vital assets to a campaign. Tapscott is also one of the most innovative bloggers I know. Take for instance his creation of Blog Board of Contributors at The Examiner, which I believe is a first for any newspaper.

Erick-Woods Erickson: Like Krempasky, Erickson has garnered much respect for his work at RedState (he’s a co-founder as well). Just this month he took over as a full-time employee and serves as managing editor. But what few know about him is that he’s also worked at a policy shop in Washington (the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) and he holds a law degree. He’s intimately involved in the Georgia political scene at Peach Pundit.

David All: The “spokesblogger” of Capitol Hill works for Georgia Republican Jack Kingston, who is by far the No. 1 blogging congressman. All deserves credit for recognizing the interest among bloggers in Congress, and he’s worked tirelessly with other Republican aides to convince them of the power of bloggers. He’s also hosted two GOP-only blog workshops and, perhaps most importantly, Republican staffers turn to him when they want to reach out to bloggers via his listserv.

Matt Lewis: He may not have the same name recognition as some of the other bloggers on this list, but Lewis is quietly gaining in stature. He operates Campaign Leadership Co., where he hosts his blog. (Lewis also contributes to HUMAN EVENTS.) But perhaps more importantly, Lewis has spent the past year working with former Bush-Cheney ’04 Political Director Terry Nelson and George Allen adviser Chris LaCivita at Crosslink Strategy Group. Lewis counts the Leadership Institute’s Morton Blackwell as his mentor.

Spencer Whelan: Like Krempasky, Whelan’s day job at APCO Worldwide, another large public-relations firm, might discourage him from joining a campaign. But he has a passion for politics and has pushed APCO’s clients (including ExxonMobil) to embrace the blogosphere rather than run from it. He’s a great organizer and would bring energy and innovation to any campaign.

Everyone on this list is a conservative, and I’ll admit I’m making the assumption that candidates will pick a conservative -- as opposed to a moderate -- for their online strategy. Blog advisers who fit the model that Gary Marx brought to Bush-Cheney ’04 as a liaison to conservatives would do best in an online capacity, but with mavericks like McCain in the race, anything is possible.

What’s important to remember is that personnel is policy. A candidate who hires conservative campaign staffers and advisers will be more likely to govern as a conservative, once he is elected.

UPDATE -- 7:20 a.m.: Although I think Republican candidates are somewhat behind the curve, I must give credit to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.), who blogs himself at VOLPAC and has a blog-savvy adviser in Stephen Smith. I first met Smith during the Alito confirmation hearings (when Frist spoke to us on Blog Row), and saw him again recently at a House GOP workshop on blogging. Building relationships now is crucial, and Frist deserves praise for recognizing the importance of interacting with bloggers -- and doing it himself.

UPDATE -- 9:59 a.m.: I have a few more people I'd like to spotlight. Thanks to everyone who sent me the suggestions.

Tim Chapman: He's the new director of the Heritage Foundation's Center for Media and Public Policy, and a co-host with me of the weekly conservative bloggers meeting. Chapman previously worked at Townhall.com as a blogger on its Capitol Report blog. He's well known on Capitol Hill from his time at Townhall.com, and with his new position at Heritage (he previously worked there under Government Relations VP Mike Franc), Chapman will have the policy portfolio to help any presidential contender.

Mindy Finn: As the director of new media and political technology for Sen. Rick Santorum's (R.-Pa.) re-election campaign, Finn has put together one of the best campaign websites I've seen this cycle. It features video, a Running with Rick blog and a host of other cool features that show she's an outside-the-box thinker who is keenly aware of new technology. Other campaigns -- and candidates looking ahead to '08 -- would be wise to keep tabs on Santorum's online activities.

Pat Hynes: Unlike some of the others on this list, I've never met Hynes and I've had very limited interaction with him, but as one source told me, "You forgot Pat Hynes who already is the Jerome Armstrong, I'm told." He's made a name for himself at Ankle Biting Pundits, and hasn't been afraid to go after candidates, as he did yesterday with Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R.-Mass.).

Robert Cox: He's another blogger I've never met, but like Hynes, he comes highly recommended. He is the founder and president of the Media Bloggers Association, a non-partisan group that promotes citizen media. Cox was relentless in his pursuit of Maureen Dowd for fabricating quotes about President Bush. He refused to drop the issue, ultimately forcing the New York Times to change its policy regarding corrections for op-ed columnists.

UPDATE -- July 24, 5:23 p.m.: I just found out that Patrick Hynes' New Media Strategics will be working with Sen. John McCain's Straight Talk America. Congratulations to Patrick. I guess he truly is the right's answer to Jerome Armstrong.