Hillary Clinton is running for president because she left some stuff at the White House, or so says The Onion. The nation's largest parody news source is using coverage of the 2008 election to target conventional mainstream media for the first time. The Onion is converging news on a fresh site created especially for election coverage. Utilizing its video news network (which began last March) in addition to daily radio broadcasts and articles published in its weekly print edition, the satirical news source is pulling out all the stops this time around. No longer is The Onion content chasing after readers in the print world, but the self-described empire is strategically aiming to compete for viewers with national news networks and late-night comedy shows such as "The Colbert Report." "We want to be the one place potential voters go to get all the information they need," Chet Clem, the 26-year-old editorial manager for The Onion, said. "[It's] very hard for us to top the CNN or Fox News political coverage." Mr. Clem acknowledged that one challenge in providing election coverage this year was keeping up with mainstream media while delivering the Onion's own version. Dubbed "The War For The White House," The Onion launched their new election Web site in January. "2008 is the first time we've had a section solely for our political coverage," Mr. Clem said. "In past years it was just a part of the paper." Online visitors are presented with a bevy of political features, from a glossary of election terms ("Caucus: The process by which Americans are quadrennially reminded of Iowa's existence.") to a table of candidate profiles (Mike Huckabee's signature issue is "Retrieving the Ark of the Covenant"). The website also includes a portion called "Voter Voices" and an interactive map that displays upcoming appearances on candidate schedules. Twenty years and five elections later The Onion staff realizes that the time has never been greater to reach a larger audience. "The War for the White House" is not just a battle between candidates but a military campaign against established news sources. Content ranges from articles like "Depressed Candidate Runs Attack Ad About Self" in the print edition to "Barack Obama Has Glimmer of Hope Surgically Grafted To Left Eye" in podcasts, or even "As Obese Population Rises, More Candidates Courting The Fat Vote" in video broadcasts. The Onion is even considering providing election day coverage on its website, said Mr. Clem. "We may have to embed a reporter at the conventions this year," he said, adding that The Onion would publish an outgoing report of the election within 72 hours. "We don't want to rush it. That's about the pace of the news media these days." The Onion News Network, which releases approximately two new videos a week, has yet to feature presidential hopefuls Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul and John McCain. Mr. Clem said that The Onion wanted to focus on the candidates who have proved the most interesting and have the best chance at success. "It's such an intense story this year," he said. With an audience of over five million online, Mr. Clem said that The Onion's election website will be constantly changing through November, though he declined to give details. 0x2013Harrison Keely, intern, The Washington Times

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