MA-05 Candidates and the Blogs

Dick Howe pointed out yesterday an article in the Lowell Sun on how candidates were using the Internet in their quest to be the next Congressman from the fifth district. The article focuses on the candidates' fundraising and web presence, but also name-drops two of our local blogging heroes (without the URLs, I noticed). The part I particularly enjoyed was this:

Tsongas, Eldridge and Donoghue have all turned to the popular, liberal blog Blue Mass. Group to post introductions of themselves personally, a way to speak directly and unfiltered to voters.

Those three candidates, as well as O'Brien and Finegold, have also given lengthy interviews to bloggers, which were then posted to sites like Blue Mass. Group and Left in Lowell.

I wonder if they are talking about these interviews! This is probably as close as I'll ever get to a mention in the Lowell Sun, so I guess I'll take it.

More seriously, though, one thing that often goes unremarked upon in articles about where people get their information about candidates online is the Google factor. My server logs show that people have been finding my blog by searching for the candidates, not just for the fifth district seat, but for all the special elections this spring. As of this posting, my interviews with the fifth district candidate appear on the first page in a Google search on their names. When candidates talk to bloggers, they're not just communicating with blog readers, but with anyone who searches the web for them. This is particularly true for local candidates, because they are less likely to have widespread information about them online, and therefore any individual post by even a small-time blogger (like myself) can become very visible thanks to Google.

For some advice on how candidates can engage the blogosphere, check out this post I wrote last March which has some easy guidelines.

Building a Progressive Blog Infrastructure

During the conversation on Friday regarding the NPI blog report, I mentioned how it was important to try to build a network of local bloggers. Well, it looks like someone has done just that. Leftyblogs, a site that aggregates local blog feeds and categorizes them by state debuted yesterday as a way to find out what progressive bloggers are talking about throughout the nation. I think they're still working some of the kinks out, for example, their Massachusetts feed still has some holes in it and right now they don't seem to make any distinction between blogs that discuss state and local politics and blogs that discuss national and international politics, but it could be a simple way to get people involved in their local mini-blogospheres.

If your blog is missing, you can add it here.

How To Leverage Local Blogs For Dummies (and Candidates)

Blogging rock stars Chris Bowers of MyDD and Matt Stoller of Blogging of the President have put together a report on the Emergence of the Progressive Blogosphere. This report is a must-read for anyone who is interested in waging politics online, particularly those people, like myself, who are interested in building local mini-blogospheres. The report is a look at the dynamics of the major conservative and progressive blogs and makes some recommendations on how to use these blogs as tools of influence. Much of the report focuses on building local blog infrastructure, which is something that we're just starting to do here in Massachusetts. In some sense, the conservatives even here are further ahead than we are, as many of their blogs have been in existence longer and get more eyeballs than most of the local progressive blogs that I'm familiar with.

I'm going to commit a bit of an Internet faux pas and reproduce the entire Appendix I from the full report in the vain hope that someone involved with a 2005 or 2006 campaign will notice and help us help them develop the Massachusetts progressive blogosphere. As more and more people get access to the Internet, it will be more important for candidates and advocacy groups to get involved. Local bloggers are going to be important for spreading messages that large national blogs aren't going to be interested in. I doubt that Atrios is going to care about the Watertown CPA and Kos isn't interested in a State Senate race. Here, then, is the advice that Matt and Chris give to local campaigns on how to encourage participation with local blogs:

The power of a single blog is relatively small -- it is the interlinking of blogs into a larger 'blogosphere' that is meaningful. To harness this power and use it to drive message, money and activism, you must invest in organizing this constituency. One cannot e-mail large national bloggers and expect their attention on local candidates or issues. Instead, you need to create your own blogosphere out of existing small and locally focused blogs, and invest time interacting with local online communities. This structure will in the end be of much more use to you. It is important to remember at all times that bloggers are both campaign activists, and a sort of journalist. They can be your friends, but are also third-party observers of your campaign. Here are some tips on interacting with these unique communities:

1. Hire a 'Netroots Coordinator' and be prepared to work with him or her on money, messaging and organizing. Most organizations hire one and relegate them to a position where they are asked simply to raise money. If you follow this model it is not worth engaging the blogs. A good Netroots Coordinator can deliver messaging, media, and money.
2. Put up a link on your web site that says 'Got a blog?' Ask for bloggers to give you their name, email, IM, and blog address. This list is valuable -- it is the list of bloggers who are interested in your issue.
3. Take your list of bloggers and add them to your press release list. Call through to introduce yourself, and invite them to cover events, and if possible give them press passes and access.
4. Read the blogs who sign up. If you use an 'aggregator' such as www.bloglines.com, you can read many more blogs much more quickly. Get a sense of who is on your side and who is not. Go into the comment section of various blogs and add comments when relevant.
5. Hold conference calls with your strategists/candidate. Treat bloggers like friends and allies, but also realize you are on the record.
6. Periodically do a 'blog round-up' where you email interesting blog posts on your issue to all the bloggers as well as internally.
7. Link to interesting blog posts from your web site/blog; make sure you link to a few posts that disagree with you. This will lend your online presence more credibility.
8. Listen and respond to criticism. These are your friends and often not that experienced in politics -- treat them like they are here to learn, not like they are cynical, hard-boiled reporters.

'Round the Blogs

Dan Kennedy has a great roundup of all the recent national press Governor Romney has been getting in the past two months or so. Kennedy calls him "2005's 'It' boy in the 2008 Republican presidential sweepstakes" and cautions that all the positive attention won't last if he actually manages to become the front-runner come 2007.

Somehow I missed posting about Deval Patrick's latest blog interview, this time at the hands of wonk NOT!'s Michael DeChiara. Most of the people who read my blog probably have seen this already, but if you haven't you should really check it out.

Marry in MA had a great post this weekend about the front page, above the fold Sunday Globe article that called out the disgrace that is Family Research Institute's "Dr" Paul Cameron. When I first read that article, I was terrified it was going to be another one of those "Shape of Earth: Views Differ" style articles, but the Globe managed to smack Cameron down pretty good. The article itself is long, but it's well worth reading.

Patrick Abegg is doing great things in Gloucester. The Democratic City Committee there has actually been going door-to-door to try and engage unenrolled voters and get them to become Democrats. I think this is a great idea because, hey, it never hurts to ask.

Media Log Shuffle

New and former Boston Phoenix Media Critic Mark Jurkowitz has officially taken the reins at the Phoenix's Media Log. I've always enjoyed his appearances on WGBH's Greater Boston, and I'm looking forward to seeing his thoughts in his new electronic medium. Dan Kennedy, who Jurkowitz replaced (and who, in turn, replaced Jurkowitz years ago) has, as promised, re-started his own media-related blog at dankennedy.net. Dan's new blog is a little raw, but I don't think he's 'officially' launched it yet.

Blogging About Writing About Blogging

Thanks to Fred Clarkson, who today pointed out a sidebar in the Valley Advocate entitled "What the Bloggers Are Saying." It seems that someone is paying attention to our tiny group of progressive state political blogs. I'm proud to report that they saw fit to include a quote from yours truly in their small piece on blogger reaction to Deval Patrick's candidacy. Yeah, they got my web address wrong (they left out the 'm' in 'com'), but 95% of it is better than none and the author has told me it will be corrected. Anyway, here's what Fred had to say:

This is the first time, to my knowledge, that a newspaper has reported on the existence of the informal network of MA political bloggers. We sprouted up independently, but eventually discovered each other. We often discuss and link to interesting posts on each others blogs -- and in so doing we have built a considerable statewide readership. This trend will continue as we write about the governor's race. This will be important in part because, as Deval Patrick learned when he made his recent campaign swing through western Massachusetts, The Berkshire Eagle, the largest paper in the region has a policy of not covering the race until this November.

What does this mean? I'm not entirely sure, but I'm happy to be along for the ride. I guess the lesson is that if you fill a niche, you'll eventually find a community and readers. Personally, I'd like to eventually see that community built up into something that can affect local news coverage, similar to the Pacific Northwest Portal, but for Massachusetts or Southern New England. It's not unreasonable to imagine that something from a site like that could find its way into a local paper -- after all most of them are starved for content. I'd also like to see more people start taking an interest in blogging about local politics, or covering city/town council meetings like Left in Lowell and H2OTown do. I think one of the reasons that more people don't take an interest in local government is because there are so few sources of information about it. Blogging makes it extremely easy for people to put that information out where anyone with a web browser can find it.

Oh yeah, the Advocate also has a cover story on some guy who's running for governor. I suppose you should read that, too.

Finally!

The Mass Dems blog is live. They had been promising they would start this for over a month now, always saying "sometime next week."

A weblog, I think, is an essential and low-overhead tool to give people a sense of ownership in the party. It remains to be seen, though, whether the Dems will use this as a two-way communication tool or a one-way communication tool. The state GOP is already using their email list to send out talking points, it's a good sign to see the Democrats also embracing the netroots.

Anyway, welcome to the neighborhood!

But He's Still a Fraud, Right?

Sad news for the Massachusetts blogosphere today as the Romney is a Fraud blog announced that it is going on hiatus.