Being a blogger is hard work. If someone tells you to get into it because of they money, they are really fooling you. Not only do you have to decide what to write about numerous times a day but you also have to worry about the backend operations of your blog. Software and server problems as well as generating revenue to pay for increasing costs in monthly bandwidth are just a few examples of the headaches that come with the world of blogging.
So why do people undertake the work to maintain a blog? It can be answered in one simple word – passion. We have a passion in politics and to make a difference. We also want to bring attention to the issues we hold most dear. Our passion is what drives us to wake up and spend a day surfing the web for news, making phone and writing our articles in an effort to spread our passion.
For people to get involved in blogging, either as a blog author or a commenter means that person has a strong interest in politics. This strong interest is what sets us apart from our neighbors, family, and friends.
Unfortunately we are limited in the blogosphere. While the number of people getting involved in blogs is growing, there are still a large percentage of people out there that are out of our reach. These are the people who do not have as much passion for politics as we do. There are also the people who are afraid of technology and change. As if that is not enough, the blogosphere remains under a constant attack from the mainstream media, who apparently fear the growing influence of blogs and their will to challenge the big league reporters to be truthful.
Crashing the Gates is an excellent read and gives a great in depth look at the effect the progressive blogosphere has had on the Democratic Party so far. This effect will continue to grow, especially in the next two very critical years. However, to help guarantee a greater effect, we must all step up a little more, work a little harder and make a greater effort to get our message out.
I have been involved in local politics for 18 years now. I have served as an officer at the local party level, worked on numerous campaigns and attended more fund raisers then I can count. I have seen victory and experienced defeat throughout this time so I know how it feels. No matter what the outcome, the times have always been well spent and the memories are priceless.
Most areas of the country have a local party headquarters that serves them. They also hold a monthly meeting and this is the best time for the members of the blogosphere to break free and get some valuable interface time without a computer. For example – in the last couple of months I have spoke one on one with Mort Meirs, who is challenging John Boehner for the OH-8 seat this fall. I have also spoke at great length with Paul Hackett, who most of you have heard of, and numerous other candidates running for local and state seats here in Ohio. This provides the great memories and also a way to make my passion rewarding, by sharing my ideas with people who can make a difference.
There is a flip side to these meetings that is not so great. As you meet other people within your local party, you start to realize how very few know much about the blogosphere or have written it off as a “fad”. The blogosphere is far from being some sort of passing fad or one hit wonder. The “here today, gone tomorrow” sensation of the internet has passed and the trends you see now are the trends that are going to be around for a long time. Blogs may change as far as technology and the content they provide but they will are not going anywhere, so it is our job to provide comfort to the people in our local parties as they realize the importance blogs play in politics.
In order for us to take over this fall, we must work from the ground up. This means going from the local, to the county, to the state then to the national level. As people with an exceptional interest in politics, and who spend our time on blogs, we already have a greater arsenal to fight with. By taking the knowledge we gain from reading posts and comments day in and day out and spreading that through our local parties via monthly meetings and canvassing, we spread our knowledge and help get people out to vote.
What must be done is for all of us to take a breather from the blogs and get more involved with the local party. If you have the time to spare, sign up to work on a local campaign. Not only will you be doing something you can feel good about, you will be doing it with people who share a mutual interest in politics. While doing this, you can also help promote the blogosphere. Take a moment and talk about discussions you have had on different blogs or knowledge you have gained from them. This will get more people curious about the blogosphere and they might even turn into blogoholics themselves. Most importantly, this will help mold the blogosphere and parties into a more uniformed, campaigning machine. At the end of the day you then have something valuable to share with everyone else in the blogging community. It is a win-win formula for all of us involved.