I’m David Wescott, the political hack/PR flack who blogs about blogging at It’s Not a Lecture, and I’m so grateful to PunditMom for letting me borrow her soapbox today.
One of the things I do is track the issues-based discussions of various segments of the blogosphere, and I was struck by PunditMom’s recent post about the candidates snubbing BlogHer. I was shocked as everyone that so many candidates (though not all) didn’t find this conference important enough to attend, because we all know women who write and read blogs are more likely to be leaders in their own online and offline communities. Instead, the candidates – and particularly the Democrats – are paying quite a bit of attention to “political blogs.”
If you look at those blogs (and many PunditMom readers do) you tend to notice that, with few exceptions, political blog posts are typically just variations on a single, simple theme – the latest outrage from the other side. Think about it – one of the most popular bloggers on the left offers a “wanker of the day.” On the right, we have posts literally entitled, “outrage.” (I try not to link to specific political bloggers here because this is PunditMom’s space and I don’t want to clutter it.)
If you look at the discussions moms (and more generally, women) are having, they’re constructive discussions about the most important issues – healthcare, education, the environment, balancing work and family, and even the war. It just takes on a more personal perspective.
So why are the campaigns focusing on the blogs that just scream at the base, while ignoring the blogs that discuss the issues like adults?
MONEY. The “mother’s milk of American politics.” Political blogs raise hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars for candidates. Bloggers are de facto contribution bundlers, giving them an amazing amount of access to the candidates and power within their respective parties. And oddly enough, much if not most of this money will be spent on advertising in the mainstream media.
Moms, for the most part, are too busy making ends meet to worry about raising money for candidates online. Sure, moms contribute too – but many see their blogs as a means of personal expression and a way to belong to a community, not as a way to shill for candidates.
So if you want to start getting some of the attention you deserve from our candidates, what do you do?
One option is, frankly, to start raising money. For many moms, this really isn’t an option because it’s inconsistent with the purpose of your blog and most don’t like asking others for money anyway.
Another option is to start leveraging your blogs, facebook groups, and other stuff as Get Out The Vote tools. Social media technology is so advanced now that we can broadcast text messages from twitter or blogs or any number of tools that help identify supporters and remind them to vote on election day. GOTV is second only to money in terms of what candidates want most from the outside.
The easiest and best option, however, is to do what PunditMom does – write with passion and clarity about the political issues that matter most to you, and do it without calling other people nasty names. Great writing motivates people to action better than a crappy television commercial – it just takes a little longer. It’s the difference between broad support and deep support. People who engage in the conversations PunditMom leads are more invested in the issues and more likely to vote on election day. The candidates that politely and constructively enter those discussions are more likely to earn the support of those who care most and work hardest.
Eventually the candidates are going to realize that while money will always be important, the discussions and ideas raised in them matter most. Then, when they finally knock on your virtual doors, you can ask them what took them so long.
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:23 am
Good to see you here, David!
“People who engage in the conversations PunditMom leads are more invested in the issues and more likely to vote on election day.”
I think this is exactly right. And having a civil discussion is so important. If the discussion is judgmental or uncivil, readers are put off by it.
Moms who blog also create a unique opportunity for politicians in that the readership of a mom-blog is not usually solely red or solely blue, but shades of purple. When I write about politics on my blog, which doesn’t happen every day, I reach Republican readers, Democratic readers, and GDI’s. Whereas many of the political blogs fall into one category or the other. Politicians are really missing out here….
August 5th, 2007 at 10:06 am
Oh excellent…very intriguing. Anything I said would be redundant to your points and those LM already made. But I wanted to say I often think of my blog as a platform, sometimes for politics, and will consider your suggestions. I have worked outside the blog with politicians, and have wondered how to fuse the two efforts together.
Julie
Ravin’ Picture Maven
August 5th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
Thanks so much, ladies. I really appreciate the feedback.
August 7th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Good discussion could not read it all the font faded out??? But I hope you told that dude to well …. get a clue. It is hard because I see it right here in my own home. He is going to work. I am just at home all day. Even though I work part time from home it is still not seen as the same thing. I wish there was more respect for what matters most but I guess that is a long time coming when you look at how our society values teachers as one great example.
August 13th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
David, thanks so much for this great post and for manning my little corner of the blogosphere for a day. I think you’ve really hit the nail on the head, especially about the money thing. We need to find a way to get past our $$ issues and face this one head on.