Blogging Politics

Sites like dailysummit.net, a blog about the World Summit on Sustainable Development, are what make blogs such cool things. This summit is something that's only getting blippy headlines here and there, but for those who want more than "there's an environmental summit right now in Johannesburg, dude," dailysummit.net delivers. The link comes via Scripting News, which recently has awakened to the practical political power of weblogs. Its author, Dave Winer, has designed a website for libertarian North Carolina congressional candidate Tara Sue Grubb. I've been reading Winer regularly for the past six months and it's great to see him finally awakening to what could be a really great thing for democracy -- blogs and politics. Yeah, he's only interested because the North Carolina incumbent has proposed some goofy computer legislation (which I actually find difficult to take seriously because it's so patently absurd), but at least it's a start. With any luck, Winer will wake up and realize that there are dozens if not hundreds of other issues that need an advocate with an audience. Go Dave!

Of related interest is Grubb herself. She's only 26, a single mother, and she's obviously campaigning on nothing more than what seems right to her. No focus groups, no opinion polls, no speechwriters or even PR people (as far as I can tell). Wouldn't it be great if campaigns like this could really take off? What if we had more than two options for every political contest? What if you didn't need several million dollars to buy your way into office? Grubb represents, for the moment, a hint of what our world could look like. Of course she won't win, but here's hoping that by being an honest candidate with a weblog, she's starting something that will grow far beyond one North Carolina congressional contest.

Posted August 27, 2002 10:51 AM | meta-blogging