Monday, August 11, 2003

David Hoggard: "I sent my first 'weekly update' to everyone in my address book a couple of hours ago and the response has been amazing!" He's getting hits, and volunteers, and money. He's had a campaign weblog for eight days. 5:09:49 PM    comment []   trackback []

Kerry, Graham to begin blogging. Thanks to JD Lasica for keeping track. 10:31:34 AM    comment []   trackback []

City Filter (Charlottetown, PEI): “Wouldn't it be an improvement to have some weblogs going this fall?...Maybe weblogs could enable these voices to be heard rather than the usual whining about things that make everything worse in the end?” 10:20:10 AM    comment []   trackback []

If you build it, will they come? That question hangs over every hit-count-obsessed weblogger, but it’s a critical issue for candidates considering a campaign blog. Time and resources are limited, so investing in a weblog that generates little traffic makes little sense.   David Hoggard is not waiting for the hits to come. The Greensboro City Council contender will use email to push news of his campaign and drive people to his weblog and his nice new website (available en Espanol, too -- nice touch).   As a veteran of neighborhood association politics, historic preservation wars, and the stadium fight, Hoggard has access to extensive email lists. But other candidates can and should develop, buy, or borrow lists of their own – at the least, they should push information to key volunteers and staff, along with members of the press and other opinion makers.   Campaign blogging is not a passive occupation, and it's not a magic bullet that replaces other campaign activities. Look at the way Howard Dean -- and now Hoggard -- are using blogs to assemble people for meet-ups. Weblogs are a lever, and Hoggard seems to understand leverage. 10:15:26 AM    comment []   trackback []