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Thursday, February 03, 2005

State Party Blogs: Quick Update

Posted by Tim Tagaris

The response to the State Party Blog Project has been tremendous. Thank you. There has even been some direct feedback from the actual state parties on the site. I want briefly highlight one in particular: Arizona.

In short, the state's non-traditional campaign director made a direct appeal for bloggers. They need writers! It sounds like a great opportunity to get involved doing something most of us already enjoy. So, if you would like to do some blogging for the Arizona Democratic Party, please use the contact information below.

Tony Cani
ADP Non-Trad Campaigns Director
tcani@azdem.org
602-298-4200

Posted at 12:17 PM in Activism, Arizona, Netroots | Technorati

Comments

That's awesome. I plan to do a main-page post at Kos tomorrow on this, so the response should grow even more!

Posted by: DavidNYC at February 3, 2005 01:13 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

David,

Make sure you get with me before you do--there is tons more going on. Emails from individuals, state, parties, etc...

I will update later today. It's just so damn busy in the office today.

Posted by: Tim Tagaris at February 3, 2005 01:25 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

I sort of spilled my guts out regarding your project over on the new state party blog project page ... and since context is everything I figured I should repost the comment here.

Here you go:

Thanks for the kind words, it is nice to know that people are taking notice of our efforts. Working for a state party in what could be described as a "revamping" is not the kind of work that affords many compliments. The activists I am in the office every day fighting for (heck I am one of them) don't get how LONG this stuff can take to implement and normally all I catch are complaints. That being said, I am confident we are doing well.

We were the first DNC voting entity in the country to ask for feedback from the grassroots to help determine our DNC Chair votes, we had a blog all through the campaign for the coordinated and have one going now and hopefully forever, and we are working at a near break neck pace on tech upgrades that will include a cutting edge rapid response online tool, a meetup structure with supporting web coordination tools, AND an event management system ala dean commons to help empower activits, local parties, AND folks who are interested in fighting the good fight.

From my perspective the technology, the desire, the commitment, and the understanding aren't lacking for us here at the ADP... but instead what is lacking is TIME TO BLOG.

I have trained our entire (very slimmed down) state staff on how to use our blog, I am pitching it to county and Leg District chairs, and I am planning on putting up a three a day blog post planning calendar in our weekly message meetings to help us decide WHAT to cover that week ... but I'm not sure any of us have the time right now to focus on making this blog good. I feel like sometimes it is a choice between getting our vol database in order and out to those who need it, doing some blogging, OR staying at the office until midnight to get to a place where I'm accomplishing SOME of each option. I haven't even had the time to recruit,interview, and train a few perspective interns to help lighten the load things have been so intense.

Don't get me wrong ... getting this to work (and work well) is a BIG priority and we will make the time (heck, look at the comment post time on this, I left the office an hour and a half ago and I'm working on stuff from HOME now) but I think the actual BLOGGING is the hardest part in making this work.

So -- as someone in the thick of it looking at your ambitious and truly crucial project I would suggest a valuable resource you could provide those of us out here who truly "get it" and are trying our best would be BLOGGERS.

If you could connect me with people(local is best of course) who are willing to blog (heck guys ... you have any free time?), willing to recruit GOOD bloggers, or willing to get into the thick of research, online message development and implementation -- THAT would be something that REALLY helped me.

Getting people set up with a blog, helping them understand its importance, and pushing them to dedicate themselves to blog success is a great first few steps ... but helping folks once they get there to get into the flow of things will ensure that success for your project extends beyond some sharp blog designs and some good blog plans.

Yes - consider this a call for help ... and I bet some of my colleagues (or am I the only one of me out there?) would back me up on it.

I'm going to hit the sack now and I apologize for the poor writing and the rambling nature of this comment ... but remember it is VERY late. Very seriously - THANKS for doing what you are doing.

Tony Cani
ADP Non-Trad Campaigns Director
tcani@azdem.org
602-298-4200

Posted by: Tony Cani at February 3, 2005 04:02 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment