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Wednesday, June 08, 2005

OH-02: Blogging the Special Election

I missed the A.P. story, but the Washington Post coverage couldn't be avoided (via Bring Ohio Home):

As the Associated Press reported, some politicians are experimenting with Weblogs to shake up districts known for predictable party-line votes.

The AP story takes place in Ohio, where liberal activist Chris Baker is trying to use blogs and other word-of-mouth techniques to muster support for a progressive candidate. The 2nd District, where Baker is working, provides the rare off-cycle opportunity to try something new after seven-term Republican Rep. Rob Portman joined the Bush administration as U.S. trade representative.

Eleven Republicans and five Democrats are jostling to fill Portman's shoes, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported, creating a pool of voters who could be receptive to messages delivered in original ways that set them apart from the competition.

Baker and his Republican counterparts said they believe the GOP will hold the 2nd District, though the Cincinnati Post reported that most of those candidates will have to struggle to distinguish themselves: "Of the 11 Republican candidates, four ... are widely viewed as the presumptive frontrunners. ... The other seven, most of them first-time candidates, offer a diversity of backgrounds and life experiences. Drawn from both the district's urban centers and remote rural outposts, they include several teachers, a part-time letter carrier, a former government worker, a lawyer, a financial analyst and a professional magician. ... Their best hope -- perhaps their only hope -- is for the better-known candidates to so seriously splinter the vote that a dark horse could perhaps slip through."

The AP said that in a field like this, liberal activist Baker will use the race "as spring training for the 2006 midterm elections and 2008 presidential contest. Baker posts reports and commentary on the campaign along with appeals from the candidates for volunteers and money. In one recent post, Baker referred to Republicans' efforts to court religious conservatives as a 'truly pathetic display,' and he continually refers to some Republicans as serving the Sith lord villains of 'Star Wars' movies."

Two of the 2nd District candidates, Bob McEwen (R) and Victoria Wulsin (D) started their own campaign blogs.

www.OH02.com.

Posted at 02:53 PM in Netroots, Ohio, Special Elections | Technorati

Comments

I fear that my blog will forever be associated with that Sith line. For some reason it bounces around the traditional media like a bullet in a tank.

BTW... I haven't posted any candidate's appeals for money. I post their schedules when they become available and if they include fund raisers I list them. BTW, I also post conservative candidate events as well.

I don't have any advertising and don't do any fund raising. If I did post something on a fund raising appeal it would be in the context of a story and it would just as likely be an appeal from a Republican candidate as from a Democrat. Any media that any candidate sends out has the potential for news on the race.

Any candidate is always welcome to appeal for money in the comments, including Republcans ;-)

Thanks for the post!

Posted by: Ohio 2nd at June 9, 2005 11:44 AM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment