HAPPY FOURTH of JULY.....

I found a great article complementing Dr. Johnson’s chapter on Congressional Websites (ch. 6, 125-150). It is available at http://www.personaldemocracy.com/node/403, written by Molly Chapman Norton, titled Why Congress Doesn't Blog...And a Few Members Who Do. Norton notes the digital divide on Capital Hill. She states, “many of the staffers interviewed for this article felt there was a future for blogging in Hill offices as members of Congress and their aides become more tech-savvy, but the difficulty in maintaining spin on a true blog was a hindrance”.

Reading this article upset me a bit. And because of my professional and academic background, I know the functionality of a “spin less” communication medium is absolutely frightening to any campaign or elected officials. But, from the perspective of a voting citizen its quite sad. I’d like to think that if candidates gave me an opportunity to see them minus all the hoopla and spin I’d actually be more likely to vote for them.

As a campaign manager, I’m not sure if I’d feel comfortable advising a candidate to put himself out there in an uncensored, unrestricted forum. IS there a future for post-able blogs on campaign sites? What would you advise your candidate?