Using the Blogs to Influence the Budget

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Lately it feels like any article about the budget mentions a blog post by one Republican legislator or another.  The SacBee did a whole article about Sen. McClintock's blog habit.  Too bad they didn't realize that it wasn't the blogging that was paying dividends, it was the 85,000 person email list.  I doubt McClintock even gets 8,500 visitors a week at his site.  It's impact is disproportionately felt by the reporters reading and writing about it.  The calls and emails that he is generating are coming by and large from his email list.

The Flash Report on the other hand is different.  They actually get reasonable traffic.  How much...who knows.  John Fleischman does not publicize those numbers.  However, it is less about the quantity of the readership base and more about the quality.  They know that they have the eyeballs of most of the press corps, Republican legislators (those that aren't already blogging), Arnold and his staff, lobbyists and the hard core activists.  They have learned that they can be very effective by spending a short amount of time composing a blog post and getting it out to the influentials.

Our side has done a very uneven job of using the same tactics.  Lampooning Phil Angelides is fun and all, but how about some messaging on the budget?  Speaking about bashing Angelies, what about this post that does that without offering constructive criticism?  Now, I have some experience with ragging on his email management skills, but at least I offered up some suggestions.  How about saying, hey Phil, I think it is great and all that you are not just letting your email list sit, but how about using it to bash the Republicans instead?  Kinda like sacguy did in the comments here, only a little nicer ;)
I want more posts like this one, that let's me create a message about an MIA governor that I use here at Calitics and other sites.  Then others who read this blog can pick up off of that and write their own posts.

What about recruiting Sen. Perata to write a post?  Assemblyman Nunez had a decent one at the CPR the other week.  Perhaps a few updates from the floor?  Maybe you can conn the CDP into sending out an email to their huge list targeting those who live in Republican districts.  There is a lot at stake and people are willing to get involved, they just need to be asked.  The interest groups are mobilizing, but I would like to see more directly from the Party and the insiders.