Charlotte Observer
Monday, May 29, 2006
www.charlotte.com

Pols take advantage of Web of opportunity
Online posts, e-mails may help cash-strapped challengers most

From Inside Your Washington
by TIM FUNK

Politicians are joining the online party.

Rep. Brad Miller, D-N.C., of Raleigh, blogs on Daily Kos ( www.dailykos.com ), a liberal Internet site that reaches millions.

South Carolina's two Democratic congressmen -- Reps. John Spratt of York and Jim Clyburn of Columbia -- hold e-town hall meetings. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., meanwhile, pens "Jim's Journal" ( http://demint.senate.gov ).

And many members of Congress -- including local Reps. Sue Myrick (R), Mel Watt (D), Robin Hayes (R) and Patrick McHenry (R) -- send out e-newsletters.

"You've got eMel!" announces the one from Watt.

But in this election year, when voters seem to be in an angry mood, the blogosphere could end up helping challengers, not well-heeled incumbents.

Take Larry Kissell, the Democrats' choice to take on Hayes.

A social studies teacher at East Montgomery High School and a longtime textile worker before that, Kissell doesn't have much campaign cash -- at least compared with Hayes' $1 million.

But Kissell does have a blog, which costs him nothing and lets him reach e-readers in the 8th Congressional District and beyond. He writes his online diary for BlueNC ( www.bluenc.com ), a Tar Heel site favored by Democrats, and two national liberal sites, Daily Kos and MyDD ( www.mydd.com ).

In the one he posted Friday, Kissell talked up a Democratic poll suggesting that the political environment in District 8 -- voters are down on President Bush and the economy -- could make Hayes of Concord vulnerable.

Kissell's April 27 blog post revealed that he bankrolled his grassroots effort partly by using his credit cards to lend his campaign "more than $35,000."

"I have taken some huge risks to run for Congress, but I know it's what I'm supposed to do," he wrote. "Anytime I get tired or frustrated, all I have to do is turn on the news and I remember why I'm running. Our government is a mess. We as citizens have to take it back and clean it up."

Bloggers tend to preach to the choir, who then respond with "right on!" e-mails. But blogs can also bring in campaign contributions, local volunteers, support from young voters and media attention like, well, this mention in the Observer.

[Be sure to check out Larry's Blog at BlueNC.]