D.D. 04/18/05

It had been suggested to me more than once that a blog that quickly sprung up in support of Ed Bryant, Blogging for Byrant, was an astroturf campaign cordinated by the campaign but distanced enough so that it wasn't perceived that way. I dismissed those charges as nonsense after mentioning the site to Ed himself the last time I had a chance to speak with him. He said that frankly he had no idea who the guy was, but that obviously he was thankful for all of his supporters. He also seemed uneasy about the blogosphere all together, obviously still unconvinced of the success of blogging in shaping the political debate- which is fine- people are going to continue to be skeptical.



That skepticism, I believe, will be put to rest after the 2006 cycle. Just look at all the blogs that have sprung up recently that just talk about Tennessee politics. I'm sure Bill Hobbs is feeling his age and trying to keep up with all the grassroots political reporting that blogs are accomplishing now statewide for different demographics with different biases- but that's just the nature of the blogosphere. Sometimes, especially recently, I feel burnt out on blogging, but then I find something that I am the first to bring particular attention to that would have been passed over had I not mentioned it, and I feel reinvigorated with the whole notion of blogging. Somehow, there is the thrill of "you heard it here first."



Back to the point I was making, though. I have no reason to believe that Blogging for Bryant is an astroturf campaign. I've even blogrolled them and they are an excellent source of information on the Senate race, especially in following Harold Ford, Jr.- which other blogs tend to ignore. That seems to be charge of a new blog, which may be an astroturf campaign itself- The View from Here, a blog dedicated to disproving Blogging for Bryant and putting positive spin on Van Hilleary's campaign.



In response to some of the charges levied by "Crystal" on The View from Here, Blogging for Bryant has revealed that it is lead by Jay Bush, a Nashville law student, whose namesake you will recognize as the spokesman for Bush's Baked Beans. Two other authors of B4B wish to remain anonymous, but so does "Crystal." I agree with Matthew White's conclusions that this isn't good news for the party or the "conservative base." In any case, I should use this space to explain my own stance: undecided. Unless something drastic changes, that's probably how I'll stay for a while. You can expect an endorsement post sometime late in the season. Until then, just check back for the news and try to stay away from the rumors- take it from someone who's learned his lesson.