Bloggers for Government? The Powers Candidacy

Brookings real estate agent Pat Powers, author of the popular South Dakota blog Dakota War College, has mailed his petitions to Pierre so he can run for the District 7 State Senate seat. He faces a Republican primary battle against legislative veteran Orv Smidt.

I find Powers's candidacy fascinating. He has commented before (though I can't find the link this morning) that bloggers might not want to get involved in politics because of the huge paper/electron trail they have generated. Typical politicians have the good sense to equivocate on the hard questions and focus on soft, feel-good positions that are hard to argue with in a sound bite. Powers has spent three years laying out pretty clear positions on almost every policy question under the South Dakota sun. Typical politicians avoid giving voters reasons to disagree with them; Powers regularly puts out stiff opinions that arouse spirited public argument. Even Republican readers can probably track down a DWC post or two that they could turn into a reason not to vote for Powers. I can just imagine the potential drive-by propaganda:

1. Pat Powers opposes drug testing in schools... meaning Pat Powers is soft on drugs?
2. Liberal blogger Todd Epp encouraged Powers to run... meaning Powers is a steealth liberal?
3. Pat Powers wants to shoot fireworks off inside city limits... meaning Powers is a threat to public safety?
4. Pat Powers opposed HB 1005... meaning he opposes tax relief for farmers (and isn't a good Republican team player)?
   

Note that I know better than to draw any of those conclusions. My point is that Pat Powers has 3800 blog posts for curious voters and political opponents to sift through and make hay of. Is he ready to defend everything he has written?

That thought might make typical politicians cringe. Powers isn't the cringing type. Three years in the sometimes bruising public arena of political blogging has given Powers valuable practice at expressing and defending his positions. He'll get over his momentary panic attack and be ready to defend all he has said and will say.

I hope he will turn his blog into a political asset. Dakota War College constitutes a more thorough archive of political thought than has been posted by any other South Dakota politician short of maybe George McGovern. And it's all online, instantly available to every South Dakotan with a computer and signal. Sure, political opponents may be able to use the blog against him, but for the vast majority of South Dakotans, the blog is a chance to get straightforward information about what this candidate is all about. For a candidate who is all about open government, this sort of personal political transparency is a profound example of practicing what he preaches.

I will be rooting for Powers, at least through June. As a blogger myself, as well as a researcher and a citizen, I'm interested to see how Powers's very public participation in political discourse thus far will influence the voters. Hmm, maybe he'll even inspire his friend Russell to blog....