Over at Charlotte Gore’s blog there’s a rather good article on political geekery, which makes two very good points. The first being that if you’re reading this blog (or hers or any of the political blogs) then I hate to say it but you’re probably at the moment either a friend of the blogger or a political geek – or as she more kindly puts it “People Who Are Into Politics.”.
The other point picked up more in the comments is one I want to look at a bit closer is that blogging isn’t enough, talking amongst ourselves on blogs isn’t going to achieve much, or as she says:
“It’s just no-one’s noticed yet, that’s all. Like no-one’s really noticed how you and the rest of the gang would actually be terrifyingly powerful if anyone could figure out a way of brainwashing you into going out knocking on doors and delivering leaflets and telling all your friends about this site or this book they MUST read, you know?”
I think on this point she’s partly wrong, not much more than 18th months ago I didn’t read a single political blog, not sure how I stumbled into them and now I read loads and write the odd one. On the back of just that people I know have started reading political blogs beyond humouring me and reading this one, and I’ve pointed people at other political blogs, shared articles with people that possibly didn’t care on facebook and swapped links with people that did care. I’ve even lent people political books which before I stumbled on political blogs I wouldn’t even have owned. So even without going out delivering leaflets in this connected world messages are being spread from friend to friend (admittedly the pub also helps here), some of these were interested in politics before some weren’t. But all that said as some of the comments have observed it isn’t actually enough we do need to move beyond the on line world, and follow Leg Irons move and make and give out leaflets, or maybe join Old Holborn for a costumed walk (If you’ve not been on one you do get to talk to random people about what you’re doing and why). I recently started 646 All out! for this election and have moo cards and stickers ordered and will be getting flyers as well, I’ll hand them out or leave them for people to find – no idea on the impact it will have but some people may visit and from there discover other blogs or talk about it in the pub, and leaving such cards in places to be found is a lot less effort than handing out leaflets door to door.
So while there’s not many of us talking and it can seem like a bit of an echo chamber there are far more reading silently and that number is growing, and if we somehow start to advertise ourselves out in the real world that number will grow faster and who knows what it might turn up. I think there can yet be quite a ground swell of people that do read these blogs along side then instead of the mainstream media before either the mainstream media or us bloggers notice, but if we are serious about getting our individual or group message out there we can’t just sit around hoping to be found*. And if we’re not serious about getting a message out then all we’re doing is sitting around whining like a bunch of Emo Kids that have been told that they do have to do their chores before they can go to the club – and if that’s all we’re going to do really we may as well just go to the pub.
* I say this as someone that is utterly hopeless at self publicity and is quite content for people not to discover a word I’ve written – so please do accept the fact that whilst I’m calling everyone else a pot I’m well aware that I’m very much the kettle.
