Political Desk: Feedback Loop

My lunch partner says "I've been reading your blog posts."

And I stop chewing, not knowing what is about to come next.

You see, I use the blogosphere as a broadcast medium as opposed to an interactive one. I don't allow comments. I don't track traffic. I don't find out what search terms get you to here. I try not to think about who is reading it, because when I do, I find I suddenly freeze up. I don't feel the need to provide a platform for every bozo (sorry, for every bozo-but-ME) to grind his axeware. I feel that when I realize that people read this stuff, itgets in the way, and that I start tailoring the message to the audience (I do that professionally, by the way, but here is where I get a chance to go out and play).

However, as a result of this, I often have the subject pop up, either in person or in emails. And I consider that par for the course, but it always surprises me.

Back to the lunch. It was a very pleasant conversation, in which we talked about audiences, and my three laws of politics, and the difficulties of the 47th District Position One. But I do get feedback in the form of emails and links and Facebook (back when Facebook could actually rebroadcast the feed - they've changed something (again) and I can't get it to work). Some of it is insightful. Some of it is in all caps. Some of it demands equal time. Some of it is a list of links demanding I review them all before ever posting on the subject again. And some of it has brought me in contact with interesting people - actors, politicians, the parent of actors, other writers, and so on.

And mostly I listen but do not comment on this blog (broadcast media, right?.) On occasion there is something I get that I feel is worth passing on. And that brings me to Caleb Love Mardini.

I made fun of Mr. Mardini's Voters' Guide entry along with the rest of the shambling horde of candidates for U.S.Rep, 8th district. And Caleb he sent me a nice email, along with something he has posted on his site, refining his message.

And I have to say, this is pretty darn impressive. Go read it. All of it,. I'll wait. Back? It is well-defined, well-organized, well-argued, and a good piece of writing in addition to being a crystallization of why he is in the race and what he hopes to achieve. I am very impressed with this, both as a political statement and as an independent work. Even if Caleb Love Mardini gets the "Miss Congeniality" prize out of this particular race, he has served notice that he knows what he is doing, what he is saying, and what he wants.

Which is one of the little gems of doing all this.

In closing, there is one reader of this blog who I am always paying attention to, regardless of if she says "I've been reading you're posts" or not. I'm not sure she reads everything (particularly the deep nerdy posts) or not. But that person keeps me from going too far overboard, from being to too harsh, and reminds me that I was brought up to treat people better than they would normally expect.

And to her, I can only say is, "Hi, Mom!"

More later,