On the record: Talk to the Dome

subjected to so much negative exposure over the years people (on either side) no longer really know what it means. In a political context, it's supposed to mean simply "open-minded" as opposed to the conservative "closed-minded". But that's not a fair exchange, is it?

Thanks to common (mis)usage, the term has come to represent "a naive person who places little value on hard work and constantly seeks methods to redistribute wealth from solid citizens to lazy layabouts."

If you want a better description of BlueNC (and I think you need one), try this:

BlueNC is a community-driven website that promotes progressive values and policies in North Carolina.

The term "progressive" is not merely a replacement for the now-soured "liberal", it's unique and has actually been around for quite a while.

Basically, it's an opinion that situations rarely improve on their own without some form of "action step" by concerned parties. This often does take the form of efforts to aid the less fortunate, but that's not the main "goal" of being a progressive.

As far as what I tell people about BlueNC, it usually ends up being, "You should check it out; we're doing some really cool stuff!"

:)

A liberal group blog?
*The Legion of Dome
I've used those words to describe BlueNC in the past. Would you have a different description?

— RTB

Depending the Generic establishment term. Maybe? Blue NC is more like a information site that covers both sides of the political battlefield. It has grown with amazing speed in the past 2 years with many viewers from both sides and of course with the candiates poping him. It has change the political landscrape of North Carolina. Candiates have been born here in real time and made major impact in the political system. The major trick at this site is it's open policy and it's wonderful folks who post here. James and Betty and the other hosts here do not lie and try to give a fair shake to others with diffent political opinions which is great for democracy. It might get nasty at times, but one thing this site and it's host have in common, is that they care and love their country and state for the good. I salute them for giving it a shot to expand the political knowledge in this age of the internet and real information not being control by some power control freaks....

a meeting place to brainstorm about how to bring about positive alterations to the political discourse in our Cities, Counties, our State and our Country.

We are a very diversified group of persons from many different backgrounds with very diverse life experiences as well as many of the same experiences.
Some are born and raised here in North Carolina, some have found their way here to this beautiful State due to work, school, spouses or just because they love it here and want to live here.

Blue NC is a community gathering place for sharing ideas, taking on the tough issues and having a lot of fun while doing so.

North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!

a political community blog. We do have some moderate/conservative Dems and a Republican or two who stop by for civil discussions. Progressive community blog would be the most accurate description for the most people.

Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.

Hmm. I have always tried to keep my definitions to three words (so that I can use them as compound adjectives without trouble...) But you raise an interesting question: How do you differentiate "liberal" from "progressive"?

— RTB

One of the pitfalls of childhood is that one doesn't have to understand something to feel it. - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The person who thinks BlueNC is R-rated obviously doesn't watch the CSI/Law & Order/Reality shows that pass as PG these days.

One of the pitfalls of childhood is that one doesn't have to understand something to feel it. - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

"I'm the key figure in an ongoing government charade, the plot to conceal the truth about the existence of extraterrestrials. It's a global conspiracy, actually, with key players in the highest levels of power, that reaches down into the lives of every man, woman, and child on this planet, so, of course, no one believes me. I'm an annoyance to my superiors, a joke to my peers. They call me Spooky. Spooky Mulder, whose sister was abducted by aliens when he was just a kid and who now chases after little green men with a badge and a gun, shouting to the heavens or to anyone who will listen that the fix is in, that the sky is falling and when it hits it's gonna be the shit-storm of all time."

This is why Mulder must be kept at a two drink maximum.

before BlueNC. I hated state politics because I didn't know anything about them. This year is so, so different. It's amazing to have a direct connection with so many of the candidates and their supporters who blog here.

Way back when. The N&O, the Chapel Hill News, the New York Times. Now it's down to the Times. Plus I pick up the Independent whenever I'm out, which isn't often.

Five years ago, I tried really hard to be informed about what was happening, but it was difficult to get second-order insights. The N&O is clearly the political newspaper of record in the state, but even after scouring it every day, I couldn't get the knowledge I get from the blogs I read daily.

At times I do my best to go directly to the source so I can report the news. Other times, I use what the CharO, N&O and television stations report as a springboard for further research. I check many more sources for news than I used to.

The willingness of otherwise hard working activists to portray themselves in a negative light surprises me.

What positive do you get by being "fine with being called Liberal, Commie, Pinko, Leftist, etc."?

Self-representation is not change. When people assert their right to define themselves as "pinko" (or whatever), they usually mean to say that they won't allow themselves or their ideals to be red-baited. That's great and all, but it's not about you, it's about persuading a large majority of your neighbors. You'll have an easier time if you deign to speak their language.

- - - - -

I agree. I don't think its a good idea to rely on any one outlet for news. However, I love reading/watching the news and then being able to come with like-minded and more intelligent people than myself to read about their takes on the issues. Many times my gut reaction to blurbs are so one-sided and for me, I feel like I need to get input from others who may have different interpretations of what's going on. That's why I like it here.
J. Levi Knapp

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices.
William James (1842 - 1910)

:)

I was talking with a campaign consultant (who is a lurker here, so Hi!) who said that blogs have little impact on voters. After all, we're only talking about 3000 or 4000 unique individuals per week, many of whom are just keeping tabs on what we say.

My response to him was that BlueNC is more than that. Nearly every person on BlueNC is an activist, which means that we are social focal points. We're precinct chairs, county leadership, non-profit leaders, fundraisers. We talk about politics outside the blogs, a lot! The blog allows us to be well-informed about different candidates/issues/opposition members in a way that we weren't before. If the Iraq war vote happened now you would have millions of people getting information about how bogus it was from the blogs around the world, compared to the thousands back in 2002/2003.

I think that is why campaigns, candidates, and non-profits come here to post. Not because of the 4000 people they reach directly, but because of the large number of people they reach indirectly. I can tell you that a lot of people in Chapel Hill know who Dan Besse is because of my emails/conversations with them, and I wouldn't know/care about him at all if it hadn't been for his online support.

One of the pitfalls of childhood is that one doesn't have to understand something to feel it. - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

What role do you see BlueNC playing the political process?

BlueNC plays different roles for different people at different times. How helpful is that? It's like a giant town hall. Sometimes there are meetings. Sometimes there are quiet conversations. Sometimes there are speeches/reports. Sometimes - there are revolutions planned. There is a lot of self expression going on, and a lot of ideas being worked on and worked out here.

Are you political advocates?

In my judgment, yes, most of us are. Just not for the same cause.

Parajournalists?

I don't like that term at all. It sounds derogatory. Some of the bloggers here put as much work into their posts as you do into your stories, and are as serious about getting their sources right as you are. Betsy Muse and Greg Flynn come immediately to mind. You can trust the work they do to be accurate and every source to be checked down to finest detail. They're just not paid for it. Citizen journalist is how some people call it. I don't claim that term myself. I am a sometime blogger.

Party organizers?

Some people who post here are also party organizers. But this is not a party organizing site.

Or are you more like an interest group?

No, I don't think so. There are too many diversified interests to call it that.

Specifically, how do you relate to the Democratic Party?

I think BlueNC has a love-hate relationship with the Democratic Party. Although many of us are Democrats, you will often see complaints or rants about the Democratic Party on BlueNC. We are not the blogging arm of the NCDP, and nothing that is posted here is official Democratic dogma. There are members of BlueNC who are not Democrats. As a matter of fact, I think there might be a Republican or two hang around.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi

What role do you see BlueNC playing the political process?

I would choose "access" to describe our role.

Candidates have access to the forum to promote themselves and their ideals; normal, every-day citizens have access to those candidates through the forum; readers have access to a (sometimes) unique interpretation of political news and how it may impact their future, etc.

The exchange of ideas is often hindered by a lack of access, and I can only assume that providing a remedy for that is one of the steps toward better government.

Are you political advocates? Parajournalists? Party organizers? Or are you more like an interest group?

I think you'd find elements of all of the above, except...I haven't jumped out of airplanes in several years, and I'm not really sure if that's the best way to get a story. I mean, I'll do it, but if I have to dodge power lines, asphalt, ponds or trees, there better be a damned good story waiting. :)

We provide research, news and information you can't find in the traditional media. We have found that many of our community members are Democratic activists who aren't attached to a single cause. We are looking for issues and candidates to support. At BlueNC those issues and candidates sometimes find us first.

We are advocates, journalists and organizers, but I don't think of BlueNC as an interest group. I want the Democratic Party and our candidates to listen to us, but I'm not sure I want to bend them to our will.

Greg is amazing at research and has put together very impressive posts and information campaigns. I enjoy research as well. My degree is in journalism and I like to think that on my more thoughtful, fully researched pieces I have taken a professional approach. I think that's true of a lot of our community members. We don't have editors, researchers or anyone else on staff to check facts, spelling and grammar before we publish. After we publish, it's an entirely different story. We'll find out pretty quickly if we got something wrong.

I have no problems openly criticizing the Democratic Party or its leadership. I still don't think there is enough transparency. I happen to like Jerry Meek and I think he's done a lot for Democrats, but I also have my differences with him and I'm not shy about letting him know. I think most of us feel this way. Jerimee Richir works for the NCDP and in his off hours he has volunteered to help me with the technical issues at BlueNC that are over my head. Still, he does not get everything he writes placed on the front page and we aren't any easier on Democratic candidates, Jerry Meek or the NCDP because he is around. We're very sensitive about the fact that we are not part of the NCDP and we don't want any confusion there. Jerimee has to walk a fine line and he is wonderful at it. We all appreciate his help here.

I think I am very fortunate that I get to work in politics all the time. Having worked in Iowa on Chris Dodd's campaign, then working in Reno, NV for their state party helping to organize their caucuses, and now here in Winston-Salem working for the Roy Carter for congress campaign.
I think we are learning in this cycle that the internet us a huge tool that is effecting the way we disseminate information, gain support on wedge issues, and raise money.
I really liked that comment above somewhere about BlueNC being a 'soapbox'. I think that's really a great analogy. Really that's what it is. Its a way for people's voices to get heard. There is no vetting process. You're allowed to just write, be corrected, get more information from the people that comment.
The people that post here, read and comment here are really great. I am impressed by the caliber of thought that comes in an out. The gentleman earlier who wrote about the bar being set too high had a point. I think its a bit scary to start, but once you do, I don't know that writing styles matter all that much.
I know I get better responses to personally invested blogs that I write than I do for the well crafted campaign blogs that I post.
I do both, because I am not just part of a political machine, I am a real guy who writes for the campaigns I believe in and once in awhile want to editorialize as myself.
I think the blogosphere has a tremendous impact on the way public opinion is being shaped, I hope it is able to elevate to also have a major role in how public policy is formed as well.

J. Levi Knapp

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices.
William James (1842 - 1910)

In fact, I think we were all a little star-struck at the time.

Getting Larry Kissell onto the netroots fundraising page was a big deal.

One of the pitfalls of childhood is that one doesn't have to understand something to feel it. - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The entire Larry Kissell netroots campaign. We fought like crazy. Larry was initially left off of the Netroots fundraising page even though he had the most support on the nomination thread at MyDD. A day or so later Kos and the boys had a change of heart and added a few more candidates who had tremendous grassroots support. (I can provide links later if you need them.)

Not many people will remember this one, because we were only about 3 months old, but I wrote a piece about Elizabeth Dole and an NRSC fundraising scheme. It went viral on Kos, Eschaton/Atrios, MyDD and the traffic just about brought BlueNC to its knees. I don't remember us going down, but it was tiring keeping up with all the comments at the different sites.

The BlueNC Women getting together to tour Seagrove, buy pottery and meet with Rep. Brad Miller for lunch at the Jugtown Cafe in February 2007.

There are so many fun times, it's hard to list them all. heh

series sticks out in my mind as a milestone. Lots of great work by good people.

I couldn't agree more.

Most of the other blogs that I read are NC blogs, or have NC authors, and I learned about them here. My favorites are Isaac Hunter's Tavern, Pam's House Blend, Capital Beat, and of course the Dome. I also enjoy the ones from our local news paper, The Pilot, especially Progressive Discussions, and Editor's Note.

But those are just the ones I read. As to our relationship to other blogs, it's probably a symbiotic one - we feed off of each other at times. If there is a diary/article of national interest, it's usually cross-posted at The Big Orange Satan, but I try to stay away from there. It's just too much of a time-destroyer for me.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi

We don't have a blogroll and at different times we've made an effort to search out other NC blogs. I created a search feature through Google of NC blogs so when we are writing about a topic we could see what others in NC are saying about our topic, but nobody used it. We encourage bloggers to cross-post from their own sites so we can get to know other NC bloggers.

The national blogs have come in handy. They're a little tough now during primary season, but last cycle we helped Larry Kissell raise a lot of money through the national netroots. We are part of the 50 state blog network and our roundup on Fridays is posted at Open Left and MyDD. Jerome Armstrong at MyDD put out an offer to our front page writers for one of us to write on their front page until after the May primary. I was first to respond, so I got honors. My first piece will go up on Saturday.

In 2006 or early 2007 Chris Bowers said he thought the future of blogging would be on the state level. I think he's right. We won't get as big as the national blogs, but we can provide a similar blogging experience (only better?) on a smaller scale.

I would love to tell you more about the 50 state blog network. There are some great writers/bloggers/political nuts out there. I'm tired and I have to drive to the beach tomorrow, so I will have to tell you on Saturday.

Great questions, Ryan.

Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.

I posed that question to one conservative blogger. Here's his response. What do you guys think about that?

— RTB