Why I won't join SDP

I haven't shared this, because it did - and still does - mean a lot to me.

Several weeks back, I had an e-mail inviting me to become a contributor to SDP. Having spent the entire last year or so reading them, I thought "Wow. What an honor." I mean, these are the guys who really started it all in South Dakota political weblogging. They took it from idle rantings to a decisive tool in politics in this state.

I seriously had to sit down and examine where I was going, and what I wanted to do with my blog. This is more thought than I put into my last car, and current home purchase. And as a result of my own agonizing, I had to say no. Why? For a couple of reasons.

First, I'm in the middle of moving a household across the state.

Second, and more importantly, I took a look at where South Dakota political blogging is today. Right now, there's really only two big South Dakota Republican Blogs; SDP, and Sibby.

Ryne tends to be more Nebraska oriented, and while Radioactive Chief is SD, he tends to focus on the national/international scene. Every other SD GOP Blog is in their infancy. The rest have evaporated, and others went over to make SDP their home. And that's ok for them. This isn't meant to be a criticism.

At this point, the Dakota Alliance of Blogs is pretty much gone, and it's replaced by the Democratic Weblog Empire; SD Watch, CCK, DWATG, TW, TR, TvSD, Proud Liberal, and another one or two. In other words, the positions are reversed.

We went from one or two Dem, and several GOP Blogs, to the other way around. And you know what? Where last year, the GOP Blogs drove South Dakota political coverage during the election, this year it's clear that the media is being driven by the Democratic Blogs. If they hadn't come up with it, would the MSM have published the stuff on Thune/Metabank? I really doubt it.

I mentioned in a prior post, about the power of blogs, that the power comes from numbers. As I said, these weblogs are like letters to the editor. The more you see for a particular position, the more the mainstream media is compelled to act. We saw it last year with Daschle Stories. We see it this year with the Thune Stories.

As a Republican, all I can see is that if I join, I'll be fortunate to be another contributor, but I'll eventually slack off my own blog. Forgive the Star Trek reference, but I'll effectively become assimilated into the collective.

In the case of political blogging, I think you get more light from several candles spread across the darkness, than one bright one. As I see it right now, I think the South Dakota Republican Bloggers have let our momentary advantage slip. And we've seen the results of it.

If there are any more Republicans reading, I'd encourage you to go to your favorite weblog service, sign up, and put thoughts to electronic paper. I know I talk to many, many thoughtful Republicans whose opinions I'd love to see in print. Sign up tonight and send me a link. I want to read it.

There's an important election coming up in 2006. Personally, I don't want to be on the short end of the blogging stick. So, fellow Republicans, sign up to your favorite free weblog service, and start today. And by next election, we can form the Republican Blog Rebellion.

And thank you SDP, for getting it all started. We owe you. May the Blog Force be with you. Always.

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