Speaking of why elected officials should blog, I've just gotten back from a four day trip to London to work with the Liberal Democrats of the UK. All I can say is, wow! The Libdems, as they refer to themselves, are an amazing political group in the UK who truly are liberal and democrats. That's a rarity here in the US, but apparently not in the United Kingdom, where they have more than 50 MPs (Members of Parliament).
In about 60 days, an election will be held in the UK in which all seats in the House of Commons of the British Parliament will be contested. Although the Libdems are probably not going to gain enough seats to overtake the Labour Party and gain effective control of the government, they will have a significant voice in governmental policies. In some ways, this type of politics is more functional than our own two-party system.
What's truly impressive about the Libdems is their commitment to technology as a means to dialog with their constituents. They already have a number of MPs blogging, including Richard Allan, whom I had the pleasure of meeting. They are looking for ways to increase their ability to communicate with supporters/potential supporters online. The central party helps local Libdems groups set up their own websites, and they're actively engaging in ways to get even more people at the grassroots level involved. Frankly, most of this is lost upon American politicians and parties.
The Libdems have built a an amazing political party, and a large part of that success has been because of an unrelenting focus on real issues. I think this quote from Charles Kennedy, the leader of the libdems, sums it up well:
With our commitment to public services, the environment and human rights, and with the Tory Party in chaos, the Liberal Democrats are overtaking the Conservatives to become the effective opposition to this Labour Government.
In short, the Libdems are amazing, and I'm ecstatic to be involved with these truly visionary people
