Local political blogging?

I had lunch last week with Ed Cone last week in Greensboro. Ed took the first and most exhaustive look at Dean’s Internet Strategy, and lots of journalists have since followed in his path.

We debated whether Howard Dean’s Internet tactics might work in local campaigns this year, specifically for the NC campaign of Chester Erskine Bowles for Senate.

I think Ed is right that blogs + Meetup could make a big difference in the NC contest, particularly in a tight race. I agree that a little effort could catalyze dozens of ‘Bowles blogs’ by June. But I’ll stick to my guns on my third argument: well-established institutions and inside players are too often willfully blind to new tactics and technology, particularly when the technology upends the power structure they’ve built their lives and bank accounts around.

So, no Bowles blogs this year in NC unless someone outside the Democratic aparat pushes them.