Presence

Elliott Cahan kicked off his virtual fundraiser over at his web site (Elliott is running for Baltimore City Council, District 5). If you are for change in Baltimore City, check out the site, see what he has to say.

I realize the apparent similarities between Elliott's use of a weblog for the campaign and some of the Democratic presidential candidates; it's not coincidental, as I set up the site and have been following the technological aspects of the primaries quite closely. But I think there's a tremendous difference in usage here. Most of the presidential candidates used the Internet as a means of connecting with fringe voters and raising money, rarely if ever personally contributing to the site. Elliott's site is much different. I set up CahanforCityCouncil.com, but other than editing the layout, Elliott does all the work. Thanks to the simplicity of Blogger, he is able to add content to the site on his own (Elliott has no formal technical training).

Local positions like the city council position are about getting in touch with the real people who live in your neighborhood, understanding and listening to what they need, how their lives can be made better. Besides the web site, Elliott is setting up meetings all around the district, talking to people and finding out what they want. The web site is just an extension of this idea; a way to communicate easily with those you represent.

It's odd how the lines are drawn in this particular race. Usually the Republican candidate has the connections to big business, and the Democrats are the "people's party." But in this case, the incumbent is in bed with wealthy developers and private interest groups that don't take into account the needs of the citizens of Baltimore City. Elliott is going door to door to find out what people want. Whereas Elliott lives in and sends his kids to school in his district, the incumbent lives downtown, far away from her constituents. Elliott is the one listening to the people in this election. Using a blog makes it easier for Elliott to keep in touch with those he hopes to represent.