February 26, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Democrats in the South

Not even jury duty can stop the Blogometer's Blogger Spotlight from moving down to SC as expected. Better late than never, please enjoy our interview with Democrats in the South's Max Blachman.

What is your full name?

Max S. Blachman

What is your age?

21

What's your hometown?

Columbia, South Carolina

Where do you live now?

Charleston, South Carolina

What is your educational background?

I'll graduate from the College of Charleston in May with a bachelors degree in political science.

What is your occupation?

Student

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I grew up in a political home. Both of my parents were active in Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1992, and I have fond memories of running around the Clinton headquarters in Columbia while everyone else was hard at work. I began to pay closer attention to politics during the 2000 election, which coincided with my freshman year of high school, but I was finally bit with the political bug during my senior year. I settled on the College of Charleston and began pursuing a degree in political science from day one. I've been a volunteer, intern, and staffer during the last two election cycles, and decided to establish a political blog after returning from a six-month internship on Capitol Hill.

When did you start blogging and why?

I needed a hobby, so last July I decided to start a blog called Democrats in the South. I spent an exciting six months as an intern in South Carolina Congressman James E. Clyburn's office on Capitol Hill, but I had a tough time adjusting to life in South Carolina after it was over. One night I was reading several of the more popular political blogs in South Carolina, and it occurred that I might enjoy becoming a blogger. Political campaigns in South Carolina and across the country were heating up, so I decided to join the blogging community and share my point of view. I solicited a number of established South Carolina bloggers for advice, and began to post regularly on my own blog and comment on others. The whole experience has been tremendous. Political blogs promote a wider variety of viewpoints than traditional media, and allow for a dynamic discussion of current events without the usual filters and bias of corporate owned media.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

Political blogs are constantly evolving, but the most important consequence of blogs in South Carolina is the decentralization and democratization of information. There are two major political news aggregators in South Carolina that steer web traffic to relevant political news sources, and blogs are commonly linked on these websites. Blogs have changed the rapidity with which we receive information, and traditional political reporters have come to rely on the blogs for additional information. The South Carolina blogosphere is constantly changing, but there is clearly an appetite for this kind of non-traditional news reporting and commentary.

Posted by Conn Carroll at February 26, 2007 03:03 PM