That was until my second morning in Austin when I met up with a few Coloradans (a proud group, they are) and started chatting up a guy who does Internet marketing out of Boulder. First of all, I had no idea the amount of interest generated just by telling people that you’re a lobbyist. The intrigue is strong, I suppose because a) I’m at a conference for tech folks and b) the only image of a lobbyist people have ever seen is Nick Naylor of Thank You For Smoking fame. After I tell people that I’m not a tobacco/gun/alcohol lobbyist or as they say a “good” lobbyist, they, of course, are naturally curious. But then why was I there, at SXSW, eating chorizo breakfast tacos instead of out lobbying in my power suit and enjoying a $45 steak for lunch?

I’ve long asked myself the same question where I allow the two things I am most passionate about – politics and social media – to come together. Inside the Beltway types and social media types are both my people but I’ve found that no matter how mainstream Twitter has become, the two sides are reluctant of one another. It used to be that conversations about politics were kept under wraps. To discuss ones political leanings at a dinner party was grounds for being escorted out by the host. But now that we live in a world where every federal agency, Senator and pundit can write in 140 characters or less, it gives way for constituents and citizens to communicate with those who make the laws. Which is huge. Whereas people used to turn on the evening news and then it would end and so would the conversation, now we can have 24 hour discussions about issues that most affect our friends and families. I continue to be amazed by the power (the people powered revolution as the folks from the David All Group discussed) that people can harness to stop or advance legislation. People are talking. People are engaged. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So why did I take my wee blog to SXSW? Because I want to know what’s next. I want to hear more about Votizen and Americans Elect. I still want to talk about voter apathy and why women feel so disengaged and that fine line between open discussion about politics and boring people to tears. Techies attend SXSW to start a dialogue or keep it going and now us politicos – however few and far between – are there to do the same. That’s why.

Image of Vice President Al Gore and Votizen investor Sean Parker courtesy of CNET

*applause*

I decided to go for it because while all I really need is a place to house my words and faux-punditry, it should also look pretty. Let’s face it; this is not your typical political blog and I think that things should look nice and be (SPOILER ALERT!) colorful even when delving into the appropriations process. So within the next few weeks you will see the change and it will be fun and enticing and it will totally keep you from drooling all over your keyboard while I discuss the GOP contenders for the umpteenth time.

The second thing I wanted to mention is a thank you to all of you who took the Poliogue Poll that wasn’t really a poll but a survey but I like the alliteration. What has been most important to me since deciding to start this site has been how to talk to people about politics in the following ways a) Without talking down to them; b) Fostering discussion; c) Finding out what issues people are really thinking about because Lord knows y’all don’t spend your free time contemplating earmarks; and d) Getting people to acknowledge current events and the electoral process without being all inside baseball. According to pretty much all of you (your checks are in the mail) I’ve been finding that balance very well thus far which is good to hear. Others have requested a primer of sorts and a continued focus on real issues while still doing the whole ‘Inside the Beltway’ thing. Your wish is my command.

Starting tomorrow and every Friday I’ll pick a topic (and of course you are more than welcome to suggest something) and do a brief explanation of what it is and why it is (or isn’t) a big deal. Tomorrow we’ll start with EARMARKS!

*pops confetti*

I know. Try to contain your excitement.

Thanks!

HB

P.S. If you have trouble viewing you can also fill out the survey/form/thingamajig here: Poliogue Survey 2012

P.P.S. You look nice today.

I’m totally in favor of crowdsourcing (some) content because I am interested in giving what the people want. I could ‘screw my readers! I’m writing a long diatribe on the behavior towards teachers in this country!’ and then throw buzz words like ‘pedagogy’ and ‘teacher quality’ in the mix but do you really want that? I mean do you?

This morning I was writing a master calendar for content and events for 2012. One that includes primaries and conferences and straw polls and the Iowa State Fair (Deep fried. Yay or nay?). While whistling while I work I saw a tweet from @BarackObama: As this campaign ramps up across the country, we want to know: what would you like to see us tweet about?

Which brought me here to wonder the same thing of my small but passionate group of readers who I am trying like hell to get interested in the political process especially during this crucial upcoming Presidential race. What do you y’all want to hear about? Anything. Shout it out. Or do you totally not care and you just like when I write things (remind me to tell you how pretty you are).

Let me know either here in the comments or via email Poliogue@gmail.com.

And GO!

Soooo, buddies, what are your plans or next Saturday early-evening(ish)? I already know that during the day on the 30th of October you will be attending the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Keep Fear Alive but what about after that? I don’t know about you but I’ll probably want a beer or actually a Glenlivet o I’m going to take my progressive yet sane self to the bar at the Beacon hotel and imbibe. Do you…I don’t know…would you like to join me? A total old-school hang out post rally to just chill. Hell, you don’t even need to speak to anyone just show up and get your martini on.

5PM
Beacon Bar & Grill
1615 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (you can take the Red line to either Dupont Circle or Farragut North)

I’ll be there. I think that Laurie and Kristen will be there. So it’ll be a good time.

See you then!

I just finished taking a quiz from the November 2009 issue of O Magazine. I found it laying on my mother’s bed and what drew me to it was a bold “Who Are You Meant to Be?’ on the cover. I flipped to the required page and then perused the section stopping at the quiz of the same name. The instructions involved a bubble test and excel at the bubble test. The answers ranged from Never to Always when thinking of reaction to certain situation. “Read each of the following statements and ask yourself how true it is”. Easy enough. As it turns out I am “Striving to Be Creative” as well as “Striving to Be Recognized”. It was suggested that I am an artist and achiever. I am an original and I know it. I’m ambitious, competitive and hardworking. I should write and I should be a politician.

I often use magazines to find out the obvious.

***

Way back during my trip to Houston I confessed to Susan and Maggie that I wanted to write more about politics. I’ve always wanted to write more about politics but I thought that people would find it silly. So to say it out loud was a big deal. It seems that I also need approval but there was no quiz about that. They both gave the thumbs up and said, “Duh, silly”. There was also some talk of how I wanted for politicians to use social media more effectively. To supplement but not necessarily supplant.

Quick digression because I’m smiling to myself right now: Supplement vs. supplant was a major part in the American Recovery and Reinvestment act with regard to how states could use Title I funds. I walked around for months with those two words written on an index card tucked neatly in my back pocket. But supplement and not supplant is what I think that politicians should do when it comes to using social media. I recently spoke with a member of congress whom I adore about his use of Twitter. I told him that I love that he has a presence there and he informed that he hated it. He feared that ‘our children’ were going to grow up without feeling a handshake and rely too much on computers as their form of communication. He missed the old days of going door to door and worried that we were moving to far from that. I couldn’t help but agree. But I do believe that using things like Facebook and Twitter can also assist the constituent/representative relationship. It’s another way for those who so frequently feel disconnected from what is going on within a Capital (or Capitol) or inside the Beltway to feel a bit more connected. It’s a new and different way to engage with those who are being represented but in no way should replace the art of doing a door-to-door on a Saturday morning. Never forgetting that people genuinely appreciate the latter.

***

Over the almost five years that I have had this site I have debated how and when to write about politics. I don’t want to bore people to death while regaling you all with tales of bicameral systems and voting (democracy is so boring). Then again if you really enjoy something, find yourself truly passionate about a subject, you write about it. The goal here is not to shove my political agenda and beliefs down your throat. The goal is just to engage and discuss and for me to do something I enjoy. We all as individuals need to make up our own minds when it comes to politics and our feelings towards what goes on in this country what I want to do is make it easier to have dinner party conversation on the economy or who is running or why midterm elections bring out the worst in politicians but very little from the electorate.

If you look at the top there’s a tab that says ‘Poliogue’ which is a word I made up meaning The Art of Political Dialogue. I don’t expect for people to be rabid C-SPAN fans and blubber when Steny Hoyer utters a simple hello. I would like for people to feel more engaged this election year and (to infinity) and beyond. I promise not to bore you to death or be all inside baseball and will continue to discuss what happens in this country with an air of humor and storytelling and not long winded and regurgitated polling courtesy of the AP. So join me. Please? It won’t hurt. Promise.

(You can follow here http://twitter.com/poliogue or tell me what you want to hear about here Poliogue@gmail.com)