July 22, 2008
Newsom and the 'netroots'

As San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom dips his toes into gubernatorial waters, he is reaching out to the liberal blogosphere to support his political fortunes.

This last weekend, the mayor was in Austin, Texas where liberal bloggers from across the country gathered for a "Netroots Nation" conference.

Officially, he was there to introduce Van Jones, an environmental activist. But he also was there to reach out to the blogosphere.

"I'm not a convert, I'm one who recognizes the power and extraordinary influence the netroots have," Newsom told the San Francisco Chronicle's Joe Garofoli.

In that interview, Newsom spoke in depth about both the potential -- and perils -- of blogs, video and the Internet:

"The feedback is great. And what I love about it, for me, is that we throw something out there, but the value-added is what we get back -- all the posting. They'll say, 'This guy is a nut. That's the worst idea I've ever heard. Doesn't he already know they're doing this in Nova Scotia?' I'm like, fine, I didn't know that -- let's research it. And so I learn about what they're doing in Nova Scotia. I couldn't get that dialogue, candidly, if I just show up on a TV show. That's a one-way communication."

"That's the wealth in this. This makes me a better politician, and not just a politician, it makes me a better policy person. It's not just a campaign tool. Now, if I run for governor, obviously, it will become a politics tool, as well."

Newsom said the constant presence of cameras and bloggers means politicians must always be on guard:

"I think that there's such a caution now, that you can't walk into rooms and necessarily be yourself. Because you have to be on guard. you really do. I'm a pretty loose guy when it comes to saying publicly what I say privately, but you have to be (guarded.) I think it's going to change politics dramatically."

Julia Rosen, a California-based blogger on Calitics.com, celebrated three years of the lefty site's existence and its growing role in state politics.

"Years ago I would have been excited just to shake a politician's hand," she wrote, following the conference. "This year Gavin Newsom is here trying to suck up to me. And Debra Bowen greets me with a hug. It is surreal, but wonderful. And it is indicative of how our movement has grown."
Posted by Shane Goldmacher on July 22, 2008 9:12 AM
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