May 18, 2005

Bredesen Blogs

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen actually posted his first-ever blog entry last night. He says all of the postings will be written by him, and won't be recycled press releases.

When we put up the new web site containing a Phil blog last week, I didn’t expect that it would create the buzz that it has. Since Monday, I’ve heard from TV, newspapers, people on the street, emails, and lots of traffic in the blogosphere (reported to me, I’m not a user) about various things especially including whether I would be doing the postings vs a staff member.

... I don’t know if this will work. The relative informality and immediacy that makes blogs interesting are at odds with the circumspection and care that a responsible office requires and without which you get your feet tangled up real quick. I’m going to try it for a while, but if it is dull or if the political cost is too great I may need to close up shop at some point in the future. It is really worth giving it a try though.

What I find fascinating is Bredesen's admission that he's not a "user" of the blogosphere. Although, oddly, he seems to know that "informality and immediacy" are what "makes blogs interesting."

If Bredesen doesn't "use" the blogosphere, that means the governor of Tennessee doesn't read the most dynamic, current, in-depth and analytic source of public policy news and discussion currently available.
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For more scrutiny of the Bredesen record, see Bredesen Watch.