From Blogging to Politics

From Blogging to Politics

And you thought all this blogging was just navel gazing?

Ha, not so fast, says Brian Keeler.

Mr. Keeler started off as nybri, a rather anonymous name in the sea of blogspot.com. He went on to help start epluribusmedia a collection of self-starting investigative reporters.

Mr. Keeler, 53, is taking a shot at challenging Republican State Senator Stephen M. Saland. Now, it should be noted, challengers don’t have a great track record in making it to Albany. Cynics like to joke that lawmakers are more likely to be convicted than lose a re-election.

But Mr. Keeler’s candidacy might show that there is something productive about the proliferation of blogs. He says he’s taking what he learned in the web-world and bringing it to the real world.

So what advice does he have for the newbies of the Empire Zone (which some have dubbed with the handle EZ.)

“Take very seriously what people have to say. It is supposed to be a conversation, an exchange,” he said. “It’s just a question of how free and open you want to be.”

–Jennifer Medina