New Haven Independent

DeStefano’s web excursion was the latest instance of how traditional politicians in this election year are diving into the Internet to try to understand how it will change the nature of campaigns.

Since DeStefano’s gubernatorial campaign trail first led him into the blogosphere, he’s been quick to catch on to the jaunty, straightforward tone best received there. Tuesday’s on-line question and answer session on the popular, Daily Kos-like web-site, if brief, was his best showing yet. Click here to read it.

But before DeStefano, who’s New Haven’s mayor, could earn the warm reviews from fellow blog-posters, the web-site had to load up. At five minutes after three in his Church Street campaign headquarters, he had his two typing fingers (he’s afraid so) poised and an answer to a posted question about his universal health care plan ready for fire — but the site wasn’t letting the mayor log on. “Sometimes you can have too much technology, you know?” he said, pausing from a phone conversation on one line to get MyLeftNutmeg site-master Kelly Monaghan on another.

“Kelly, how are you? John DeStefano here. Listen, it’s not coming up…” The phone connection was bad — maybe he should have texted — but an explanation like “too much traffic” on the site from eagerly awaiting chatters got passed on.

“He probably says that to all the guys,” joked New Haven’s mayor, as campaign manager Henry Fernandez (pictured) worked out the log-in kink.

As he dove in to his web interview, taking posted questions in the order they came, the mayor stayed relaxed — unhesitating in what his answers were, and nearly as natural with their expression.

Top evidence of DeStefano’s new blog-savvy:

• He followed the blogger-code of writing how you talk. Starting a post about the relative challenge of job-creation in New Haven, as it transitions away from a manufacturing economy, with “Look, Stamford is right outside NYC…”

• Staking out his differences with competitor Dan Malloy on issues of minimum wage and income tax rates, he kicked it back to commenters (they like that): “You decide!”

• Bush-bashing sarcasm is huge in this sphere, and with his scorn for Malloy’s federal Medicaid-reliant health care plan, DeStefano hit it: “it does not have a way to be paid for (oh, he’s counting on George Bush).”

• He borrowed emailing forms and dropped pronouns like a veteran — “Re: DLC [the more conservative Democratic Leadership Council] — fact is Dan is a member, has particpated in their programs and that hasn’t been my team.” Authenticity points for a few typos.

The rhythm only slowed once, over a post called “DLC, Lieberman and the War.” With that one, it took DeStefano a moment’s more thought, and a glance-over from Fernandez, to choose the words with which to stake out his distance from U.S. Senator Lieberman’s stance on the war in Iraq. “Regarding Lieberman - I told and wrote Joe before the war that I thought it was a poor use of America’s treasure,” typed DeStefano. That makes good reading for supporters of Lieberman’s anti-war challenger, Ned Lamont — notably populous in the blogosphere.

Around the mayor, the vibe in the campaign office stayed as informal as the blogosphere, with a handful of twenty-something staffers milling nearby to supply names and remind the candidate about details like post subjects. The older-generation-thrust-into-the-youth-court moment was complete when computer fuss had the mayor blogging from a young staffer’s junk-cluttered desk. Up popped an Instant Message from Eric’s fiancé… Fernandez stepped in to close the window before it went any further.

DeStefano had a chance to leave a fun “away message” of his own. Subject: Jumping Out. “Hey - just got AFL-CIO endorsement - need to run and talk to the press. Try to be back.”

Backing from a major labor federation makes a pretty good excuse of absence. Then again, this is the last crowd to be impressed with attention from the mainstream media, reminded Frank Chi, blog-master for the campaign. Key motivation for the blogging is “to reach a new consituency.” Like “Brandfordboy.”

“The press? Who are they?” he blogged.

Did the mayor have an image of who these bloggers were whom he was reaching with these posts? If visions of the stereotypically pasty, caffeine and junkfood-addicted web-nerd danced in his head, he just smiled. He did note that his own sons weren’t the blogging sort. But there was no offense to be taken. “If you respect the bloggers, they respect you,” said DeStefano. He himself appreciates them for forging a new political arena, hospitable to candid expression and new voices.

Points for further improvement: DeStefano still hasn’t gotten linking — helpful for keeping blog posts conversational, while still connecting readers to policy details. Also, neglected questioners like “sufi” and “terhuxtim” surely would have appreciated more John-time than the 22 minutes — minus the meet-the-press recess — than they got.

But he’s come a long way, said Chi. “He’s really adapted.” Chi, pro-blog himself for the spontaneity the format brings back to stump speech-saturated politics, heads up the official DeStefano for Governor blog.

The “British liberal” blogger “Illustrious” gave DeStefano a “Bravo” for his “courage to speak conversationally with ordinary people” with the live blogging. “Dmoney’ was another who “found it to be a liberating experience to actually be able to ask a candidate for governor questions one on one.” For what others said, click here.