First Local Race Blog Ad

Sid Sowers, the Democrat running against Jim Gully for HD-103 is running a blogad on Ed Cone's site.

As far as I know, that's a first in North Carolina politics.

Of course, Erskine Bowles is running blogads all over the place--from Ed's site to The Political Wire and Talkingpointsmemo. But Sowers isn't running a statewide race, and he's not looking to attract national attention. And that's what makes this whole deal all the more impressive.

The web is a really good way for a candidate from a place like Mecklenburg County -- an area with a good number of 'plugged-in' residents -- to make a splash in ways traditional media simply cannot accomplish using a good deal less money.

And of course, it's a way to raise money.

A blog ad like the one on Ed's site doesn't require a lot of work. The ad itself probably took five minutes to design. I'm willing to be the text on the page came straight off a fundraising letter. But I saw it, and now I know his name. Once I get paid on Friday, I might just give the man some money.