Blog of the Week: Pink Dome

By day, he's the early-30s senior veep of marketing/business development for a national company whose name shall remain nameless. But when he has a thought or two about the state of politics in Texas, he's just Charlie, author of the Pink Dome blog ("politics written with our tongue planted firmly in our cheek"), which is this week's Blog of the Week (view the Pink Dome profile here). Yes, Texas, home to recently-indicted Sen. Tom DeLay and the place where recently nominated Supreme Court Justice Harriet Miers started her non-judicial law career. So what is it about politics in Texas? Let's find out...

Q. How and why did you start Pink Dome?
A. "I've been using the blog medium for several years as a personal tool, so I knew about blogging. I wasn't completely fresh out of the gate when I launched it Jan. 31, 2005, a few days after the legislative session in Texas started. I knew that I could have a unique voice because there weren't a lot of political blogs dedicated to Texas when I started. Now there's a bunch... But I knew I could have a voice and stand out from the rest of those by using a sort of irrevent tone toward politics and politicians. The 2005 session was the first time that all blogs jumped on the state legislature. It gave us a wealth of material. Texas politics is more entertaining than anything you'll see on TV."

Q. Is your background in politics?
A. "I used to work in politics, as a staffer for the GOP, so I knew how things work. But I'm not a Texas native...I knew nothing about these politicians and I have no history with them, so it really frees me to write about them. I'm not invested in these people. I'm not a native (grew up in Charleston, S.C., and has lived in Austin for two years). I don't have Texas state pride...I just call 'em as I see 'em."

Q. What's so 'entertaining' about Texas politics?
A. "South Carolina is whacky, but they don't have the chutzpah that Texas politicians have. They have a swagger about them here in Texas, and it's really entertaining. They're much more willing to go for the throat. In South Carolina, they'll go for the throat, but they're much more polite and genteel about it."

Q. For example?
A. "Texas passed a constitutional amendment to define marriage as one man/one woman...and I always add to that, 'one donkey.' They focus on social issues like sexy cheerleaders, and despite two special sessions couldn't pass anything on school finance but they were passing bills to help out businesses, so it was a great source of fodder for political bloggers..."

Q. Why don't you use your real name on your blog?
A. "I use Charlie only. For a long time, I was completely anonymous, but we started getting some media attention so I had to use my first name."

Q. How do you view the role of blogs in politics?
A. " 'I am the most important person in Texas...a voter with a voice, just like you.' That's the whole message for me of blogs when it relates to politics: being a voter with a voice. I don't think blogs will replace mainstream media, but I do think they're influential among their key readers. I know that legislators in Texas were reading Pink Dome as they were on the floor during debates."

Q. Pink Dome? Where'd that name come from?
A. "Some people though it was a gay web site, but the Texas capitol is made of pink granite. 'Pink Dome' is the insider's reference to the capitol building.

Q. You've got a governor's race coming up soon. Care to comment?
A. "The mud slinging is already going on. Kinky Friedman is running, and I wouldn't rule him out. People are so disgusted with the current leadership, that if the moon is aligned with Venus, there's a possibility he could sneak in with some votes. What Texans still love about Kinky is that he just says it. He doesn't have that political filter, and that's one of the things that makes Pink Dome great, too. We try not to have any filters as well."

Q. Any advice for other bloggers?
A. "Be interesting. Content is king. People know that if they come to Pink Dome in the morning, they're going to see something, and if they come in the afternoon, they're going to see something different. (Pink Dome's contributors also include an anonymous liberal feminist and an anonymous politician). Lots of Pink Dome's readers don't know if I'm male or female...I try to write as a sassy, drunk, political junkie. I don't think people want to come and read things that are always so negative or hate-filled and anger-filled, so I try to keep it edgy, because quite frankly, in Texas, you have to laugh to keep from crying."