Via The Standard, it seems that DPF now has his own digital stalkers, in the form of Kiwiblogblog, a blog devoted to discussing his postings. Like its source material, much of it is pretty dull, but it does raise a good question in one of its early posts, How long will Kiwiblog survive a Nat Govt?
Opposition is the bread and butter of political blogging - firstly, because it provides a strong motivation to actually post, and secondly because it is very easy to do a post in the style of "X said Y, and it's a dumb idea because..." But what does an Opposition blogger do when their preferred party becomes the government, and their preferred policies are being implemented? What do they have left to disagree with?
Actually, given the way any government works, quite a lot. But if the content of your blog is entirely encapsulated by the phrase "bloody government", your party getting elected rather robs you of material.
So, a change of government (whenever it happens) is likely to see a shakeup in the blogosphere. One welcome change is likely to be the disappearance of many of the sewer trolls, whose visceral hatred has been stoked to fever-pitch by eight years of left-wing government. But we'll also no doubt see casualties among the more respectable blogs as well, as people find they lack the daily motivation to post. I don't think DPF will be one of them, however; as the unofficial mouthpiece of National on the Net, he'll be kept busy promulgating an endless succession of press releases and spin, much as he does now.
