Blog Statistical Analysis and the Current Blogosphere Political Culture in El Paso

You can't argue with statistics.  This is just a "shortie" on the blog and data which provides an interesting snapshot of the blog and blog posts to date.  The Norma Chavez Blog is still in the infancy of it's existence. I started posting on January 3rd, 2012 and to date have published only 13 blog posts (this being the 14th post) with over 6,000 views to date (as of today right now). 

As I have stated in previous blogs, this blogging experience is like "writing in the open skies", and it is also like learning a new language, first choosing a blog host, blog format, template, etc., and after that is done reviewing the tools available to the blog such as a statistical analysis.  Eblogger provides a weekly, monthly and overall statistical review of page views, traffic sources such as referring URL sites and browsers, and monitors your audience including countries with people that are following your blog (to date I have followers in the US, Mexico, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Germany (a lot for some reason), Philippines, France, Argentina and other countries (I've gone global already!). 

In the very short time that this blog has been in existence, it has garnered an average of 400 views per post per day with a low of 250 per day, and the greatest number of pageviews in one 24 hour period being 900 plus.  Granted these are not overwhelming numbers for a blog in a city of 700,000 people.  But considering that 85% to 89% of the traffic is from Facebook because it is not readily available in search engines yet (not sure why, but have some "techie youngs" who have offered to help me with that), and from what I have been told it is recognized by search engines based on actual hits (still figuring that out).  Though the blog is not even one month old, it is still good traffic for a new blog. Because I have chosen to "write in the skies" you never know who is looking up at the sky from around the world!! 

What the data demonstrates is reflective of the blog culture in existence prior to my writing a blog. The top three blog posts in the order of page reviews are (1) County Judge Veronica Escobar to Constituent "Alex Guzman "U R Not my Facebook Friend", (2) Facebook Page "Unfriend Veronica Escobar 2014", and (3) "Pachangagate, Darren "WITCH" Hunt, and Racism.  In that order.  All three blogs caused the most political controversy, most comments, and most personal emails, texts, phone calls, from both people supportive of me for exposing the political faction and their agenda and from those critics that don't like the labels or names I put to the faction.  For the most part, those who don't like the labels, don't like political factions nor do they like the local blogs.

This brings me to the subject of blog culture in El Paso, specifically political blogs.  I have only been blogging less than a month.  The political blog culture was already in existence when I started it and I too am disappointed that the number 1, 2, and 3 blogs are of the "chisme" nature.  It is annoying to read the other two political bloggers, the Criminal Blogger and the WASM (White Anglo Saxon Male) Blogger, and their perpetual reference to me with accusations, exaggerations, personal attacks and plain lies.  They will cross a libel line and their files are getting fuller every time they mention me.  I have no need to create false names because I have a blog and a personal Facebook account with my very own name, and obviously I don't have a problem writing what I think on either of those two social media mediums.  A subpoena of internet names and URL's from the proper authorities will clear those lies up.  But it is amusing how my blogging has created such heartache for these two men.

So, this blog will move into the next phase.  This blog will not be an exclusive political blog (we have that already, I have no interest in doing that because this is bigger than that), but I do intend to include blogging about politics and voice my political opinion using my experience and knowledge serving 14 years honorably in the Texas Legislature and organizing in the community over the last 20 plus years. This blog will continue to be peppered with everything El Paso in hopes to tease you, amuse you, anger you, get you to think, and to expose you to soooo, soooo much that is happening in and around El Paso with people OTHER THAN POLITICOS!!  I hope that my blogging will encourage others to blog locally because a healthy blog community is good for El Paso, "writing in the skies" exposes all the local details by the locals to an internet world!!  :-)

(For the record, I am not sending traffic to those mean spirited, self serving, egotistical bloggers, so any mention in your comments to them by name or blog, will not be posted - fyi).

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"PACHANGAGATE, Darren "WITCH" Hunt, and RACISM!!

I am shocked at the continued attacks by KVIA news reporter Darren “WITCH” Hunt of political activities by the Latino community in El Paso, in particular those South of the Freeway.  He started his tabloid style reporting of “pachangas” last year by jumping over bushes to stick a microphone in elderly people’s faces, and ask them if their vote was being bought and paid for with a taco.

Seriously, a “gordita”, rice, beans, and bread......or brisket, rice, "frijolitos" and jalapenos.....or “taquitos”, rice, beans, bread, jalapenos, and "chile con queso"......IS FRIGGING buying votes?  How is that?  

Political “pachangas” are organized all over the state in Texas and in the United States but are called different names.  State Representative Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston), the Dean of ALL WOMEN in the ENTIRE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, has her ANNUAL “fish fry” where thousands of her constituents come to her event.  And why didn’t KVIA and Darren “WITCH” Hunt blow the whistle on former Congressman Ron Coleman (D-El Paso) when he would throw his famous Ron Coleman's Labor Day Bar-BQ at the Cattleman Steakhouse where 1500 plus voters would attend? Why, is there such an interest to focus attention on events in the LOWER VALLEY or any other part of town that has a political event called a “PACHANGA”? 

Is it because candidates recognize that cultural relevance is important?  Political research consultants call “knowing your audience” very important to outreach and “pachangas” or “menudos” or “café y pan dulce” events are culturally relevant to engage Latino voters with candidates in informal settings.  Is Darren “WITCH” Hunt going to go after the “ROCK THE VOTE” events, because they have loud bands, and serve beer, and have rock stars to influence their vote?  I doubt it.

It is offensive to me that Darren “WITCH” Hunt is focusing on political rallies in Latino neighborhoods of El Paso SOUTH OF THE FREEWAY to intimidate voters into thinking that their participation and hearing of candidates, dancing to a band, eating a meal, and getting raffle tickets for door prizes, is wrong.  Other than cash prizes, political events like the “pachangas” we have in the Lower Valley or SOUTH OF THE FREEWAY are common place in everywhere America, but they are called by a different name.

And “DEADBEAT DAD CRIMINAL BLOGGER” SHAME ON YOU!! A self proclaimed “Chicano” participating in this conspiracy to target voters South of the Freeway and intimidate candidates and the Democratic Party to stop political rallies called “pachangas”, is RACIST! 

KVIA, DARREN “WITCH” HUNT you owe the SOUTH OF THE FREEWAY voters in El Paso an apology for your racist tactics to steer voters away from having an opportunity to listen to candidates.  CHICANO CRIMINAL BLOGGER, I am embarrassed for you for not calling this what it is RACIST!!

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