The Pakistani Spectator

My name is Albert Bregar. I am the Chairman of The Iowa Brigade/Iowa Defense Alliance. We are a loose coalition of conservative activists that are tired of the depravity, the out of control spending, and the incessant tax increases that our current state government continues to perpetrate on us. Our group was formed as a result of the Presidential primary season. All of us at one time supported Mike Huckabee for President. As he did not win the nomination we decided that we would do what we could at the local level here in Iowa. Thus the Iowa Brigade was born, then shortly after that came the Iowa Defense Alliance. In our short lifespan we have already influenced the June 3, 2008 primary. During this contest 5 of the 6 candidates that we supported won the primary race that they were in.

Now for myself, I am a happily married 31 year old man from South Central Iowa. I have been happily married to my wife Chrys for a little over 2 years, and they have been the happiest years of my life. We have no children, but we do have two cats and a dog that we spoil, as well as 11 nieces and nephews. I am a full time student with the University of Phoenix where I am attempting to get a Bachelors degree in Computer Programming.

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?

I am the Chairman of the Iowa Brigade/Iowa Defense Alliance. This is a group of conservative values minded bloggers that want to make a difference in the political environment. Our group was formed on the heels of the Republican nomination process. All of the IDA bloggers were supporters of Mike Huckabee. Once he dropped out of the race we decided the place to make changes is in our state races. So we turned our attentions to the Iowa Statehouse primaries.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?
Yes, I definitely am still growing as I continue to write. I am always learning new tricks and tips when on our blog. This is important to me because it provides me with new tools to get our message out to more and more Iowans. It helps us to influence the political scene in Iowa and provides a role model for others in other states to make a difference.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?
In my short blogging career there has been several memorable moments. Let’s see, there is the time that I was invited to lunch with a prominent radio personality here in Iowa. Or there was the call that I received from a former and future gubernatorial candidate. Or there is the breakfast that I have been invited to with Newt Gingrich. It seems like the memorable moments just keep adding up, who knows what will happen next.

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?
To keep up communication with other bloggers I have shared emails with them and also I make it a point to read their blogs as often as I can. Of course I know it is impossible to do so on an everyday basis, but whenever I do I always leave some feedback. I know from experience that feedback whether supportive or critical is something that most bloggers look forward to.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?
The most exciting use of technology in politics right now in my opinion is the use of blogs to spread information and influence. We saw that influence here in Iowa just a couple of weeks ago during the Iowa primary election. Of the six candidates that our blog supported won their race. This shows the untapped potential that the internet has. I mean the day of the primary election our site traffic for just one day hit an amazing 933 hits in just one day. That is how many voters that we reached in a very short period of time.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?
Yes and no. I don’t know about the rest of the world, or even the rest of the country. But here in Iowa there are some people that continue to reject new technologies. And at the other end of the spectrum there are many people that cannot wait to get their hands on new technology. I would have to say that new technologies are making those that embrace new ideas more responsive, but there will always be holdouts.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?
The biggest thing that sets our site apart from the variety on the internet is that we focus on Iowa. We are refraining from discussing any politics beyond the state. It is our belief that to effect real and lasting change you need to start at the local level. If we can rid ourselves of the corruption at the local level, then we can do so at the federal level.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?
Choosing just one characteristic is a tough one. I think that I have several characteristics that work in conjunction with each other to help me succeed. But having to choose I would have to say the being stubborn and refusing to submit is the single most important characteristic that has assisted me.

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?
This is a simple one, the happiest day of my life was January 28, 2006. The day that I married my wife.
The gloomiest day of my life was the day that my mother passed away.

Do you think [the use of Twitter and other social networking tools by politicians] is bandwagon jumping or what?
I think that the use of social networking sites is a shrewd move by politicians. Using these sites allows them to have access to a demographic that they may not have been able to attract any other way.

If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no worries about how it’s paid for - what would your top 3 choices be?

Daytona Beach, FL
Rome, Italy
The Outback of Australia

What is your favorite book and why?
How Few Remain-Harry Turtledove
This book is a very entertaining book. It deals with alternate history. The basic plot is based on the assumption that that CSA had won the Civil War and now there was a second war between the states. As I stated, it is very well written and extremely entertaining. It also has the tendency to make you think, “What would have happened?”

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?
The first thing that I notice about a person is how they carry themselves. This will tell me if they are confident, nervous, or any other number of feelings.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write?
Actually no there isn’t because the subject had never come up.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?
This I don’t know much about. I don’t blog for profit, I write because I believe in something. I don’t need  a monetary reward for that.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?
Absolutely not. I don’t have much time on my hands, but my blog has succeeded. I feel that it all hinges on how well one can write and how much one believes in what they are writing.

What are your thoughts on corporate blogs and what do you think the biggest advantages and disadvantages are?
I have never paid much attention to corporate blogs, although I can say that I would find it hard to trust them.

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?
I haven’t really thought much about this topic either because we are so focused on Iowa. Now that I think about it, we can question our elected leaders and keep the pressure on if their words don’t match the facts. We can disseminate facts. And we can voice our opinions based on the information. And we can promote freedom and tolerance. Beyond this I am not sure much can be done. You have given me something else to ponder, perhaps I will have a post on this very subject in the future.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?
The Real Sporer-http://therealsporer.blogspot.com/
Battleground Iowa-http://battlegroundiowa.squarespace.com/
Questions, Comments, and Insults-http://questionscommentsinsults.blogspot.com/
The Celebrity-http://blogs.metnal.com/cydney/
Oh Baby That’s What I Like-http://ohbabythatswhatilike.blogspot.com/

Is there one observation or column or post that has gotten the most powerful reaction from people?
The post that received the most powerful reaction was one in which I thought it would be a negative reaction. In all actuality it was a fairly positive reaction that I received.

http://iowadefense.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=15

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?
Once again you have found my weak spot. I don’t have much of a perception of Pakistan because I have not thought about it. One perception that I do have is that the Pakistani are a passionate people that want peace. I hope and pray that one that will be accomplished not just for Pakistan but hte world as a whole as well.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger?
The author of Questions, Comments, and Insults has struck me because he is not afraid to upset the politicians in Iowa. Sometimes I think that is his intention.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?
I think the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country is a developed country is cleaner. By this I mean the amount of pollution that is released into the environment is higher in a developing country than it is in a developed country.

What is the future of blogging?
I wish I could tell you what the future of blogging is. The only thing that I can tell you is that people will be blogging about politics for a long time to come.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?
It is my personal life that has driven me to blogging. This latest caucus season I supported Mike Huckabee for President. Unfortunately he was unable to secure the nomination, but it was due to Mike that I decided to start blogging.

What are your future plans?
My future plans are to finish school with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Programming. Also I plan to continue blogging in an attempt to better the state of Iowa.

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?
I would like to thank you for the honor of asking me these questions. I must say that it is a new experience being on the receiving end of an interview. Please take care and I wish you all luck and prosperity.

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