Former Gov. Sarah Palin may have been the most notable Alaskan tweeting political commentary and posting plans on Facebook -- we don't know many who can top her 1,369,456 fans -- but she's far from the only one.

Some see new tools like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as a way to keep government responsive to Alaskans. Others are optimistic they can engage a whole new generation of voters with posts, tweets and video. And, of course, some simply want to open the office doors as wide as possible.

 

They're rolling footage with weekly updates on YouTube, tweeting commentary and updates on Twitter. They've got Facebook pages that mesh the personal with the professional -- pages where they field queries from constituents, express outrage over politics, laud good bills. Anchorage Democrat Sen. Johnny Ellis posts video updates to YouTube, while legislative tweeters include Anchorage Republican Sen. Lesil McGuire and Democratic Reps. Les Gara of Anchorage and David Guttenberg of Fairbanks.

 

House Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, keeps a simple, straightforward blog with valuable updates on process and politics -- no Facebook account required. And Rep. Bob Lynn, R-Anchorage, who turns 77 years old this month, maintains an active blog meshing politics and some personal reflections. He's also on Facebook.

"I think it's definitely part of the future," Senate Majority press secretary Tim Barry said. "I'm an advocate for the more ways you can reach out, get information out, the better."

Rep. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks, has 93 folks following him on Twitter and a backlog of 500 friend requests on Facebook, and he delivers.

Posted Feb. 8, outrage: "Wonders why some lawmakers insist that we to do an oil tax do-over, even when we haven't heard whether the system has worked for Alaskans?!"

Posted Feb. 1, credit to a colleague on an important issue: "House 2 debate domestic violence prevention bill. Kudos to ANC Democrat Lindsey Holmes who is a leader on public safety issues."

At 34 years old, Kawasaki is the youngest member of the Legislature, and one of the few who has grown up at the cusp of a new generation that turns to texting, the Web and electronics for most routine communications. He's hoping to wire webcams into his fourth-floor office to give 14,000 constituents more than 700 miles away in Fairbanks an uncensored view of the session day-to-day. The increased access is important in shattering the stereotype of Alaska politics as corrupt, he said.

"The public already has a negative opinion of what goes on in Juneau," Kawasaki said, referencing the "closed-door" deals that Palin denounced and a string of corruption convictions. "The more transparent we can be, I think the public will see what we're doing here is important. This is where the rubber meets the road."

There's more than appearances to increased use of new technologies. Some eye it as a way to connect with a new generation of voters, ones who may be most affected by decisions now on the table.

Savvy politicians could look at the demographics from the 2008 election -- there's a new, young class of voters that can swing a race, and the way to court them is, well, their way.

"Those are the most disengaged people," Kawasaki said. "But they're the people who should be most concerned about the politics and policy going on in Juneau now."