A new town blog – North Haven Democrat – offers a counter voice to a well-established local website, while providing in-depth political insight through years of behind-the-scenes experience.

Written by resident Walt Spader, North Haven Democrat can be seen partly as a leftist response to Chris Peterson’s popular Republican blog, The North Haven Way. However, Spader, the state Democratic Party communications director from 1996-2000, also supplies viewers with his personal knowledge of state politics.

Launched just last May, Spader’s blog is already making waves. “I haven’t created as much discussion within the community, but I know it’s read,” he said of North Haven Democrat. “I led out once with something on [Dan] Malloy. I received three emails from Ned Lamont supporters in five minutes.”

“I got a call from a Hartford Courant reporter about another post,” he added.

Spader said he has been recognized by others involved with Connecticut’s politics for his blogging, particularly for more critical postings. However, the attorney typically shies away from contemptuous commenting.

“I don’t believe politics needs to be a blood sport,” Spader said. “I don’t believe in attacking for the sake of attacking. That’s the problem with politics. There needs to be a middle ground where there can be discussions. It’s okay to have opinions and disagreements.”

“The problem with blogging . . . is that people can start attacking each other for their opinions,” he added. “Blogs can be very community-driven, but can also become a place for a lot of negative activity. It’s easy to hide behind anonymous posting.”

A self-admitted news junky, Spader explored starting a Blogspot site two years ago. “The problem was time commitment,” he said. “I didn’t want to just throw something up there. That’s pointless. That was my concern. If I was going to be putting something out there, it was going to be worth saying. Then, on the next level, is anybody going to read it?”

One year ago, Spader began writing privately to see if he could generate worthwhile content every day. “I was getting ready for this year’s state conventions,” he said. “There was a lot of news. I found myself emailing between different political people around the state. I thought, I could just be putting this stuff up.”

Finally, in May, Spader took the blogging plunge. Competition was plentiful – multiple blogs already cover Connecticut politics, and The North Haven Way had long dominated local discourse. However, Peterson’s site has specific aims, allowing room for Spader to capitalize on his own strengths.

“Chris has the hyper-local market,” Spader said. “There’s no point for a second, hyper-local blog.”

“With my background in the state’s Democratic party, I want to look at statewide politics through a North Haven lens,” he added.

Spader had high praise for Peterson. “He’s generated one of the best blogs in the state,” Spader said. “He’s found the right niche, and generates the right content. The North Haven Way really is an example of one of the best blogs statewide.”

“We don’t always agree with each other, but Chris was one person who really encouraged me to blog,” he added. “When Chris first threw a link out on his site to my blog, that’s when I first started getting more viewers. It’s clear how many viewers see him.”

“That said, I think there is an opening in the North Haven market, and there needed to be a Democratic side of it,” he continued. “I’m not trying to take his audience. I just felt there needed to be some local counterpoint.”

Peterson actually advised against Spader dubbing his website “North Haven Democrat.” But Spader disagreed. “The reader needs to know the lens through which I’m looking,” he said. “By calling it ‘North Haven Democrat,’ I’ve told the reader from the start what perspective I take.”

However, Spader, vice-chairman of North Haven’s Democratic Town Committee, stressed that the “Democrat” label applies only as far as himself. “This is not a North Haven Democratic Town Committee blog,” he said. “I’ve written things the Democratic town party doesn’t agree with.”

Mirroring his conservative counterpart’s sometimes-rocky relationship with North Haven’s Republican Town Committee, Spader certainly does not withhold opinions at odds with the DTC.

“I came out and said ‘vote yes for the second budget,’” Spader said, referring to the recent referendums. “I was questioned why I was supporting a Republican administration’s budget. I thought it was a good budget.”

Still in contact with his political friends, and thus privy to sensitive, insider information, Spader has to be careful. “When I’m talking with a campaign manager, I have to say, ‘This is not going on the blog,’” he said. “There are lots of things I couldn’t write about.”

Spader said a friend of his stumbled upon word of former Massachusetts U.S. Senator candidate Martha Coaklee’s concession, and was first to report it, by blog. For his well-timed accomplishment, Spader’s friend received national recognition.

“I know a lot of that kind of information, and could blog it, but at what cost?” Spader said. “I’m not trying to be a news-breaking site. I’m trying to be a Democratic community site.”

Keeping close tabs on blogs similar to his own keeps Spader from posting repetitious material. “I won’t write something unless I can take a unique perspective,” he said.

Lulls in local news, coupled with Connecticut’s recent primaries amidst what Spader called “a very important election year,” have recently had his blog focused mainly on state politics. In the future, however, Spader expects to delve deeper into North Haven.

In the meantime, Spader will continue to investigate state politics, with a North Haven angle. He hopes even more locals would become actively involved with both of town’s blogs, and politics in general.

“Why is my opinion more important that anyone else’s?” he said, “Just because I’m willing to put it out there? It’s not. Everybody’s’ opinion is important.”