CHRISTINA EICHELKRAUT / PVT Jack Wood spares no party or ideology in his blog effort to wake men and women up from political apathy. Advertisement

Jack Wood, staunch Democrat and self-proclaimed curmudgeon, is determined to fight political apathy in Nye County.

"People, to me -- Republican or Democrat, it doesn't matter much -- are pretty apathetic, and naïve in many ways," Wood said. "And I thought, 'What's wrong with people?' And I wonder why doesn't somebody do or say something."

So about three years ago, Wood decided he would take it upon himself to speak out, and started his own internet blog: "Nye -- Gateway to Nevada's Rurals."

It's not an amateur blog by any means.

A Nye County resident can find just about anything on Wood's blog, from the creator's own political commentaries to news articles (new and old) that offer additional insight into local issues, poll questions specifically geared to locals (for example, one poll question asks respondents if they are for or against Pahrump having a detention center) to a calendar listing Democratic Party events.

Wood said he spends about four to five hours a day on his blog and rarely misses a day.

And lest you think you need a Democratic worldview to appreciate his effort, Wood's political commentary criticizes Democrats, Republicans and general policy alike.

If the pen -- or the keyboard, in Wood's case -- is mightier than the sword, than it is certainly his weapon of choice as he engages in open battle against what he calls "the silent majority."

"I would get pretty caustic many times, and I would say, 'Say something, somebody, argue with me. Do anything.' And just silence."

In addition to his blog, he distributes a newsletter about every week that includes links to his blog and various Democratic Party sites.

"I thought it's a way to communicate with people, at least the people that are on the email list, as to when the next meeting is, the next event that's going on," Wood said. "This was one way to get the word out for free."

During last November's elections, Wood also emailed Nevada candidates about local events throughout Nye County to help ensure that residents here didn't fall beneath the politicians' radar.

"Events that were taking place here, for example, the Fall Festival ... I'd let them know when and where and all that, so that other people running for office would know about it," Woods said. "Because otherwise we're kind of out here on an island on our own, in the so-called rurals, and (candidates) don't keep up with what's going on out here ... If you don't stay visible, you'll be ignored."

The email list for Wood's newsletter has grown, but when he first began it, he said he was scrounging for email addresses.

Now, however, state-level politicians receive Wood's newsletter.

"The idea is to let the state Democratic Party know Nye County's here, Pahrump's here, and we ain't going away," Wood said. "That's part of the blog, too."

Wood admits that it wasn't until he ran for district attorney in Ventura County, Calif., in 1978 that he became politically active. Prior to that experience he was himself politically apathetic.

"That was my first real look at politics per se," Wood said. "But I learned a lot. I was pretty naïve about politics."

So when he came to Pahrump about four years ago and finally found the Democratic Party headquarters, (they weren't in the phonebook or community service directories), he became more active in the party and was appointed vice chairman of the Democratic Central Committee.

That was about the time Wood decided to take action through his blog.

"I thought of myself as something of a rabble-rouser in a way," Wood said. "(I was) trying to stir up Democrats at that point. If you don't like what's going on, say something. But beyond that, you got to do something."

Although he is no longer on the Democratic Central Committee, Wood's fingers will certainly continue to tap the keyboard in an effort to engender political action, regardless of what a person's political affiliation is.

"I'm always harping about this stuff," Wood admitted. "And I know I get overbearing, and I really get upset about it, because the world's going to hell in a handbasket and everybody's sitting here watching 'American Idol,' and they're doing nothing about it."

"Nye--Gateway to the Rurals" can be found at http://nyenevada.blogspot.com.