I voted for John Edwards in 2004 in the Massachusetts primary. I voted for him again in 2008 in the DC primary, even though he had already pulled out of the race, as a sign of my continued dedication to his ideals.
(There was no question that Obama was going to win the DC primary, so don't bother giving me a hard time about "wasting" my vote.)
I greatly admired Edwards' eloquence about class in our country. But it was his personal experience — being born "the son of a mill worker" and developing his own personal wealth and privilege in society — that was most appealing to me.
I was raised, primarily, by a single mother who often relied on AFDC and food stamps to care for her two children. Today, I am upper middle class, unconcerned about the cost of groceries or a gallon of gas beyond its impact on our economy and on the lives of others for whom I feel empathy. I have earned my education among children of extraordinary privilege. I have traveled all over the world through my work; seeing, eating, drinking and experiencing things that most never will.
Despite the fact that I am no longer poor, I have never let go of being a kid raised by a single mom, living in federally subsidized housing and buying groceries with food stamps. I can't. There is part of me who feels like an "impostor" as I recline my seat in first class ("if they only knew the truth"), but there is also a part of me who wants to make sure I never forget, to take pride in what I have done to get here.
My support of John Edwards came from my sincere belief that, like me, he could not — would not — forget. It also came from my belief that knowing what it took to change his destiny would make him better at not only creating policies that would effectively address disparities in our society, but capable of inspiring others to follow in his path. He would know that it takes more than money from federal and state agencies to change people's lives. It takes overcoming the ingrained belief that life is defined by obstacles. It takes opening eyes to opportunities and believing that those opportunities are yours for the taking.
Yesterday, when I heard the news that John Edwards had betrayed his family, I was devastated. It felt like the fall of my personal hero. I tweeted, " Oh, John, you ruined the fantasy," incapable of saying anything more.
This morning, I read Elizabeth Edwards' diary from yesterday on Daily Kos.
Although John believes he should stand alone and take the consequences of his action now, when the door closes behind him, he has his family waiting for him.
I am no longer devastated; I am disappointed.
I am not disappointed that John Edwards violated the "sanctity of marriage" because it is not an institution I revere. I am not disappointed that John Edwards allowed sex to cloud his judgment, because there are few, if any, of us who have not allowed the same. I am not disappointed that John Edwards went back on his word, because his word to me was to dedicate himself to eliminating class disparities in this country and, I believe, he will continue to do so.
I am disappointed that John Edwards reminded me he was fallible. But, mostly, I am disappointed that he hurt his wife — whom I admire greatly — and his children. He stopped, for a moment, being the hero he could be, to them. He forgot who he was and what he had done to get there.
If, as Elizabeth says, his family will be waiting for him when the door closes behind him, I will be there too.
Kristen knows she can get me to post when she tags me on a meme, although this time around she acknowledged that she might be pushing my aversion to "wonder of me" posts a bit too far.
Boy, did she ever.
I started this one the other night and needed to abandon it because it was just too gross. And, well, it's still pretty gross.
100 Amazing Things I've Already Done
This list is meant to be in response to those lists that are often generated about the things you want to do before you die to justify your time on the planet; the kind of list that will inevitably make you feel like sh*t as you look at your watch and realize that time is ticking and the top of Mount Everest isn't getting any closer to sea level.
So, yeah, this is a list of 100 thing that I have already done. Some are more impressive than others, some are about what has shaped me as a person, but all are things that I can pull out as story fodder ("Did I ever tell you about that time . . . ?"). There is a bit of starf*cking going on in here, so excuse me.
Enjoy. I tag everyone who feels the need for a little self affirmation. You can write the list in your notebook if you feel like it.
Advised three presidential campaigns on young voter outreach
Managed to have the most perfectly 80’s iconic first make out session ever: behind the Space Invaders game; at the roller skating rink; wearing sneaker skates, designer jeans, a velour Izod pullover and a turtleneck with a whale on the collar; while Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” played in the background
Some people do things just to be nice (not me). techPresident wraps up the year in political video. Consumers won't dismiss your company as using "green" as a marketing ploy if you're honest with them about what you're doing right -- and wrong. And a couple of things just for fun: Sesame Street and whiny white people.
Word of Mouth
It clearly says something about me that I presumed most people wrote online reviews to stick it to a company that's done them wrong. According to Keller Fay, it's just the opposite. The majority of folks who write online reviews have something nice to say and and want to share their good news to benefit other customers. They're also motivated by the desire to reward a company who makes them happy or to help that company get better at what they do.
Citizen Journalism DownloadAn Introduction to Citizen Media from Rising Voices for a non-techie guide to the "fundamentals of citizen media." Comes via PBS's MediaShift Idea Lab.
CSR
Consumers are growing skeptical of companies who claim to be "green," dismissing such rumblings as being mere "marketing gimmicks." According to Linda Passante at The Halo Effect, some of the companies that are doing the best work are making the least noise. Her words of wisdom? (And they are, indeed, very wise.)
"If you firmly believe that your company is committed to the environment, to workers’ rights, to fighting heart disease, or to even just excellent customer service, then you can’t just talk about it in some altruistic tone using vague corporate language. You need to show how you will do it, do it, and then provide details as to what you learned and how you’ll work to improve. Because, in the end, we all know that no one or no corporation is perfect, but consumers will respond to an authentic and transparent commitment."
Cool Stuff
Get ready to regress into your childhood: Sesame Workshop has launched the Sesame Street video player with hundreds of videos, searchable by keyword or character. The site is in beta. Will the "real" launch include the capacity to embed content? Please?
Kristen posted her annual End of Year meme and tagged me to do it as well. I have been posting these now for a couple of years, always prompted to do so by Kristen.
1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make new year's resolutions. I make resolutions every day to take care of myself physically and emotionally. There is a reason I make these resolutions every day: I don't keep them.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A whole bunch of folks had babies these year, but the person to whom I am closest was Amy, who gave birth to Jonas Aidan -- who resembles an old Chinese man more than most babies do -- on November 8.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
no
5. What countries did you visit?
I did less international travel in 2007 than I did in 2006. I spent a few days in Switzerland (Geneva) and a few days in England (London) in March and, in October, I went to Greece. All trips were work related and two out of three of those trips were with the great Johnny B.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
a social life that extends a little bit further than drinks at Smith & Wollensky
patience, but I'm not holding out any hope
hope for the political future of our country
7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I have a few . . .
I'll always remember June 16, the day I visited my grandmother after her apartment fire, because it will be difficult to ever get the sight and scent of her apartment out of my mind, as well as the sadness of seeing her on the balcony of her temporary living space, looking lost -- and old.
On a happier note, I'll remember April 8, the day Andrew and I met up at the Sackler. He was giddy (as much as Andrew can be giddy) about the pottery and I was giddy about spending time with him again.
Finally, I'll remember October 6, the day John and I explored Athens with Michael Darragh. I knew I was getting ready to move on, but I loved seeing something new with John, who has helped me to see so many other new things, often inside myself.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I really do think I grew as a manager. I wasn't always "nice," but I was always incredibly invested in giving my team the opportunity to strengthen their skills and, therefore, their value to the group. I think that's rare. Rarer than it should be.
Beyond that, and despite the fact that not being able to work with John every day SUCKS, I see the new job I will be taking on in 2008 as a big achievement because it is getting me back into advocacy work.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Folks, I ate like a pig.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
This year, it became pretty clear to me that I am getting old. Everything is falling to pieces. No major illnesses or injuries, but a general state of decay has set in. Lordy, it ain't pretty.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I love the brown jacket I bought at Anthropologie, but my Nikon D40x makes me swoon. Just ask Wyatt.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Al Gore for keeping up the fight, John Edwards for his populist message, Elizabeth Edwards for telling cancer (and her critics) to f*ck off, Wayne Coyne for continuing to have more fun than the rest of us, Jon Corzine and Martin O'Malley for fighting the death penalty, Heather Armstrong for her persistent honesty and humor. There are probably others. There are some good folks out there.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
How about appalled and angry? Ann Coulter is, and always will be, scum. She's just embarrassing.
14. Where did most of your money go?
eating out and clothes
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I don't think I got excited enough this year, but I got excited when I got the invite to go to Greece and I got excited when I met the folks with whom I will be working in the new year.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
Don't give me a hard time, but Not Ready to Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks had the right amount of righteous indignation to get me to sing along every time I heard it. It was released in 2006, but I bought the CD this year.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you
happier or sadder? sadder
thinner or fatter? definitely fatter
richer or poorer? richer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I had taken care of myself more: emotionally and physically.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
read about Britney Spear's persistent downward spiral
updated my status on Facebook
20. How will you be spending New Year’s?
I think I will be at Julia's.
22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
I was already there.
23. How many one-night stands?
zip
24. What was your favorite TV program?
I loveHow I Met Your Mother, although Kid Nation was a sincere source of fascination.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't hate people. I dislike a few, but they're irrelevant.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I honestly can't remember (what I did -- I am well aware of how old I am.) I'm at the point where I'm not a big fan of birthdays.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I could have used some more time with friends and less time working.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
This was the year of the headband.
34. What kept you sane?
That's awfully presumptuous of you . . . I guess Steve did the best he could.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I watched every episode of Homicide this year and I fell in love with Kyle Secor (aka Baylis). Someone needs to give that man (and Andre Braugher) a job.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
There's no one political issue that stirs me. I get riled up pretty easily day to day and there have been points throughout the presidential campaign where I was ready to impale myself, usually because of some ridiculously folksy thing Mike Huckabee said or because I can not believe that anyone would give serious consideration to Rudy Giuliani as President of the United States. But, I was thrilled with the recent Supreme Court decision to enable lower court judges not to follow federal sentencing guidelines for crack offenses, addressing the longstanding disparity between sentencing for crack cocaine and powder cocaine offences. That was one of those, "Wait, someone actually wants to right an injustice?" moments that comes so infrequently.
37. Who did you miss?
I missed Chris. But I took care of that, didn't I?
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I really like Cooper. He tells great stories (I like stories involving his son in which he adopts a voice that sounds like Beavis -- or Butthead, I can't tell -- with a lisp) and, in general, is just a f*cking charming guy. Plus, he was apparently a rock star in a former life. I hope we stay in touch . . . and I wish him the best.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Sometimes doing what's right for you hurts more than doing the wrong thing. (I think I knew that already.)
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I try to keep the house nice and neat I make my bed I change the sheets I even learned how to use the washing machine But keeping things clean doesn't change anything ("Hate it Here" by Wilco)
I'm tagging Kaitlyn, Qui and Samantha, although I am not sure any of them will do it.
My dad brought me to an Italian street festival in the south end of Hartford CT in, I guess, 1984, because Geraldine Ferraro -- the first woman vice presidential nominee -- was speaking.
At the time, I don't think I really "got it" that it was a big deal that Ferraro was on the ticket and I don't think the importance of it really sunk in until about four years ago (20 years later) when I had the opportunity to hear Walter Mondale speak about the decision to pick Ferraro as his running mate when he visited a grad school class I was TA'ing on the presidential campaign.
Both Mondale and Ferraro were back in the news yesterday, as Mondale endorsed Hillary Clinton and Ferraro, who is also endorsing Clinton, said something that makes me want to vomit in my shoes.
(I don't think the fact that her statement caused me to have intestinal issues is the newsworthy part, but you understand what I mean.)
In response to the debate last week during which poor defenseless Hillary was the target of criticism by her male opponents:
“'John Edwards, specifically, as well as the press, would never attack Barack Obama for two hours they way they attacked her,' said Geraldine A. Ferraro, the 1984 vice presidential candidate who supports Mrs. Clinton. 'It’s O.K. in this country to be sexist,' Ms. Ferraro said. 'It’s certainly not O.K. to be racist. I think if Barack Obama had been attacked for two hours — well, I don’t think Barack Obama would have been attacked for two hours.'
You have got to be kidding me! First of all, it's pretty damn okay to be racist in this country (Dog Chapman notwithstanding). I'll introduce you to some kids in Jena, Mississippi if you're feeling doubtful of this fact. Or maybe I'll just share a really dumb statement that Senator Joe Biden made earlier this year about Senator Barack Obama being "clean."
But, come on, can we PLEASE (I am begging you) STOP this nonsense. They are picking on Hillary because she is the anointed front runner. If they weren't picking on her, THEN, I would be concerned that they were being sexist. And, please, dear G-d, let us hope that she can take the jibes. My guess is that, if she is elected president, she's going to need to stand up to so much more.
Yesterday on This Week, George Stephanopoulos referred to single women as the "new evanglical Christians." We are the most powerful voting group in this election and we like it that way. We have stood up to more in our lifetimes than getting criticized by a group of politicians and so has Hillary.
Like Kirsten Dunst once stated so eloquently, "Bring it on."
According to the Century Foundation, the trend of an increase in the youth vote will continue in 2008, good news for the Democrats. (58 percent of young people, 18-24, identify as Democrats while 36 percent identify as Republicans). Mike Connery at MyDD has an excellent new post analyzing the impact of the youth vote in next year's primaries. According to Connery, young voters have the potential to make up 1/4 of the electorate in the early primary states and, because of polling limitations, their impact is a bit of a mystery.
According to a national poll by RT Strategies, Barack Obama is number one on the list for young Democratic voters, with Hillary Clinton not far behind. But the poll, to Connery's chagrin, includes Al Gore as an option, which leaves his 12 percent -- at least at this stage -- up for grabs and potentially benefiting Clinton -- or, my beloved, John Edwards.
But that's a national poll. What do young voters in Iowa and New Hampshire think? Because most young people rely on cell phones and cell phones are not being reached by pollsters, we just don't know. And with same day registration in Iowa and Nevada (January 14) and voters in New Hampshire (January 22) allowed to participate in either primary -- regardless of party affiliation -- we may not know until the morning after . . .
I'm not quite sure what Sridhar Pappu wants us to take away from the article in this morning's Post about the political sway that Gary and Meg Hirshberg have in New Hampshire. If the Hirshbergs made the money to build their lovely Concord home selling oil and not Stonyfield Yogurt, maybe it would be clearer. My liberal instincts would kick in: wealthy business people have an unfair and undemocratic impact on our political process.
Oh, but wait, those instincts DID kick in . . .
The article is downright nauseating, perhaps precisely because the Hirshbergs seem to be blind to the fact that candidates are whoring themselves to them because they're loaded and not because of their incisive political minds.
The Hirshbergs have been privileged from birth -- Gary shares a tale of being bounced on the knee of Nelson Rockefeller as a baby (remember that when Pappu mentions the adoring glance that the couple gives each other when they think about how they once lived on only $26,000 a year). Like many people in that position, they seem clueless that they are just NOT as fascinating as they seem to think they are. People like them because they want to be associated with wealth and access too. In other words, Meg and Gary, people are kissing your a**. You are not as fabulous as they tell you. Snap out of it. Apparently the Hirshbergs are on a mission to defeat Hillary Clinton. Why? Because Meg thinks that people don't like Hillary. "I'm not justifying their dislike. I think a lot of it is unfair, but I can't make it go away and neither can she."
(Meg, darling, isn't fight against things that are unfair, yet seemingly unsurmountable, what it means to be a progressive?)
No, the Hirshbergs love Obama (they considered John Edwards for a while, but that seemed to be primarily because they "adored" Elizabeth). Meg was apparently won over when Obama told her that he shared her love for The West Wing and "that he wanted to be just like President Bartlett on that show."
(Excuse me, I need to wipe the vomit from my chin.)
Gary apparently once considered running for Senate, but realized that wasn't really such a great idea:
"In some respects not running for Senate was probably better politically. I am obviously politically active without having to go to Washington. Here I am able to meet with politicians and directly address the issues I care about."
Okay, maybe Gary isn't as clueless as he seems. Why buy a seat in the Senate when you can pay candidates to come and perform at your wife's birthday party?
I was really impressed last week with the series that the Post did about Vice President Cheney. It was obvious that the reporters -- Jo Becker and Barton Gellman -- had done their homework and, as Hendrik Hertzberg writes in this week's New Yorker, "many of the details and incidents that Gellman and Becker document are as new as they are appalling."
Good stuff.
So, the crap story about John Edwards and his haircuts -- including the nonsense about the stylist "telling his side of the story" and his "long relationship" with the former senator -- is that much more infuriating.
Are you kidding me? Is this the Post or Us?
Buy the print version of the paper and you get a chart -- yes, a chart -- of each haircut and the cost (some were free, some included travel expenses).
And cringe when you read Joseph Torrenueva, the stylist, say how it hurt him when Edwards referred to him as "that guy."
("I did not have sexual relations with that woman . . .)
As Edwards' spokeswoman said, "He didn't lie about weapons of mass destruction or spring Scooter Libby; he just got some expensive haircuts."
Amen.
Disclosure: I get my hair cut and colored every five weeks and it costs me $145 (including tip), unless I buy a new bottle of Bumble & Bumble shampoo, conditioner or styling creme, which set me back about $25 each.
Oh yes, lots of (white) men. But it was boyd who — in the 10 minutes the conference organizers gave her and her Madonna circa Borderline get up — is most worth remarking upon.
boyd spoke about the fact that, although they have seemingly embraced social media, the presidential candidates insist on treating “the digital world as another broadcast medium similar to TV.” She thinks it’s time for candidates to begin to think about the digital world “as a networked public where people live their lives.”
This is particularly relevant for young people, boyd’s area of expertise. I remember reading a post on her blog in which boyd made the insightful point that young people — in contrast to older generations — did not talk about “going online,” as that would suggest a distinction between their lives online and off. They are not “going online,” because they are always there.
As far as boyd is concerned, candidates are losing out on an opportunity to “shake hands” with young voters, something they can do without a day of flying and an advance team. And, sorry folks, this means going further than simply collecting friends as an endorsement of your candidacy because IT’S NOT.
“Much of (young people’s friend) collecting is identity-driven,” said boyd. “Politicians are used as a marker of identity to be shown off like a badge. Connecting to Barack or McCain or Hillary is all about staking one’s identity in relation to political life. Many users are friends with multiple candidates because they want to show their active engagement in politics.”
“Real friends leave comments or wall messages,” said boyd, and, as far as she’s concerned, politicians should do the same. If it works for celebrities, why not Romney, Giuliani, Richardson or Edwards?
Or, for that matter, why not the consumer brands that are creating MySpace profiles and, as boyd would say, treating the social network like just another broadcast medium?
So, I’m with danah. Say hi. Show you’re listening. Shake some hands. Your voters/your customers will make it worth your time.
Presidential candidate John Edwards recently posted a video to YouTube's YouChoose channel, asking users, "What are you going to do to bring about change?" It was a sincere question, one that stems from his campaign launch in which he made it clear that we all have something to do to continue to make this country a place -- and an ideal -- of which we can be proud.
Inevitably, however, it brought out the nutters and the whiners and the detractors. With nearly 227,000 views and 614 comments as of this morning, too many have nothing valuable to say. Apparently, what we're going to do to bring about change is sit in front of our computers and make smart a** comments.
I'd defend Edwards to the death (I continue to find the man to be inspiring), but I'll still admit to a snicker when I saw Jeff Jarvis' comment (a video response). Maybe, as Jarvis says, Edwards could have done more than ask us what we are going to do, but even Jarvis acknowledges that Edwards has the chance to do so in the future.
But his other suggestion? I'd love to see Edwards follow through with it.
What Do You Want from Me? -- Danielle Rodgers at Small Business Branding sums up a new study from Vizu Answers and Advertising Age about why people read the blogs they do. Nothing surprising in the research (quality writing, topical focus, frequent posts, good site design, credibility), although it is interesting to hear that people are more likely to find blogs through links from other blogs more often than through search results. How did you find this blog?
No, Really, I Want to Hear What You Have to Say - Joshua Levy at Personal Democracy Forum gave me (and the rest of his readers) the heads up on the new web site from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Like Levy says, Patrick is "going where no top elected official in America has ever gone before". (I was born in Massachusetts and went to college and grad school there. Despite the fact that I think Boston is what hell must be like, I feel a little hometown pride welling up inside me.) Sure, Obama and Edwards and the rest of 'em (all 10,000) are using social media to engage voters leading up the 2008 election, but this guy is actually bothering to engage them now that he's in office. The "My Issue" page means that much more, knowing that the guy behind the site is actually in the position to those issues that are dominating the tag cloud. Let's hope he does.
By the way, I'm foaming at the mouth to go to the Personal Democracy Forum Conference in New York next month. I may need to actually pay for this one myself, but the temptation is becoming too much to bear. Social media geeks are one thing, but social media advocacy geeks are a turn on that are more than I can bear.
Joe Takes 'Em On - Joe Biden is taking on his fellow candidates through his Head to Head '08 site, which pits YouTube videos of Biden against videos of Clinton, Kucinich, McCain, Edwards, Dodd, Richardson and Obama. So far all that they're dueling over is Iraq, so let's hope the site grows.
The Search for Search — Jordan McCollum at Marketing Pilgrim says that Serph, the online reputation management tool, has come out of Beta, providing a great rundown of the site's pros and cons.
McCollum justifiably questions where the content is coming from and whether it's really as exhaustive as it could/should be. In this case, I don't think it is, if only because, in doing a search for my name, it didn't pick up content that I know is out there.
The question that it brings up for me — in relation to our clients is this — while Serph might give them a flavor of what is being said and elevates social media to the top, shouldn't they really be looking at the search results for their brand (or other relevant terms) on Google (or MSN or Yahoo! or AOL) -- which is where the consumer is more likely to be encountering them?
The People Count — I went out with my friend Denielle, a Barack Obama supporter, last night. I'm still on the Edwards train — and have been since 2004 — but I don't dispute that Obama is dynamic and appealing and his campaign has been doing great stuff with social media. (Of course, I managed to convince Denielle that Hillary Clinton is this cycle's Manchurian Candidate, so both of our guys should just pack it in.) This morning on MyDD, Jerome Armstrong justifiably praises the Obama campaign for their new effort to quantify their fundraising efforts by the number of donors, versus the amount of money raise and puts the numbers up against people-powered HowardDean's numbers in 2003. The conclusion? The numbers will dwarf Dean's, but will still not dominate Obama's fundraising efforts overall. Smart stuff.
Mobile in Africa — In Kenya (via PSFK), mobile company Safaricom has launched M-PESA, a new service to transfer money via cell phone/SMS. According to PSFK, Kenya has one of the fastest growing rates of cell phone use in the world. I'm a fan of of the photo of the laughing woman farmer who has apparently just received money from her dutiful son in Nairobi.
Asian Social Networks — Mashable shared the news of two new social networks (it still astounds me how many of these things pop up every day). IndyaRocks was launched in private beta (you need to ask for an invite), but Naveen from It's Me . . . Just Me writes over at India Blog Watch that he received his invite within an hour of making his request. While I was traveling in Europe last week, CNN International had a week long special on "India's Generation Next". According to CNN, "Nearly one out of 10 people on the planet are under 25 years old and living in India." While the percentage of Internet users in that group is relatively small — I think one of the segments I watched said it was about 25 percent — that's still a pretty enormous potential pool of users for IndyaRocks, particularly if the network also draws in Indian youth living outside of India.
The other notable social network was also for Asians: Ningin. I'm trying to figure out who exactly they're trying to target, as "Asians" is a pretty enormous category. With everyone going niche, a social network that appears to be relevant to more than half the world's population is about as far as you can go in the opposite direction.
Katie and the Edwards — You may be ignoring my poll, but folks out there can't shut up about Katie Couric's sit down with John and Elizabeth Edwards on this week's 60 Minutes. The comments on the CBSNews.com page are now up to page 87 . . .
Speaking of Health Issues — I've got one last social network item. TauMed, the health social network which has apparently been around for a while, is going to be adding some new features next week, including a social bookmarking feature that I'm interested to see. (As always, thanks to Mashable.)
Search the Candidates — Earlier this month, I posted about Gisele Toueg's comments over at Echo Ditto about the importance of search for candidates in the 2008 election. Since then, I have come across this post from February over at Tech President about how this message is not getting through to Democrats, with Republicans leading the way in keyword marketing. Come on, guys (and gal), we're talking about the basics. Get your acts together.
New Poll — What I signed up for an account at Poll Daddy and wrote my my first poll. It's down there in the sidebar, which is obviously getting a little crowded. I'll decide if I am going to keep it going.
Social Search — Kristin Nicole at Mashable posted about Zudos yesterday -- a new social media search engine launched this weekend. It's apparently people-powered but, like Kristen, I'm not clear what that means. (Someone?) I did a search for more buzz on Katie Couric's interview with John Edwards and I'm at the top of "blogger buzz" (for the moment).
I should have a new blogger interview posted in the next few days. Sorry for the lull on that. It should be a good one and worth the wait.
The buzz this morning is that Katie Couric's line of questioning last night on 60 Minutes was out of line, "legitimiz(ing) the shameful opinions of the far-right fringe by couching them in relative anonymity."
I'm not sure what people expected Couric to ask John and Elizabeth Edwards, but perhaps the fact that they hit every one of the questions out of the park makes me think people are getting a little too bent out of shape.
I'll post the video when it's up on YouTube, but here is the CBS video (complete with Tidy Cat commercial) to hold you over until then (as well as the transcript).
"Cancer took a lot away from us. I didn't want it to take this away."
"There's not a single person in America who should vote for me because Elizabeth has cancer. But, every single candidate for President have lives that indicate what kind of human being they are."
"This is not work. Work is what I did as a lawyer. This is service."
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