Politics 2.0

Election 2008 Presidential Contest Marketing Messages - By Alex Hammer

2008-09-21T00:37:00.003-04:00

May the best marketer win.

Not that something as important as the leader of our country (and perhaps the leader of the free world if we don't go broke or erode further our world influence or earned respect) should be decided by marketing, but..

We live in an age of impression management. Certainly, to some degree we always have.

Is Barack Obama weak or strong? Is he tempered or is he naive?

What about John McCain. Is he a reformer and a maverick or is he a Washington insider and President Bush clone?

In business, misrepresenting oneself is fraud, an illegal offense? In politics...

It is the responsibility of the American public to make the effort to sort out fact from fiction -- of course, we require a responsible and informing media to be able to do that etc.

Do we see in candidates what we wish to see? What they wish us to see? Some of both?

Bill Richardson Barack Obama Vice President

2008-06-07T11:40:00.006-04:00

Image via Wikipedia Bill Richardson Barack Obama Vice President - By Alex Hammer

If Barack Obama handles himself as well going forward (there have been some missteps but he is the sole Democrat standing in the 2008 race for President) as he has to this point in the campaign, he will select Bill Richardson as his running mate.

1. The Hispanic vote. This is not the only reason. It may or may not be the most important factor in the selection of Bill Richardson. But let us not kid ourselves in regard to what such a selection would mean in terms of the dynamics of this important voting demographic.

2. Resume. Bill Richardson ran as a resume candidate, and solidifies some of the areas in which Obama is comparatively weak, in general and against John McCain. Richardson brings not only experience but gravitas. However, and this is an important point, Richardson is well regarded but not an overwhelming presence or figure. He will not outshine Obama, and he will not attempt to do so.

3. Chemistry. Related to #2 but speaks to the dynamic between the two. Both Obama and Richardson are friendly, articulate, easygoing (the opposition might term it glib) politicians who know how to work a crowd, the media, and frame messages. They are at ease with each other, and radiate an energetic working style and flow that appears comfortable together and meshes well. Joe Biden would bring a similar type of experience to the ticket, if selected, but the Biden charisma (no offense to Biden, he's a great man, but is "Biden charisma" an oxymoron?) compared to Richardson just isn't there. Also, there is none of the apparent forced enthusiasm and effusiveness of Kerry - Edwards. It's more natural.

4. Loyalty. Speaking of Edwards, Edwards' endorsement was one factor helping to close the nomination in Obama's favor. But Richardson's endorsement came much earlier and thus at greater political risk. Richardon's endorsement, coming when it did, was a major move forward for the Obama camp in terms of gaining an advantage in the political deathmatch struggle that was occurring with Clinton at that time. This in itself demonstrated political courage for Richardson. When you couple that with the endorsement decision breaking away from Richardson's close political indebtedness to the Clintons, and the major political fallout he endured (e.g. James Carville Judas comment) by making the decision to abandon Hillary and support Obama against her at this critical juncture in the race, then you can understand why Barack is likely to feel just a little bit grateful to Bill Richardson (wouldn't you?).

5. He's not Hillary Clinton. This may be the most important reason of them all. John Edwards doesn't want to run for Vice President. He's already done that. Richardson, having run against Obama (but quick and enthusiastic to support him), now is a known, yet still fresh as well as nonthreatening entity with sufficient positives to add to a ticket to drone out those who will clamor - perhaps including Hillary herself - for a Clinton Vice Presidency. Clinton clearly has her eyes on "THE prize", is "in it to win it", spoke of the assassination of RFK some feel in the context of her Presidential aspirations, and is a Hillary player, not a team player (this focus on the White House is of course nothing new for her, some feel it is the reason she stayed with husband Bill despite years of his reported philandering). While Barack cannot well afford to alienate Hillary, and he has gone out of his way to insure that he doesn't, he can even much less afford to seek to ingratiate her by selecting her as his choice for VP. Forget about keeping your enemies closer, as one famous expression states, some political enemies (the most dangerous ones and Hillary is clearly among them) you just don't want that close.

Some will argue for electoral college math to be maximized and specific important state(s) won or put into play, or a balancing of the ticket on policy considerations as the major criteria upon which to select one's running mate. Obama and Richardson have enough in common (and also enough differences), for the five factors above to be compellingly and clearly more important, even moreso when you consider how little influence a VP choice can ultimately play in the final analysis on traditional selection factors.

Richardson has paid his dues to the party and to the nation, his timing in this election cycle was impeccable, and his time is now. Richardson represents the best of the past not tied to the past. His breaking away from the Clintons mirrors the nation's move beyond the Bush and Clinton Presidential leadership/placeholding (depending upon one's perspective) of the past two decades - 20 years.

John McCain represents a formidable obstacle, but certainly for the Democrats the future is now.

Obama - Richardson '08.

Hillary's Dream

2008-05-27T06:49:00.007-04:00

Hillary's Dream - By Alex Hammer

In a general sense, it is important to have a dream. As we know, dreams keep us truly (i.e. most fully) alive. They provide the spark and juice of life, keeping us motivated amongst the winds and tides of opposition that we all face in a challenging world.

But what about when dreams go amiss?

Dreams that reside on the back of driving personal ambition can be, potentially, dangerous when unchecked. Dangerous to anyone who "gets in the way" and ultimately self-defeating as well.

Human beings become pawns in an elaborate (and when thwarted even desperate) attempt to reach the goal in an ends justifies the means type of approach.

From where does this single minded win-at-all costs mentality and approach arise? Well, one can speculate. In Hillary' case, certainly she has waited considerable time - and sacrificed and endured much!! - to have an opportunity to now be so close to reaching her power dream. Certainly she is an individual of immense talent, intelligence, determination and drive. And within her ruthless pragmatism is, I believe, a refined and devoted idealism that provides the spark for her to wage such aggressive war.

But what is she becoming? And what are we becoming when we allow her to reach this point?

I am a Barack supporter but I do believe that he is somewhat naive. He is, to my mind, being run around the flagpole by Senator Clinton, and if he takes this same easygoing approach to our adversaries across the world, which, disturbingly, he has indicated a willingness to do, he could have his lunch handed to him.

Except that as our President it would be our lunch as well.

Why, too often in American politics, do we need to choose between a Jimmy Carter and a George Bush II? An ineffective idealist versus a cowboy diplomacy warmonger. Where is the happy medium in the toughness/let's get along dimension? (Why. also, in a separate question, do we need to choose between the ethics of Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon?)

Not that we haven't had some good Presidents overall.

Our freedoms for difference of will before we eventually (essentially) come together is what makes this country great and strong, and allows us to endure crises, including constitutional crises, that might have put less strong nations asunder. From the contested 2000 Presidential election ultimately decided by the Supreme Court to the Civil War (and you could easily, I'm sure, think of your own additional examples). Somehow this nation has had the bend but don't break type of composition that has allowed us to take discord and strife and still ultimately integrate it (sometimes more effectively than others) and move on.

In Hillary's case, we must not mistake toughness, including raw ambition, for strength. If we do then we will have learned essentially nothing from that similar general category of shortcoming (although not in the same manner expressed) of the take no prisoners (and do what you want and the ends justify the means also) approach of the current administration.

They say that one receives the government one deserves. Just as an alcoholic might in some cases need to hit rock bottom before meaningful life change is made, so we cannot collectively alter our path until our collective political will is - infused by a rebellion against suffering - enlightened and strong. And we need an alternative. At the level of the Presidency, we need an individual who is strong as opposed to tough. One who will go the full measure of needed opposition to that which needs to be opposed, but no further.

For Barack to show that type of strength he must take on Hillary more forcefully. He is not finishing the contest because he is allowing her to hang on. And now a portion of the tide is beginning to swing back in her favor (power, and the world, abhors a leadership vacuum). The American people have essentially (but not definitively yet) spoken in the Democratic Presidential primary. But something is missing.

A closer.

Barack is a visionary, but he is 10% too optimistic and 10% unrealistic. Time for Barack Obama to tell the American people what they already know and are (I believe) waiting to hear from him if he is capable.

Hillary's dream is rapidly descending into our national nightmare.

Alex Hammer was a 2006 Independent candidate for Governor of Maine. His recently released book, This Great State, researches the political careers, activities and influence of prominent Maine politicians such as William Cohen, John Baldacci, Susan Collins, and George Mitchell.

TechPresident: A New Approach to Open Government: Push It Out of the Website Business

2008-05-26T13:34:00.002-04:00

http://www.techpresident.com/blog/entry/25722/a_new_approach_to_open_government_push_it_out_of_the_website_business
Excerpt:
"The problem with that approach is that almost by definition the various institutions that together make up the federal government are never going to be as nimble and responsive as non-profits, companies, and hackers that operate outside government. Their role is to serve as the establishment. What the article by Princeton's Ed Felten and a team of researchers from the school's Center for Information Technology Policy proposes is that government entities focus on building the infrastructure to produce and distribute data, and then leave it to more capable others to create tools that make use of the it, including mashups, wikis, and visualizations.

There are are only so many hours of the day, even in DC, and the time and energy spent building public-facing websites could be poured into a more useful kind of online publishing -- making sure the data is clean, constant, and consistent."

Alex Hammer: The Most Web 2.0 Savvy Politician?

2008-05-20T11:25:00.001-04:00

Excerpt:"Not only is there more change, but the rate of change is increasing. Even five years ago, on the Internet, you could take a day off and not miss anything. Now you take 20 minutes off, and you're #100 in the comments. Little differences become magnified. You might be 2% more efficient, but 100% more successful."

read more | digg story

Who Barack Obama Subscribes to on Friendfeed

2008-05-19T14:11:00.004-04:00

http://friendfeed.com/barackobama/subscriptions

Some of the top names I noticed:
Robert Scoble
michael arrington
Micah Sifry
Bret Taylor
dan farber
Kevin Rose
Louis Gray
Fred Wilson
mashable
Jason Calacanis
Loic Le Meur
Patrick Ruffini
Paul Buchheit

Yo, Barack ("Alex"rod, Plouffe, Hughes, etc. ) I trust this is just a big oversight!: http://friendfeed.com/alexhammer

Who loves ya baby?

(Hmm, Finn and Daou more reliable contacts??!?!)

Roundup: Secret US plan for military future in Iraq; Obama Catching Up With Clinton In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; 9 more

2008-04-08T11:48:00.007-04:00

Image from WikipediaSecret US plan for military future in Iraq

Obama Catching Up With Clinton In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; She's Losing Ground Even Among Women

Iraq: Al-Mahdi army offers to lay down its arms

Mark Penn Speaks (In Private): Will Still Advise Clintons, Calms Nervous Aides

White House On Iraq: 'We've Thrown Out The Rose-Colored Glasses'

Shift at Top May Mean Shift in Tone for Clinton

His Legacy Tarnished, Greenspan Goes on Defensive

FBI Data Transfers Via Telecoms Questioned

Why Rice Will Not Be VP — This Condi for Veep hype is political madness.

401 kids taken in Texas polygamist raid - USATODAY.com

Bill Clinton Visits Puerto Rico, Rich in Culture and Delegates

Roundup: Siegelman: Rove needs to testify about my case.; The Times retracts Tupac Shakur story; Clinton's Chief Strategist Steps Down ; 5 More

2008-04-07T10:28:00.005-04:00

Image from WikipediaSiegelman: Rove needs to testify about my case.

Clinton's Chief Strategist Steps Down - Washington Post

Ex-Clinton Insider Launches Unity Ticket Drive

Iraqi Forces and Militia Clash in Baghdad

RICE BIDS TO BE VP: GOPER

The Times retracts Tupac Shakur story

Clinton: No State Will Be Overlooked

McCain Brushes Back Criticism of Iraq Stance

Roundup: EXCLUSIVE: “Torture Memo” Author John Yoo Responds to This Week's Revelations; McCain Sees King Speech as Chance to Mend Ties; More

2008-04-04T13:25:00.008-04:00

EXCLUSIVE: “Torture Memo” Author John Yoo Responds to This Week's Revelations - Esquire

McCain Sees King Speech as Chance to Mend Ties - The New York Times

Mugabe: I will quit, as long I do not face prosecution

Poll: 76 percent say U.S. ready for black president

The DOJ comments on the Mukasey controversy

Second poll shows Clinton's Pennsylvania lead shrinking

McCain returns $3m in checks as he considers public funding

TechPresident - Favorite Videos of the Week: The McCain Girls Strike Back!

McCain voted against MLK Day at almost 50 years of age!

Clinton to propose 'Poverty Czar'

Knockout try could be risky for Obama

WATCH: Radio Host Suspended For Calling Hillary A "Big F*cking Whore" - Caution: Language - Huffington Post Headline

2008-04-03T16:07:00.001-04:00

Image from WikipediaWATCH: Radio Host Suspended For Calling Hillary A "Big F*cking Whore"

Excerpt:
"Update: Rhodes has been now been suspended from the network. Air America released the following statement:

Air America has suspended on-air host Randi Rhodes for making inappropriate statements about prominent figures, including Senator Hillary Clinton, at a recent public appearance on behalf of Air America in San Francisco which was sponsored by an Air America affiliate station."

Mrs. McCain's Beer Fortune: Private Jets, Vacation Homes - Huffington Post Headline

2008-04-03T16:02:00.002-04:00

Image from WikipediaMrs. McCain's Beer Fortune: Private Jets, Vacation Homes - Huffington Post Headline
Excerpt:
"McCain served as honorary starter of the NASCAR race that weekend in Charlotte, N.C. Earnhardt drove the Budweiser car, painted military camouflage, rather than its trademark red, to honor the troops.

Budweiser, then NASCAR's official beer, is brewed by Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., whose products have made Cindy McCain and her family a fortune."

An ABC News Review Has Found the Clintons Have Made More Than $50 Million Since Leaving the White House

2008-04-03T15:55:00.003-04:00

The Clinton Tax Returns: What Will They Reveal?

An ABC News Review Has Found the Clintons Have Made More Than $50 Million Since Leaving the White House

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4581608&page=1
Excerpt:
"An independent review by ABC News has found that since leaving the White House seven years ago, the senator and her former president husband have made well over $50 million, much of it from paid speeches made by Bill Clinton.

A review of Sen. Clinton's annual ethics filings found that her husband has earned $47 million in fees from more than 280 speeches he has made around the world."

Roundup II: Daily Digest: Obama Girl Is Out?; Pelosi Says No Change in Superdelegate Stance;, Bryant's Hoop Dreams: Obama Will Talk B-Ball With Gumbe

2008-04-03T15:49:00.003-04:00

Image from WikipediaDaily Digest: Obama Girl Is Out?

Pelosi Says No Change in Superdelegate Stance

Bryant's Hoop Dreams: Obama Will Talk B-Ball With Gumbel On HBO

Arianna Huffington: Want a Taste of the McCain Presidency? You've Already Had One

Roundup: Ted Turner: Global warming could lead to cannibalism; Carter hints at Obama backing; Fast Start for Soft Money Groups in 2008 Election

2008-04-03T15:31:00.006-04:00

Image from WikipediaFast Start for Soft Money Groups in 2008 Election

Ted Turner: Global warming could lead to cannibalism

Carter hints at Obama backing

Richardson: I never promised Clintons

How Some Florida Delegates Could Be Seated

For McCain, son's duty in Iraq is not a talking point

Donations to DCCC Spike after Clinton Threat To Pelosi

Obama raises more than $40 million in March

NATO Spurns New Members

Chinese Spying Grows, U.S. Says

FAA Probes 4 Airlines

Murtha: Clinton Cannot Win Nomination Without Popular Vote

Oil execs to take heat from lawmakers Tuesday...

WSJ: New Backing for Obama As Party Seeks Unity... - Drudge Report

Son Makes 'Last Appeal' for Ill Hostage

2008-04-03T09:53:00.002-04:00

Image from Wikipedia
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/son-makes-last-appeal-for-ill-hostage/20080402170909990003
Excerpt:
"France, Spain and Switzerland launched a delicate mission Wednesday to help an ailing hostage held by Colombian rebels, the French president's office announced....

Betancourt - who is both French and Colombian - has been held in a jungle for more than six years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

"A humanitarian mission of three facilitator countries, Spain, France and Switzerland, has started, in liaison with concerned authorities," the statement said, its vagueness underscoring the delicacy of the mission."

$150 Hooker For Senator's Husband - The Smoking Gun

2008-04-02T16:58:00.002-04:00

$150 Hooker For Senator's Husband - The Smoking Gun
Excerpt:
"The husband of a United States senator recently admitted to cops that he paid a 20-year-old hooker $150 to perform oral sex on him at a Michigan hotel. Thomas Athans, the 46-year-old spouse of Senator Debbie Stabenow, was confronted by police on February 26 after departing the Residence Inn in Troy (investigators had been surveilling the hotel after receiving reports that hookers were operating from Room 1822). According to a Troy Police Department report, a copy of which you'll find below, Athans told detectives that he set up the sexual encounter after responding to a Craigslist ad."

McCain Has Yet to Win Over Key Conservatives - The Wall Street Journal

2008-04-02T12:30:00.002-04:00

Image from WikipediaMcCain Has Yet to Win Over Key Conservatives - The Wall Street Journal
Excerpt:
"On the campaign trail last week, Sen. John McCain declared at least three times that the Republican Party is "united."

But is it?

Some prominent conservatives say they remain disenchanted with the party's likely nominee. Sen. McCain isn't doing enough to persuade them of his conservative credentials, they say, or win them over to his side. Although the sentiment among conservative leaders is that they will vote for Sen. McCain come November, they aren't thrilled about the prospect."

Hillary’s a liar, part 99,999,999 - Michelle Malkin - Politics 2.0 Post #5,500

2008-04-02T11:38:00.002-04:00

Hillary’s a liar, part 99,999,999 - Michelle Malkin
"As if…

…you needed…

…any more evidence…"

Obama Gets "Very Flirtatious" At Campaign...

2008-04-02T02:51:00.001-04:00

Image from Wikipedia

Obama Gets "Very Flirtatious" At Campaign...

Excerpt:
"Via Mark Halperin , the pool report from Obama's campaign stop in Allentown, Pennsylvania:

It may be April Fools Day, but Sen. Barack Obama was acting like it was Valentine's Day. He was in full charm mode while touring the Tama Manufacturing plant, a JC Penny supplier of made-in-the-USA clothing in Allentown."

Hillary fired for lies, unethical behavior from Congressional job: former boss

2008-04-02T02:31:00.001-04:00

Image from WikipediaHillary fired for lies, unethical behavior from Congressional job: former boss
Excerpt:
"Dan Calabrese’s new column on Hillary Clinton’s past may bring the curtain down on her political future. Calabrese interviewed Jerry Zeifman, the man who served as chief counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearings, has tried to tell the story of his former staffer’s behavior during those proceedings for years. Zeifman claims he fired Hillary for unethical behavior and that she conspired to deny Richard Nixon counsel during the hearings:"

Hugh's F---ing Hillary - TechPresident

2008-04-02T01:13:00.002-04:00

Image from WikipediaHugh's F---ing Hillary - TechPresident
http://www.techpresident.com/blog/entry/23471/hugh_s_f_ing_hillary
Excerpt:
"Hugh Atkin is at it again. Here's his full-on mashup of Sarah Silverman's "I'm F---ing Matt Damon" repurposed for the Clinton-Obama battle."

Pentagon Releases 2003 'Torture Memo'

2008-04-01T22:59:00.003-04:00

Image from Wikipedia Pentagon Releases 2003 'Torture Memo'

Pentagon Releases 2003 'Torture Memo' Justifying Harsh Interrogation Tactics

Excerpt:
"The Pentagon has released a declassified 2003 Justice Department memo that claimed the president's wartime authority trumps any international ban on torture, and concluded that the Fifth and Eighth amendments do not apply to foreign prisoners held outside the country."

Citizen Huff - The New York Times

2008-03-31T13:18:00.003-04:00

Image from WikipediaExcerpt:
"In February, The Huffington Post drew 3.7 million unique visitors, according to Nielsen Online, for the first time beating out The Drudge Report, the conservative tip sheet with which The Post is often compared. On Technorati, a blog search tool, The Huffington Post is the second-most-linked-to blog, behind only the technology site TechCrunch. As Roy Sekoff, the site’s editor, said, “We’ve always wanted to be part of the national conversation....

“Success on the Web is defined by spotting niches and serving them well,” said Micah L. Sifry, the editor of the blog TechPresident.com. “Will people go to The Huffington Post for great sports blogging? They’re certainly not going to go see what Arianna says about opening day,” he added."