Avoid politics on my link blog…

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I’ve been link blogging a bunch of stuff and keeping it relatively politics free.

But, I’m not going to write a lot about John Edwards. If you care about what happened here today he’s been doing a different interview every 15 minutes, just follow the reports on Google News, and just stood on the lawn next to a destroyed Ninth Ward home in New Orleans and talked with dozens of press here (I counted 20 video cameras). Translation: you can read a ton about what he said, with a lot more coming soon.

Some notes: Fox News actually gave him the best interview and asked the most insightful questions.

Matt Lauer, of Today Show, asked him if he was going to pick Hillary Clinton as his running mate, which drew the biggest laugh from Edwards.

I’ve been getting access to everything. Even back stage stuff when he comes into one of the rebuilt New Orleans homes to get warm. Well, we’re off to Iowa now.

The one consistent theme that resonates with me is that Edwards is asking people to get involved to fix America.  The taxi driver yesterday who drove me from the airport said he thought Edwards sounded a lot like John Kennedy. I hear that on the front lawn today.

Published by Robert Scoble

I help entrepreneurs build their technology business' story, help with getting ready for investors, with other launch plans, and many other strategic things that can help your new startup. Call to talk: +1-425-205-1921 (text first).

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58 thoughts on “Avoid politics on my link blog…”

  1. A lot like JFK? Sorry to hear that. I hadn’t really thought about Edwards as a lieing, cheating on his wife sort of guy who would take us into a war we had no business getting into – which is how I remember JFK. Had JFK not beeen killed he would likely be remembered the same as GWB but without Bush’s good qualities.

    Like

  2. A lot like JFK? Sorry to hear that. I hadn’t really thought about Edwards as a lieing, cheating on his wife sort of guy who would take us into a war we had no business getting into – which is how I remember JFK. Had JFK not beeen killed he would likely be remembered the same as GWB but without Bush’s good qualities.

    Like

  9. I don’t buy it.

    On his Web site he has links to Flickr, youtube, myspace, and facebook. He’s producing self-serious campaign media for each. It all becomes tedious very fast.

    These media didn’t achieve virality by supporting slick, packaged messages. They don’t work well as push media–not like buying a billboard on the interstate. I think if Edwards tries too hard to capture the Web, he’ll be regarded as an opportunistic, and even turn off the people who might be interested in his solutions.

    Like

  10. Crap, You are doing the political thing. I do like the way this post shows how you will cover this, the mechanics of the campaign, not the political stuff.
    I do have a couple of questions for you and Edwards:

    1. Will you do this for other canidates?
    2. How long will you perform this type of coverage, will you go all the way to the election?
    3. Will you keep it like this post, as a ‘One man’s view of the process’?

    For Edwards,
    1. Will he continue to blog if elected?
    2. What does he hope to gain from this that he will not get from the normal way of doing a campaign (I know that this will expose him to a younger audience, but is that all he is looking for)?
    3. How will feedback from his blog influence his campaign strategy?

    Robert, you are one of the people I respect as an expert in your field, if your involment is the geeks view of how this political thing happens, then by all means geek on.

    Guy

    Like

  11. I don’t buy it.

    On his Web site he has links to Flickr, youtube, myspace, and facebook. He’s producing self-serious campaign media for each. It all becomes tedious very fast.

    These media didn’t achieve virality by supporting slick, packaged messages. They don’t work well as push media–not like buying a billboard on the interstate. I think if Edwards tries too hard to capture the Web, he’ll be regarded as an opportunistic, and even turn off the people who might be interested in his solutions.

    Like

  12. Crap, You are doing the political thing. I do like the way this post shows how you will cover this, the mechanics of the campaign, not the political stuff.
    I do have a couple of questions for you and Edwards:

    1. Will you do this for other canidates?
    2. How long will you perform this type of coverage, will you go all the way to the election?
    3. Will you keep it like this post, as a ‘One man’s view of the process’?

    For Edwards,
    1. Will he continue to blog if elected?
    2. What does he hope to gain from this that he will not get from the normal way of doing a campaign (I know that this will expose him to a younger audience, but is that all he is looking for)?
    3. How will feedback from his blog influence his campaign strategy?

    Robert, you are one of the people I respect as an expert in your field, if your involment is the geeks view of how this political thing happens, then by all means geek on.

    Guy

    Like

  15. I can’t wait to see what kind of innovative ideas you come up with to exploit web 2.0 technology to support this type of ‘enterprise’. The ideas that you come up with could be used by NGOs, charitible orgs, and social activism initiatives such as ONE.org, and could potentially do much good.

    Please continue to keep us posted on your progress.

    Like

  16. I can’t wait to see what kind of innovative ideas you come up with to exploit web 2.0 technology to support this type of ‘enterprise’. The ideas that you come up with could be used by NGOs, charitible orgs, and social activism initiatives such as ONE.org, and could potentially do much good.

    Please continue to keep us posted on your progress.

    Like

  17. Nothing wrong with writing about you believe in (it is your blog.)

    Edwards is an interesting canidate. And I’m glad he used New Orleans as a symbol of some of the things wrong with this country.

    Nice coverage on your part.

    Like

  18. Nothing wrong with writing about you believe in (it is your blog.)

    Edwards is an interesting canidate. And I’m glad he used New Orleans as a symbol of some of the things wrong with this country.

    Nice coverage on your part.

    Like

  19. Edwards insight into high tech marketing is much deeper than just reaching out to bloggers.

    Here’s the brilliant innovation of the Edwards Campaign: he’s conducting an empirical test of his own leadership abilities. It’s straight out of high tech marketing. He’s giving us a demo. That’s a high wire act.

    The operational definition of a leader is someone with followers. So here’s Edwards saying, hey let’s get busy and start getting things done now instead of waiting until the election. If people get busy, Edwards is a leader. If we don’t, he’s not. Has anyone ever done that before? Kennedy famously challenged the country to, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” But that was in the inaugural address, not the campaign.

    Edwards is proposing something I’ve never seen before. He isn’t asking for the order on election day. He’s asking for it today. If people respond, Edwards will have delivered an irrefutable demonstration of his leadership.

    Like

  20. Edwards insight into high tech marketing is much deeper than just reaching out to bloggers.

    Here’s the brilliant innovation of the Edwards Campaign: he’s conducting an empirical test of his own leadership abilities. It’s straight out of high tech marketing. He’s giving us a demo. That’s a high wire act.

    The operational definition of a leader is someone with followers. So here’s Edwards saying, hey let’s get busy and start getting things done now instead of waiting until the election. If people get busy, Edwards is a leader. If we don’t, he’s not. Has anyone ever done that before? Kennedy famously challenged the country to, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” But that was in the inaugural address, not the campaign.

    Edwards is proposing something I’ve never seen before. He isn’t asking for the order on election day. He’s asking for it today. If people respond, Edwards will have delivered an irrefutable demonstration of his leadership.

    Like

  21. Right now I think Edwards needs someone to get his blog site running…..Performance has declined to a standstill & he is supposed to be doing a live blog session on that site in 20 minutes. Not looking good out of the chute if he can’t keep his site running.

    Like

  22. Right now I think Edwards needs someone to get his blog site running…..Performance has declined to a standstill & he is supposed to be doing a live blog session on that site in 20 minutes. Not looking good out of the chute if he can’t keep his site running.

    Like

  23. Pingback: So, Edwards is using the Web « Thinkings of an Old Baby Boomer

  24. Edwards is a lawyer. I don’t really understand why so many people think lawyers make good leaders. Time was in America where the leaders were just ordinary farmers and merchants, not career politicians. They came and went from Washington after short stints. Especially I don’t know why it seems liberals are so enamored with lawyers. Lawyers do not represent the American cross-section in any way. Surely lawyers have a disproportionate amount of power and they talk prettier than average. But for what purpose? They use it for themselves. Look up the clients that Edwards represented and I think you will be sick about the verdicts he extracted from pretty much non-negligent parties, leveraging on his part the sympathies of largely ignorant juries. Yes, I think power is why liberals like lawyers so much.

    Like

  25. Edwards is a lawyer. I don’t really understand why so many people think lawyers make good leaders. Time was in America where the leaders were just ordinary farmers and merchants, not career politicians. They came and went from Washington after short stints. Especially I don’t know why it seems liberals are so enamored with lawyers. Lawyers do not represent the American cross-section in any way. Surely lawyers have a disproportionate amount of power and they talk prettier than average. But for what purpose? They use it for themselves. Look up the clients that Edwards represented and I think you will be sick about the verdicts he extracted from pretty much non-negligent parties, leveraging on his part the sympathies of largely ignorant juries. Yes, I think power is why liberals like lawyers so much.

    Like

  26. And now the Edwards blog site is completely down…web 2.0 doesn’t do much for you if you can’t keep your site running……

    Like

  27. And now the Edwards blog site is completely down…web 2.0 doesn’t do much for you if you can’t keep your site running……

    Like

  28. @13

    Yup, and those trial lawyers have decimated a lot of people’s ability to find quality doctors.

    Why cant doctors get reasonable malpractice insurance anymore? Trial lawyers.

    Why wont our daughters and granddaughters be able to find obstetricians to deliver their babies in the coming years? Trial lawyers.

    Why our emergency room doctors leaving the field in droves? Trial lawyers.

    Edwards has made millions and millions of dollars personaly destroying the medical field – and I doubt he will ever answer a single question about it.

    I also doubt the liberal media will ever ask him a single question about it either.

    Like

  29. @13

    Yup, and those trial lawyers have decimated a lot of people’s ability to find quality doctors.

    Why cant doctors get reasonable malpractice insurance anymore? Trial lawyers.

    Why wont our daughters and granddaughters be able to find obstetricians to deliver their babies in the coming years? Trial lawyers.

    Why our emergency room doctors leaving the field in droves? Trial lawyers.

    Edwards has made millions and millions of dollars personaly destroying the medical field – and I doubt he will ever answer a single question about it.

    I also doubt the liberal media will ever ask him a single question about it either.

    Like

  30. Guy:

    >1. Will you do this for other canidates?

    Sure, I like politics, even though I don’t write about them much.

    >2. How long will you perform this type of coverage, will you go all the way to the election?

    I doubt it. I doubt I’ll get this kind of access all the way through election. And I doubt PodTech will fund it, even if we do get it. Politics is so well covered that it’s hard to find a unique story and stick out of the crowd.

    >3. Will you keep it like this post, as a ‘One man’s view of the process’?

    Probably. I don’t know what the story is. Right now I’m doing a lot of listening and then seeing what my fingers want to put down.

    >For Edwards,
    >1. Will he continue to blog if elected?

    He will, he says. And Elizabeth will for sure.

    >2. What does he hope to gain from this that he will not get from the normal way of doing a campaign (I know that this will expose him to a younger audience, but is that all he is looking for)?

    Right now most of the really passionate people about politics are online. They are the ones that build campaigns, get money, and tell other people about the candidate. He’s hoping to get that influential audience to engage with him.

    >3. How will feedback from his blog influence his campaign strategy?

    Unknown, but they certainly are reading everything written about both him and his competitors through blog search engines and Memeorandum.

    Like

  31. Guy:

    >1. Will you do this for other canidates?

    Sure, I like politics, even though I don’t write about them much.

    >2. How long will you perform this type of coverage, will you go all the way to the election?

    I doubt it. I doubt I’ll get this kind of access all the way through election. And I doubt PodTech will fund it, even if we do get it. Politics is so well covered that it’s hard to find a unique story and stick out of the crowd.

    >3. Will you keep it like this post, as a ‘One man’s view of the process’?

    Probably. I don’t know what the story is. Right now I’m doing a lot of listening and then seeing what my fingers want to put down.

    >For Edwards,
    >1. Will he continue to blog if elected?

    He will, he says. And Elizabeth will for sure.

    >2. What does he hope to gain from this that he will not get from the normal way of doing a campaign (I know that this will expose him to a younger audience, but is that all he is looking for)?

    Right now most of the really passionate people about politics are online. They are the ones that build campaigns, get money, and tell other people about the candidate. He’s hoping to get that influential audience to engage with him.

    >3. How will feedback from his blog influence his campaign strategy?

    Unknown, but they certainly are reading everything written about both him and his competitors through blog search engines and Memeorandum.

    Like

  32. Robert,

    Just curious how the McCain-Feingold Election reform deals w/ this. Don’t you have to spend time w/ the other canidatates on both sides of the policital spectrum?
    I don’t know the law very well, but I have heard some political bloggers talking about how it even affects blogs and what people write. Just curious is you or PodTech then spending time w/ the Replublican candiates to make sure that equal coverage is given? ISn’t that a part of campagin reform?
    Does this mean PodTech is supporting Democrat contenders for President and is not supporting Republican contenders?

    Just curious, this has been very interesting and I know I need to learn more 😉

    Like

  33. Robert,

    Just curious how the McCain-Feingold Election reform deals w/ this. Don’t you have to spend time w/ the other canidatates on both sides of the policital spectrum?
    I don’t know the law very well, but I have heard some political bloggers talking about how it even affects blogs and what people write. Just curious is you or PodTech then spending time w/ the Replublican candiates to make sure that equal coverage is given? ISn’t that a part of campagin reform?
    Does this mean PodTech is supporting Democrat contenders for President and is not supporting Republican contenders?

    Just curious, this has been very interesting and I know I need to learn more 😉

    Like

  34. Hi Rob,

    I just came across Gender Genie (http://www.bookblog.net/gender/genie.html) and decided for fun to run it on your blog.

    You can take comfort that nearly all of your posts are identified as being male.

    However, one particular one (http://scobleizer.com/2006/12/27/i-think-the-microsoft-vista-giveaway-is-an-awesome-idea/) definitely gets the female vote! In fact, if I combine all of the text from your recent blog entries, that particular entry tends to swing the stick (no pun intended) towards someone else … did Maryam write that post? 😉

    Like

  35. Hi Rob,

    I just came across Gender Genie (http://www.bookblog.net/gender/genie.html) and decided for fun to run it on your blog.

    You can take comfort that nearly all of your posts are identified as being male.

    However, one particular one (http://scobleizer.com/2006/12/27/i-think-the-microsoft-vista-giveaway-is-an-awesome-idea/) definitely gets the female vote! In fact, if I combine all of the text from your recent blog entries, that particular entry tends to swing the stick (no pun intended) towards someone else … did Maryam write that post? 😉

    Like

  36. Jonathan: I’m very happy to come over and check out what other candidates are doing.

    I just asked Dan Balz, of the Washington Post, if journalists are forced to give equal time/coverage to each candidate. “No,” is his answer. So, don’t see how that would apply to blogs if it doesn’t apply to Washington Post.

    Like

  38. Jonathan: I’m very happy to come over and check out what other candidates are doing.

    I just asked Dan Balz, of the Washington Post, if journalists are forced to give equal time/coverage to each candidate. “No,” is his answer. So, don’t see how that would apply to blogs if it doesn’t apply to Washington Post.

    Like

  42. Edwards sounds like JFK? Puh-leeze. We’re starting that now? Didn’t Edwards learn from Dan Quayle? Where’s Benson when we need him. Perhaps we can get Ted Kennedy to say “I knew JFK. JFK was my brother. Mr Edwards, you are no JFK”

    But I hope in one aspect he is like JFK in that he will cut taxes and fund the military.

    But please. Scoble, the best advice you can give Edwards is to NOT co-opt JFK.

    Of course equal time doesn’t apply to a specific journalist or blogger. It only applies to the outlet they work for.

    Another reason Senators don’t get elected President or make good ones on the rare occasion that they are elected is that a Senator’s role is not one of being a leader. They are skilled at influencing and marshaling legislation through and getting people to agree with them. Senators do not get asked to make hard decisions or get asked to set policy. They have no skills in this area. Again, that’s why governors governors make better presidential candidates.

    Like

  43. Edwards sounds like JFK? Puh-leeze. We’re starting that now? Didn’t Edwards learn from Dan Quayle? Where’s Benson when we need him. Perhaps we can get Ted Kennedy to say “I knew JFK. JFK was my brother. Mr Edwards, you are no JFK”

    But I hope in one aspect he is like JFK in that he will cut taxes and fund the military.

    But please. Scoble, the best advice you can give Edwards is to NOT co-opt JFK.

    Of course equal time doesn’t apply to a specific journalist or blogger. It only applies to the outlet they work for.

    Another reason Senators don’t get elected President or make good ones on the rare occasion that they are elected is that a Senator’s role is not one of being a leader. They are skilled at influencing and marshaling legislation through and getting people to agree with them. Senators do not get asked to make hard decisions or get asked to set policy. They have no skills in this area. Again, that’s why governors governors make better presidential candidates.

    Like

  46. Robert,

    Thanks for answering my questions. I was just curious and while I follow poltics, I haven’t read too much up on some of the changes to camapign reform that have been made lately.

    Thanks again

    Like

  47. Robert,

    Thanks for answering my questions. I was just curious and while I follow poltics, I haven’t read too much up on some of the changes to camapign reform that have been made lately.

    Thanks again

    Like

  48. @18

    Your Gender Genie algorithm is pretty much a piece of crap. I’m a guy and it rated my passage female. I also scored in the top 1 percentile on the MSAT english test part, so my grasp of this language is at least adequate.

    Like

  49. @18

    Your Gender Genie algorithm is pretty much a piece of crap. I’m a guy and it rated my passage female. I also scored in the top 1 percentile on the MSAT english test part, so my grasp of this language is at least adequate.

    Like

  52. As someone who used to cover politics for Reuters and the WSJ I am still amazed by the blunt intensity of manycomments on a blog or otheronline place whenever the topic touches on politics. That’s perversely positive IF that intensity in any way relates to actions that people take on behalf of what they want to happen in the next elections – Kare, SavvyHer

    Like

  53. As someone who used to cover politics for Reuters and the WSJ I am still amazed by the blunt intensity of manycomments on a blog or otheronline place whenever the topic touches on politics. That’s perversely positive IF that intensity in any way relates to actions that people take on behalf of what they want to happen in the next elections – Kare, SavvyHer

    Like

  54. Pingback: John Edwards Woos Robert Scoble » The Bivings Report

  55. LayZ said, “But I hope in one aspect he is like JFK in that he will cut taxes and fund the military.”

    I wonder where the money comes from then to fund the military, if not from taxes?

    Like

  56. LayZ said, “But I hope in one aspect he is like JFK in that he will cut taxes and fund the military.”

    I wonder where the money comes from then to fund the military, if not from taxes?

    Like

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