I am sitting in an airport in Houston. I see a lot of people are wondering who is paying for the trip. I wasn’t supposed to announce what I was doing until I got to New Orleans, but since news schedules have been moved up (John Edwards announced he’s running for President today) I’m sure the campaign won’t mind.
PodTech will pick up my travel expenses to and from, and my hotel and meal expenses. At least that’s the current plan. If that changes, I will let you know. Again, if I sell my soul, I’ll do it in full public view so you know all my biases and conflicts of interest.
I am covering this trip as a journalist for ScobleShow.com. I am not being paid or compensated by the Edwards’ campaign. They are paying for a plane to fly us around, though, and I’m not sure if that’s something that PodTech can compensate for, so let’s just say that’s being covered by the Edwards’ campaign.
More to come tomorrow after I get in, figure out what’s up, and all that.
Are there any restrictions as to what I can write or shoot? Not that I know of. None have been communicated yet.
Why me? I don’t yet know that. Other than Edwards was at Gnomedex and Ryan Montoya, one of his campaign guys, was on a panel discussion there with me, and then later Maryam and me met (and presented to) Elizabeth Edwards, John’s wife.
I have no idea what I’m going to be doing there. The first emails were basically “would you like to come along while John Edwards announces he’s running for President?”
Oh, and Maryam is working hard to keep my ego down. I’ll forever be known as “Maryam’s husband” now. 
And I agree with Dave Winer that Edwards should go attend to matters of state. I’ll be very disappointed if Edwards decides to announce some other day (this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me), but I’ll understand. UPDATE: he already announced, a day early, Google News reports, due to a slipup where his campaign staff accidentally opened up the Web site a day early.
Memeorandum has more on the day’s political and current event news.
This is certainly a coup of sorts for Robert and PodTech, but the cynic in me sees it as a lame attempt by the staff of an accomplished ambulance chaser with no legislative record to buy some cred from one of the cool people in the tech blogosphere. Edwards ran a lame campaign in 04; if he thinks that class envy “two Americas” stuff is going to work better this time, he’ll find himself back chasing the “evil tobacco companies and asbestos manufacturers” before you can say Obama three times.
I was so disappointed when the Clinton DOJ came after Microsoft in the 90s. Like many Microsofties on board at the time, I thought that lobbying was for losers who couldn’t build a better mousetrap, or market the one they had. I despise that companies great and small have to pay tribute to politicians who know nothing about tech and the economy other than how to demagogue issues like “pay equity” and whose tech policies come down in favor of the biggest campaign contributor.
Still, I look forward to reading about Robert’s experience with the campaign from the tech blogger perspective. I also hope that you’re offered the opportunity to take an up-close look at every candidate in the race and report to us on their policies vis a vis business and technology, and how they plan to use technology in their campaigns. I could care less about the D’s and R’s; I care about what the person knows, has done, and is willing to stand for without waffling–you know, principles and character, something most politicians only know about from glancing at the episodes of Sesame Street that their kids watch.
This is certainly a coup of sorts for Robert and PodTech, but the cynic in me sees it as a lame attempt by the staff of an accomplished ambulance chaser with no legislative record to buy some cred from one of the cool people in the tech blogosphere. Edwards ran a lame campaign in 04; if he thinks that class envy “two Americas” stuff is going to work better this time, he’ll find himself back chasing the “evil tobacco companies and asbestos manufacturers” before you can say Obama three times.
I was so disappointed when the Clinton DOJ came after Microsoft in the 90s. Like many Microsofties on board at the time, I thought that lobbying was for losers who couldn’t build a better mousetrap, or market the one they had. I despise that companies great and small have to pay tribute to politicians who know nothing about tech and the economy other than how to demagogue issues like “pay equity” and whose tech policies come down in favor of the biggest campaign contributor.
Still, I look forward to reading about Robert’s experience with the campaign from the tech blogger perspective. I also hope that you’re offered the opportunity to take an up-close look at every candidate in the race and report to us on their policies vis a vis business and technology, and how they plan to use technology in their campaigns. I could care less about the D’s and R’s; I care about what the person knows, has done, and is willing to stand for without waffling–you know, principles and character, something most politicians only know about from glancing at the episodes of Sesame Street that their kids watch.
@17. And yet TWICE the Dems failed to defeat him. What’s that say about the Dems. Like I said in a previous post, do the Dem’s not pay any attention to history. Senators DO NOT get elected president. The have voting records that expose them for what they are. Unbelievable the Dems will have at least 3 running. Do they deliberately try to lose elections?
@17. And yet TWICE the Dems failed to defeat him. What’s that say about the Dems. Like I said in a previous post, do the Dem’s not pay any attention to history. Senators DO NOT get elected president. The have voting records that expose them for what they are. Unbelievable the Dems will have at least 3 running. Do they deliberately try to lose elections?
PodTech will not be covering any expenses from the Edward plane. Does the NYTimes pay for the expense when they fly on airforce one?
Robert: have fun, tell us the story, cover the stories, and get behind the scene coverage.
PodTech will not be covering any expenses from the Edward plane. Does the NYTimes pay for the expense when they fly on airforce one?
Robert: have fun, tell us the story, cover the stories, and get behind the scene coverage.
@19
1) As long as its not UNREASONABLE. What’s unreasonable about listen in on conversations that originate from or are sent to known terrorist locations?
@2) the Eight Amendment as well as every other Amendment, applies to US Citizens. What evidence do we have of the govt torturing their own Citizens? Perhaps you instead meant to reference the 3rd and 4th Geneva Convention?
#3) Possibly. But it has yet to be tested in the courts.
That said, all if this is likely over Edwards’ head. Unless it involves chasing an ambulance and suing a company, he likely is out of his league.
@19
1) As long as its not UNREASONABLE. What’s unreasonable about listen in on conversations that originate from or are sent to known terrorist locations?
@2) the Eight Amendment as well as every other Amendment, applies to US Citizens. What evidence do we have of the govt torturing their own Citizens? Perhaps you instead meant to reference the 3rd and 4th Geneva Convention?
#3) Possibly. But it has yet to be tested in the courts.
That said, all if this is likely over Edwards’ head. Unless it involves chasing an ambulance and suing a company, he likely is out of his league.
[...] Scoble sells out but with full disclosure. If I were going to pick a blogger I would probably pick the Scobleizer as well. He seems like the most down to earth and trustworthy guy in the blogosphere (not that the rest of you aren’t good people). I also think that he wont “fake the funk” (Translation: He wont lie, cheat and steal). I think it’s a little too early to announce you are running for president but i guess sometimes the early bird gets the worm. [...]
After discussing with my wife, she made the rather astute observation that you have to be doubly assured that Edwards is the guy you that you want to attach your personal brand to.
There will be more pres announcements coming, and is he the right guy or the first guy to ask?
After discussing with my wife, she made the rather astute observation that you have to be doubly assured that Edwards is the guy you that you want to attach your personal brand to.
There will be more pres announcements coming, and is he the right guy or the first guy to ask?
Colin: he’s the first to ask. I haven’t made any decision about who I’ll support yet.
Colin: he’s the first to ask. I haven’t made any decision about who I’ll support yet.
[...] Blogs have been prominent in politics since the last US Presidential election and are set to join other forms of new media as part of an array of media tools employed by presidential candidates in the run up to the 2008 US Presidential election. One of the hopefuls is John Edwards who ran with John Kerry against George Bush in 2004. Edwards just recently announced his candidacy for the Democratic party nomination and has asked Robert Scoble, among others, to travel with him and cover his efforts. [...]
I think Edwards is an excellent candidate. He speaks a langaguage that many in this country can understand. While my loyalities and first love go to Obama (I’m from Illinois after all), I have the upmost respect for Edwards and wish him all the best.
Sincerely,
LEO
webmaster
IllinoisDemNet
ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC NETWORK
http://www.IllinoisDemNet.com
P.S. Someone should tell these dolts that just because a weekly tabloid like Newsweek, with no particular insight into the process, puts you on its cover — that doesn’t make you’re a leading contender.
I think Edwards is an excellent candidate. He speaks a langaguage that many in this country can understand. While my loyalities and first love go to Obama (I’m from Illinois after all), I have the upmost respect for Edwards and wish him all the best.
Sincerely,
LEO
webmaster
IllinoisDemNet
ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC NETWORK
http://www.IllinoisDemNet.com
P.S. Someone should tell these dolts that just because a weekly tabloid like Newsweek, with no particular insight into the process, puts you on its cover — that doesn’t make you’re a leading contender.
[...] YouTube for President John Edwards pre-announced his candidacy for the 2008 Presidential elections on YouTube today (see video embedded below). He’s really going for the blogger vote: the Rocketboom folks made the clip, and PodTech blogger Robert Scoble has been sent to New Orleans to help Edwards announce his presidential bid tomorrow. [...]
“Does the NYTimes pay for the expense when they fly on airforce one?”
Yes.
All media outlets that fly with the President are billed by the White House Travel Office. The price varies depending on how many other media members are traveling.
For example
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/11/AR2006081101834_pf.html
“The cost of covering the president has risen dramatically at a time when the news media, anxious about economic pressures, are aggressively cutting costs. For a one-day trip to St. Louis, for instance, the White House billed The Washington Post $3,317. To go to Yuma, Ariz., for a day, the bill came to $3,795. A two-day trip to Europe cost $8,283, not counting hotel charges.”
“Does the NYTimes pay for the expense when they fly on airforce one?”
Yes.
All media outlets that fly with the President are billed by the White House Travel Office. The price varies depending on how many other media members are traveling.
For example
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/11/AR2006081101834_pf.html
“The cost of covering the president has risen dramatically at a time when the news media, anxious about economic pressures, are aggressively cutting costs. For a one-day trip to St. Louis, for instance, the White House billed The Washington Post $3,317. To go to Yuma, Ariz., for a day, the bill came to $3,795. A two-day trip to Europe cost $8,283, not counting hotel charges.”
Robert,
You have become a dicksee chick! Hope you do not go the same way. Watch the blog desolve now.
What next? The polar ice caps melting due to overheating of our motherboards. Not impressed!!! AT ALL!!
Open another blog for the above garbage.
Disappointed, but will still read on.
IMHO
Robert,
You have become a dicksee chick! Hope you do not go the same way. Watch the blog desolve now.
What next? The polar ice caps melting due to overheating of our motherboards. Not impressed!!! AT ALL!!
Open another blog for the above garbage.
Disappointed, but will still read on.
IMHO
[...] Several podcasters, including Robert Scoble and Baron, are on location to cover the mainstream media announcement. [...]
Robert, you asked, Why me?
I am with #29 when he said (in part) “buy some cred from one of the cool people in the tech blogosphere”.
All your blog readers know that you are *all about* full disclosure and won’t gloss over things (having a partner like Maryam to keep you balanced is a huge benefit too).
It will be very interesting to see what you see through the lens of that camera…
Robert, you asked, Why me?
I am with #29 when he said (in part) “buy some cred from one of the cool people in the tech blogosphere”.
All your blog readers know that you are *all about* full disclosure and won’t gloss over things (having a partner like Maryam to keep you balanced is a huge benefit too).
It will be very interesting to see what you see through the lens of that camera…
[...] Check this out – John Edwards is using YouTube to announce his presidency. And if that’s not enough, he’s also “invited” some webbish 2.0 types down to New Orleans with him to, well, do their thing (ie., Robert Scoble has been blogging about it and plans to shoot video, and the Rocketboom folks actually filmed the YouTube video for Edwards). [...]
Ann: It was Kerry who failed to carry NC, not Edwards. Kerry couldn’t have carried this state with any running mate. Edwards has a better chance than Clinton or Obama here in 2008, since they have essentially no chance. Democrats do win in North Carolina. The governor and the legislature are Democratic. But, to win Dems need to be devoid of any taint of stereotypical liberalism. Compare and contrast Mike Easely and Erskine Bowles.
Ann: It was Kerry who failed to carry NC, not Edwards. Kerry couldn’t have carried this state with any running mate. Edwards has a better chance than Clinton or Obama here in 2008, since they have essentially no chance. Democrats do win in North Carolina. The governor and the legislature are Democratic. But, to win Dems need to be devoid of any taint of stereotypical liberalism. Compare and contrast Mike Easely and Erskine Bowles.
Edwards and the media do a good job of obscuring his past: this guy was an ambulance chaser. Yes, someone has to do it and I’m sure there are probably trial lawyers that don’t suck money for money’s sake. If he wasn’t in it for using the system to coerce money, then we would have heard about all of his good work. From what I can see, his abilities lie in being able to convince juries to stick it to people and collect big bucks.
It’s nice that he wants to run on poverty, but this won’t go too far because sooner or later the public will realize that we have made great strides over the past decades and there is much more to being president. He’ll switch to education or something at some point as his trial lawyer skills kick in. To him, the we’re a sap jury waiting to be influenced.
I’m not so sure the press will get behind him either. In the end, if it seems that Hillary is electable, I think the press will rally behind her. (The press is much more likely to show their favorites these days.)
Edwards and the media do a good job of obscuring his past: this guy was an ambulance chaser. Yes, someone has to do it and I’m sure there are probably trial lawyers that don’t suck money for money’s sake. If he wasn’t in it for using the system to coerce money, then we would have heard about all of his good work. From what I can see, his abilities lie in being able to convince juries to stick it to people and collect big bucks.
It’s nice that he wants to run on poverty, but this won’t go too far because sooner or later the public will realize that we have made great strides over the past decades and there is much more to being president. He’ll switch to education or something at some point as his trial lawyer skills kick in. To him, the we’re a sap jury waiting to be influenced.
I’m not so sure the press will get behind him either. In the end, if it seems that Hillary is electable, I think the press will rally behind her. (The press is much more likely to show their favorites these days.)
[...] Robert Scoble, generally an apolitical blogger has just stepped in his blog and video camera into the 2008 Presidential race as a invited journalist of the Edwards’ campaign. [...]
[...] Update: Robert has just disclosed all the details [...]
[...] I really don’t get why Scoble is going to cover the Edward’s campaign. Apparently this is paid for by PodTech – but why? Edwards, besides not getting nominated anyway, is a marginal figure at best and a completely useless item to carry on a tech show. Basically, Scoble is wasting his time, or worse, he is getting sucked into the dark political underbelly of America and will never find his way back home to Maryam. [...]
Al: Since corporate monopolies and oligopolies — energy, health, media, tech, food and agriculture, transportation — control so much of our daily lives, they are the biggest threat to our way of life. I think Edwards is far from an ambulance-chasing lawyer, but the more lawyers chasing those guys, the better.
Robert: It strikes me that a lot of the criticism of your taking this little roadtrip is rooted in the critics’ disdain and contempt for the game of politics as it is currently played, independent of any single candidate. There’s an interesting parallel in the hostility many free and open source software advocates evince toward Microsoft and other IT corporations.
Al: Since corporate monopolies and oligopolies — energy, health, media, tech, food and agriculture, transportation — control so much of our daily lives, they are the biggest threat to our way of life. I think Edwards is far from an ambulance-chasing lawyer, but the more lawyers chasing those guys, the better.
Robert: It strikes me that a lot of the criticism of your taking this little roadtrip is rooted in the critics’ disdain and contempt for the game of politics as it is currently played, independent of any single candidate. There’s an interesting parallel in the hostility many free and open source software advocates evince toward Microsoft and other IT corporations.
[...] So John Edwards announced his presidential announcement on YouTube in a video made by Andrew Baron and Joanne Colan of Rocketboom (who put up their own interview the next day) and Chuck Olsen (who, Andrew reports, is flying with Edwards to make video for the official campaign site). The digital cool doesn’t end there. Edwards tells you to text the word “hope” to a given number to get more instructions; how mobile. As NewTeeVee reports, he has Robert Scoble trailing around with a camera as well. He’s “live-bloggin” (their usage, not the usual meaning) at Daily Kos. He’s trying to create is own sort of Peace Corps called One Corps with people signing up online to do good deeds under his brand (they will “fight poverty” and, oh, while they’re at it, flog candidates who “support One America ideals’ [that was the old name of this campaign effort] and spread the word by calling radio stations). And tonight he’s having an online town hall from Iowa. [...]
[...] 米大統領選挙出馬表明したエドワーズ(Edwards)候補が、YouTubeでCampaignを展開している模倣。また、同じくBloggerのRobert Scobleも同行するとか？Source: Buzzmachine [...]
Ahh, you can’t box me into the Right/Left slag, equal opportunity snark. And I ooonnnnly share a last name with Ann, not a platform, tho I’d like to share her wealth, Miami and Palm Beach, sigh.
Tho I got a better mash-up…Rushanity or Seanush.
Ahh, you can’t box me into the Right/Left slag, equal opportunity snark. And I ooonnnnly share a last name with Ann, not a platform, tho I’d like to share her wealth, Miami and Palm Beach, sigh.
Tho I got a better mash-up…Rushanity or Seanush.
Billg:
You’re funny! The irony is comical. You rattled off a huge chunk of the econonmy and somehow think that the millions that work in those industries control us. I can tell you don’t like big organizations, but I suspect that you would have no trouble moving those industries to government control – which is really one huge, non-competitive, corrupt organization (without oversight) that would be a much bigger threat to our lives!
I love you lefty’s!
Billg:
You’re funny! The irony is comical. You rattled off a huge chunk of the econonmy and somehow think that the millions that work in those industries control us. I can tell you don’t like big organizations, but I suspect that you would have no trouble moving those industries to government control – which is really one huge, non-competitive, corrupt organization (without oversight) that would be a much bigger threat to our lives!
I love you lefty’s!
LayZ,
Thank you for your response … I still would like to see what Edwards has to say on these Constitutional issues that I believe are vital to our Republic.
Regarding #1, please consider reading these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FISA_Court
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00F1FFF3D540C758DDDAB0994DD404482
… it is not about being reasonable. It is about him not following the law which mandates the use of the FISA courts for any such activity.
Regarding #2 … I am not a legal expert … so you are saying that it is legal for us to torture non-citizens?
and regarding a test case for Habeas Corpus, here is one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Padilla_%28alleged_terrorist%29
Robert, I see this as an opportunity for Edwards to respond to some really tough questions that are considered too controversial to bring up … like our Israeli policy and its impact on the middle east. If he can provide a candid vision and start a meaningful dialog with the public on these issues via your show then you will have done us a great service.
Erik
LayZ,
Thank you for your response … I still would like to see what Edwards has to say on these Constitutional issues that I believe are vital to our Republic.
Regarding #1, please consider reading these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FISA_Court
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00F1FFF3D540C758DDDAB0994DD404482
… it is not about being reasonable. It is about him not following the law which mandates the use of the FISA courts for any such activity.
Regarding #2 … I am not a legal expert … so you are saying that it is legal for us to torture non-citizens?
and regarding a test case for Habeas Corpus, here is one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Padilla_%28alleged_terrorist%29
Robert, I see this as an opportunity for Edwards to respond to some really tough questions that are considered too controversial to bring up … like our Israeli policy and its impact on the middle east. If he can provide a candid vision and start a meaningful dialog with the public on these issues via your show then you will have done us a great service.
Erik
>>”I suspect that you would have no trouble moving those industries to government control …”
Don’t make knee-jerk assumptions, Al, without evidence to support them. You’ve nothing to go on about my opinions other than one short comment. Some of us are capable of independent thought.
>>”I suspect that you would have no trouble moving those industries to government control …”
Don’t make knee-jerk assumptions, Al, without evidence to support them. You’ve nothing to go on about my opinions other than one short comment. Some of us are capable of independent thought.
[...] US-A-Blogger Robert Scoble war vielleicht überrascht. Jedenfalls wurde er vor ein paar Tagen von John Edwards eingeladen, Edwards bei der Ankündigung seiner Präsidentschafts-Kandidatur und in den nachfolgenden Tagen auf der Tour durch einige US-Staaten zu begleiten. Ähnlich erging es auch andere bekannten Bloggern in den USA: Robert von BlueNC und Ezra Klein. Robert Scoble, der mit seinem Weblog Scobleizer das Image seines ehemaligen Arbeitgebers Microsoft deutlich verbessert hat, hat die Einladung angenommen und berichtet in seinem Weblog ausführlich von dem Event – wie auch die anderen eingeladenen Blogger. [...]
[...] As far as politics is concerned – I’m afraid that Amerika is not ready for a black man or woman as president – yet. So that means that smiley faced, shiney white guy, from the south John Edwards is our best chance. Now the primaries can be a bloody affair, and lord knows what will happen in the next two years – but as long as John Furrier hasn’t pissed through all his VC money yet – or they give him more – Scoble seems to match the shiney, smiling white guy mode prety well. I’m glad that Robert hung out with Ryan Montoya in New Orleans. And that he doesn’t have to show them how to use RSS. I hope they all had some good BBQ Shrimp – that’s what I miss – REAL BBQ Shrimp! [...]
Robert,
anyone who’s ever talked to Maryam thinks of you as “Maryam’s husband”
Robert,
anyone who’s ever talked to Maryam thinks of you as “Maryam’s husband”
[...] In advance of his official announcement, the Edwards campaign upped the stakes in their wooing of the tech blogosphere and invited super blogger Robert Scoble to follow him around this week. From the sound of things, Scoble is getting awesome access to Edwards and his campaign staff. What Scoble is doing isn’t clear. Is he some sort of unpaid advisor? Or just covering the campaign as a blogger/journalist? [...]
[...] Full disclosure… « Scobleizer – Tech Geek Blogger Robert Scoble has been invited to help John Edwards announce his presidential bid in New Orleans on Thursday. (tags: scoble edwards presidential election) [...]