In Reno…

Is there any way to know how much of the Webmetrics spike is related to how web-savvy Edwards is and how much to the fact that he’s making bigger news than his rivals?

My word, Robert:

The problem is how do average citizens do trips like this and get access if they have to pay their own way? That’s going to be a problem. Maybe bloggers should start an association to pay for their own representatives to go on trips like this. That way we’ll make sure we keep our independence and credibility, while getting access to things like this.

Average citizens?? How very A lister of you. And, yeah, I’ll be tuned into those blogs all right. And running my triple-lower-case-z-list blog, and wondering why media is still just media.

You really disappoint me.

–Ken–

PIMP MY BLOG COUNT IS UP TO 6 out of 7.

Welcome back to the Edward ScobleShow. Spin doctors 100 … voters zero.

At least pretend to interview someone with a google sticker on a laptop Robert.

Ken: what you miss is that he isn’t just going to have “A listers” on his planes and in every city he met with many bloggers, most of whom I had never heard of before. He’s giving amazing access to bloggers, not just those on the Technorati A list.

Average citizen? They can’t pay, won’t pay. Send representatives? Rigth – you choose.

You are being used, just like the mainstream media are being used, even if they do ‘pay their own way’ – they are still invited and given privileged access. That’s the way it has always been and always will be. The event and the media (whether it’s you or the Washington Post) need each other. Average Citizen could always stay at home with a clear conscience and comment from afar. As it is, you are part of the story. I mean, why else would a US presidential candidate invite a ‘geek blogger’ along on a campaign trip? To discuss the IT aspect?

Ken and Ross: I’m sitting with the campaign staff and they say you’re wrong. They want Z listers along, not just A listers. They say the A listers are too worried about placating their audiences. Which is true. Note how I haven’t talked much about what Edwards actually said yet in terms of political stances.

Robert:
The “average ones” of whom you speak aren’t going to be on the planes, correct.

However, I’m also highly dubious of the access you mention; politics is still politics, and hasn’t changed much in a long time.

Still, hope springs eternal.

-k-

Wow, some people just don’t get it. The average citizen now has another media to hear what a candidate has to say, he also can talk to that candidate and expect an answer. This does not require traveling, or expenses, (well, you do need a computer and internet access). Before blogging the only access the average citizen had was through a news source not his questions, but the questions of the reporter.
The ability to put lower case triple z-listers on the same bus as the Washington pot reporter would be nice, but frankly, it is not all that necessary. Yea, I want to make sure that everything I ask through a blog his being answered by the candidate and not a Spin Doctor, but lets face it, you 41,000 on a town hall meeting with a couple of folks not in your immediate presence, and still get questions from everybody, the results are the same.

Technology is giving the average Joe closer access to anybody that wants to be president.

Guy

Pter: of course I’m being used. But the fact that you know it, and I know it, and they know it, makes it all out in the open where we can discuss this. Tbey are the most out in front of the all the candidates in how they are using the Web to have conversations with all of us, not just people who support Edwards.

I’m not yet an Edwards supporter, by the way. I’m more of a fiscal conservative and those beliefs run counter to many of Edwards’ stances.

Guy: absolutely! Will it be used for good? I have no idea yet. But you can’t escape that the Internet is changing campaigns and how we discuss and decide on ideas that turn into policy.

Ken: well, I’ve seen him asked all the toughest questions I expect to see come up and seen him stand up and answer them. I’ve had better access to him in the past few days than most members of the press, or even of many of his staff.

I’m not going to be the last to get access to candidates this way.

Robert, If it is used for bad, the blogoshere will not tolerate it. Look at what is happening with the Microsoft Notebook situation, it did not take long for the populace to express their concern and for Microsoft to back off.
I expect that with politics it will be even more so, a lot of people have a natural suspicion of politicians anyway.

Guy

Guy: funny quote from my interview with Edwards: he mistrusts politicians too.

For heaven’s sake, will people get off of the “morality of the blogosphere” idea?

Bloggers of any alphabetic designation are motivated exactly like everyone else. Being a blogger doth not honesty/transparency/access make.

The blogosphere gives ready access to a cross section of ideas, that’s all. It’s not moral, immoral, or amoral, it’s simply a ready platform. Period.

-k-

Ken, True, being a blogger does not make one moral, it makes his words exposed thus open to scrutinity and critique.
If you are going to make a written statement and expose it to the world, it will make you think about what and how you will write.

Guy

Ken: what you miss is that he isn’t just going to have “A listers” on his planes and in every city he met with many bloggers, most of whom I had never heard of before. He’s giving amazing access to bloggers, not just those on the Technorati A list.

If your coverage is an example of the results of this, then I’m going to be busting a kidney laughing when you suddenly realize that having bloggers on the plane will change nothing. Let’s look at the percentages:

Percent of you babbling on about how cool it is that Edwards is talking to Bloggers: 100

Percent of you actually SAYING SOMETHING about WHAT HE SAID: Zero.

Wow, thank GOD for bloggers. I now know EVERYTHING about Edwards’ positions on EVERYTHING. Why, this is MUCH BETTER than traditional media and their stupid spin doctoring. Nothing but pure honest facts and figures here.

the circle jerk gets more frenzied, and the information gets ever smaller.

John: I haven’t said anything about his policies on purpose. My blog isn’t about politics. It’s very easy to get a good look at his stances. He was online the other evening for 1.5 hours. But, here’s my list:

Gay rights. Yes.
War. Pull out, starting now.
Medical care. Wants national medical care.
Stem cell research. For it.
Global Warming. Thinks it’s a place where we need to do a LOT more (gave a bunch of specifics).

I’ll put together a more comprehensive list, if you want. But there are other places to do that. A wiki is much better for that kind of thing.

And, video certainly is better. WHy? Why should I be another gatekeeper on his ideas? Why shouldn’t you just listen to what he said and draw your own conclusions?

And, John, you haven’t even seen my interviews or recordings yet. Not to mention I haven’t had time to process what I heard, and it’s not my job to be a news reporter. If you want to know what he said, read the Washington Post’s reports. That guy is much better at reporting that than I am.

Ah, Robert, give us some of your opinion please. This is all so dull. Comments are more interesting than the posts. It doesn’t matter that your blog isn’t about politics, and it doesn’t matter if you piss off half your readers. Just give us some authentic blogonzo!

It’s The Boys on the Bus Blogathon

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37323-2004Aug26.html

Will the Scobleizer go Gonzo?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40737-2005Feb20.html

Those reporters don’t pay for the trip personally, the newspaper companies do!

BTW, did you ask Edwards my question (let in another thread about the Concord Coalition and the fiscal wake up tour?
http://www.concordcoalition.org/

Robert,

YOU were on the damned plane. If you weren’t going to do anything with it, then you should have given up your seat to someone else. Because son, you got used, tattooed, and abused. You gave Edwards a ton of legitimacy, based solely on the fact that he knows how to use the intarweb.

I already KNEW his friggin’ positions, I’m one of those freaks who, unlike you, don’t wait to be spoon-fed my political information, nor did I think that prior to the “glories of teh bloooogosphere”, that:

It used to be the only place to get political information was to look at the propoganda done by the major parties, or by reading the voter pamphlet, or by reading the occassional editorial or news report in either your local newspaper or in a paper like the Washington Post or New York Times, or by attending a rally and listening to a speech

Political awareness and voting are your PRIMARY jobs in return for whatever benefits you get out of living in this country, and yet you firmly believe that there was no easy way for the masses to get political information until you and the “blogosphere” arrived in a puce flash of wonder.

This is going to be a fun campaign though. You just showed then how to get the “blogosphere” to line up and drop to their knees on command…just make you think that they buy into your “importance”. “Oh yes Robert, we really think that the blogosphere and social media will be a huge change in the 2008 election, and we want to make sure that everyone has this kind of access to John.” Sound familiar? Bet you got told that, or something real similar, damned near constantly. Stroke, stroke, stroke, “Hey look guys, you can get a blogger to roll on his back in only three buzzwords!” “Dude, you win at blogger bingo!”

The only thing you cared about on this was pushing the religion of blogging, doing some witnessing for the “blogosphere” and getting some more converts. Next time, bring along someone with a clue about politics instead of pissing it away on your religion.

Robert,
It was nice to meet you on the trip. I also spoke with someone from NPR about how they pay for the trip. I know that you had someone paying for your trip, but I agree that most “bloggers” have daytime jobs and couldn’t afford it – I couldn’t.

I thought that was the point of your post. What we are looking at is the same five or six bloggers getting access if they have to pay for it themselves. At least Edwards is having short meetings with local bloggers at every event, maybe that is the solution. Local bloggers at each event.

Blogs are great for social change. However, when they are manipulated by political parties; …
blogs(Robert) no longer seem credible. Robert I miss reading about things which are worth my time. Please let the rest of the media get abused by the peoples PIMPS. Return to your roots before it is too late. Say hello to the Dixie Chicks and Jane Fonda while you are touring with the Edwards crew. P.S. How much polar ice did your plane ride melt. LOL and L and L

Readers, remember, spin doctors are standing by on the plane with Doctorate degrees ready to respond to any post. Wireless plane planning potential poison pen preemtive protective posturing. The royal PEE PEE dance.

Please don’t make us suffer through this too much longer. How about more on SAP or SPSS? The wii vs the box? How about statistical predictions for strategy of the EDDY crew. Lets get technical, technical we wanna get technical … lets get into technical.

Please stop PIMPING YOUR BLOG!

imho