July 30, 2004
Back From Beantown... On To The Big Apple
From beans to apples, wow, I don't know how much more of this high fiber diet I can take.
We've known since Tuesday that the GOP has invited 10-20 bloggers to the convention, and I've further known since Tuesday that BuzzWebster.com is not invited.
But, I do still have hopes of getting in another way and blogging from the inside, although the real story will be on the outside. The GOP will be just as scripted as the DNC convention and media will be looking for the "real story". This time it won't be bloggers, but rather the protesters. Even conservative groups will protest. RightMarch.com along with others plan to protest the protesters.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 04:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 29, 2004
Washington Post Looking For Best Political Blog
From the Post's website:
Right wing. Left wing. Indifferent. Irreverent. There's a blog for every taste, opinion and attitude. washingtonpost.com's 2004 Best Blogs - Politics and Elections Readers' Choice Awards is your chance to speak out and vote for your favorite politics and election blogs.
Any early votes on the best blog of the Democratic Convention?
Posted by Buzz Webster at 06:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 28, 2004
Convention Quote
The blogger quote of the night belongs to Alan Nelson, creator of The Command Post, speaking to the Seattle PI.
"While I think it's noble and symbolic of our legitimacy that we were asked (to be here), the fact of the matter is the DNC couldn't control the medium if they wanted to."
Posted by Buzz Webster at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sexy Liberals
Walking around Boston I've noticed some very attractive men and women parading around with t-shirts that say "smart - sexy - liberal" and the website "demdates.com"
It is part of a guerilla marketing campaign to drive traffic to the site using hot bodies in a politically heated town.
These aren't your momma's liberals. These tree huggers are clean-shaven and quite pleasing to the eye.
I asked one of the beautiful ladies (who approached me of course) how the campaign was going. She replied, "Like wildfire"... I bet it is... I bet it is.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 02:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 27, 2004
The First Black President?
That's the buzz.
Barack Obama, a state senator from Illinois who is running for the U.S. Senate was the star speaker tonight.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Kids For Kerry
Ilana Wexler – what a darling – she’s little orphan Annie on a soapbox.
Wexler a 12 year-old young lady campaigning for Kerry (founder of Kidsforkerry.org) just spoke at the convention tonight. She and her campaign are impressive.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 09:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Too Busy To Blog
That’s the consensus up in section 320, 7th floor of the Fleet Center. For those of you on the outside of the Convention-- section 320, 7th floor is where bloggers are making history. It’s the designated space for bloggers, equipped with Wi-fi and some really good insight.
Most of the bloggers I spoke with are saying 320-7, should be called 24-7 because it is non-stop for the newbies.
Mainstream press interviews, security checks, lines everywhere, and a constant cast of new characters on stage has overwhelmed these one-man or woman shows.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 08:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 26, 2004
Pictures On The Inside
I'm no photograhper, but here are some shots I took today.
The Internet Candidate, Howard Dean Working The Room.
On the floor... before getting kicked off.
Excuse me. Have you seen any girlie men around here?
My new office
Al Franken Chillin' With His Crew
Posted by Buzz Webster at 09:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Technocrati Way Cool For Convention Coverage
I really like what Technocrati is doing with a new meta-blog covering the convention: offering statistics, analysis and real-time updates on what political bloggers are saying.
It's divided up into the same format as WatchBlog.com, but with three different topics- Liberal, Conservative and Convention Bloggers.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Blogs Are Buzz Of Convention
The Convention Gavel has dropped and so far the talk of the convention has been on the newest members of the press.
Maybe there's little else to talk about, or maybe just maybe bloggers are an interesting crowd. This should all change by later tonight when the Clinton's take the stage.
The LATimes is doing a good job tracking the blog convention buzz.
The WSJ also has a good free article profiling some of the convention bloggers.
It may all look scripted on TV, but the Fleet center is a mad house behind the scenes...
Posted by Buzz Webster at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Convention Coverage: Day 1 -- Start Your Engines
Hi, I'm Buzz Webster. Thanks for visiting the new blog of PoliticsOnline. If you were searching for “astronauts” or “dictionaries”, you’ve clicked on the wrong link.
We're kicking off the site with "Live & Online" coverage from the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston.
This blog's focus is to cover the intersection of Politics & the Internet and all the emerging highways from that joining. During my stay in Boston, I'll be updating daily covering the convention and the Internet's impact.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 07:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 25, 2004
Convention Coverage: Sunday -- The Eagle Has Landed
According to some REALLY important newspapers, because I am a blogger at the convention, I am supposed to mainly tell you about the food I ate at the events I went to and the latest fashion, instead of doing real reporting.
Well, not to let a REAL journalists down (and because I have been traveling all and day don't know the latest political internet buzz… I flew in on a new carrier for Charleston called Independence Air, which I really like. It’s cheap. Dennis Miller gave the inflight instructions. Seriously.
Once on the ground, I took a $50 dollar cab ride to Quincy. It might as well have been Quebec, this town needs more hotels, closer to downtown. Once at the hotel, I had time to reapply deodorant and cheap cologne only to take another cab to Harvard and smooze with the alum at Kennedy School of Government. For all the lefties in town it was quite surprising for Bill O’Reilly to be the most popular guest. Virginia Governor Rick Warner was there too. Warner is one to watch. He has politics and new technology figured out.
Now I’m in the hotel room, reading delegate’s blogs. They are not the most exciting to read, maybe they've been traveling like me, lets hope it gets better or the REALLY important journalists might be right.
And finally for fashion, blue sports coats are “in” at the convention, but this season, the length of the sleeve should reach the end of the wrist instead of the joint of the thumb.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
July 23, 2004
Blogging From Boston
Oh the joys of packing for Boston. Here's my checklist.
- ID
- Computer
- Digital Camera
- Cell Phone
- "Kerry Is My Baby's Daddy" T-shirt in case I need to go undercover and fit in
- One dogged eared copy of Trippi's book "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
- Change of PoliticsOnline boxer shorts
That should do it.
CyberJournalist.net has a list of bloggers who will blog from Boston. I can't wait to meet the crew. I hope they like me. I'll just die if I don't fit in.
Even outside Boston, the online world is a lively place. This is what you should know:
- Bush's daughters are chatting online today
- KerryEdwards.com received a lot of buzz but no bidders
- The GWU online fundraising primer is a must read
- The bloggers and conservative talk show hosts are giddy about the convention.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 07:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 22, 2004
Cases Of Copycat Countering Causing Convention Chaos
The Democratic Party emailed supporters this morning asking them to vote on an “American Made," pro-Democrat, video contest to be announced and aired during the convention. In my humble opinion “America’s Party” or “51 Reasons” will probably win.
The right has also announced plans to run TV ads during the convention. One of the right-wing groups, Move America Forward, emailed supporters this morning asking for donations to make sure their latest ads will run in the Boston area.
It gets better.
Riding on the wave of the latest conservative bashing film “OutFoxed," MoveOn.org has filed a complaint with the FTC demanding the agency stop Fox News from using its slogan “Fair and Balanced,” claiming it is deceptive advertising.
(Mental note - Consider changing the BuzzWebster slogan: "the most imformative and funny website in the galaxy" to something else.)
In response MoveOn's movings, the conservative Chuck Muth and his online News & Views crowd have called on the FTC to ban the New York Times’ use of its slogan: “All the news that’s fit to print.”
Posted by Buzz Webster at 06:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 16, 2004
Drudge Is Number Two?
ABC's The Note is claiming that Matt Drudge is the second most powerful person in this election year to influence the entire free media cycle.
I think they might be right. They also claim PoliticsOnline is the third most influential. Ok, actually they said:
Everyone else is tied for third.
But hey, we're in there somewhere. The NYT was first.
Another important name in Internet and Politics, Joe Trippi, is also in the news. Trippi has been hired by Joe Driscoll's Penn. congressional campaign to develop television advertising.
And on the Global front you might also want to know that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) conference kicks off next week in Malaysia.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 08:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 15, 2004
Developing Late Morning Internet Politics News
Hell hath no furry like...
Influential Hillary Clinton supporters (and Big Kerry Donors) are responding to emails sent this morning demanding a spot for Clinton at the upcoming DNC convention.
I, Robot must vote for Kerry
In this polarized election year even Robots are partisan... and persuading your children?
Deaniacs Dote Dozen
Howard Dean has released another Dozen he supports.
Da Rejection
Online efforts to Draft Ditka in Illinois have failed.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Online "Outing" Claims Success Over Marriage Amendment
Touchy Subject Today - but a great example of online activism
D.C. Political Activist Michael Rogers is very excited about the Senate's rejection of further action on the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. In fact Rogers is crediting his online effort as part of the reason why the amendment failed to gain traction.
According to the Washington Post his online efforts included sending out more than 10,000 e-mails encouraging and perpetrating outings. The e-mails aksked people to send in names of gay Hill staffers "working for senators and representatives who supported the Federal Marriage Amendment."
Rogers also created a blog last week listing some of those names.
Way to go Rogers, some might say there's nothing like helping gays by getting a few of them irked at you and exposing them to ridicule.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 14, 2004
Kerry Gets Unwanted E-mail From Bush
Bush Campaign manager Ken Mehlman sent out an email last night to the Kerry campaign in which he just so happened to "CC" 6 million Bush supporters.
The email, or "open letter", calls for the Kerry campaign "to release the performance that Sen. Kerry said represented the "heart and soul" of America so that all Americans could see for themselves what John Kerry thinks represents the "heart and soul" of our country."
Translation: some real bad stuff was said and we want to use it against you.
By now you have heard that some extreme Bush bashing was going on at the Radio City Music Hall Kerry/Edwards event the other night, where Bush was referred to as a "Killer" and "Thug", and of course Whoopi couldn't help but recognize the similarity between the president's last name and female genitalia.
Come on Whoopi. Did you not learn anything from Sister Act 1 or 2?
Wow, smart strategy by the Bush camp. This my friends is a real pickle for the Kerry folks...
Posted by Buzz Webster at 01:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 09, 2004
I'm Not The President I Just Hug A Lot
lt looks like Drudge has started a web war over some lovely picutures of Kerry and Edwards. Drudge has posted an article with photos showing how Kerry and Edwards "Can't keep hands off each other".
The angryfinger.com responded for the left with a collage of Bush putting the moves on world leaders.
Watch out activists, hugging is the latest politcal weapon.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 06, 2004
Buzz Is Going To Boston
Ladies and Gentlemen the results are in and PolticsOnline has won. That's right we are going to Boston. I just opened the letter verifying my press credititials.
Any ideas on who you would like PolticsOnline to interview or stories you would like us to cover? Email Buzz and we will try to make it happen.
Also if anyone knows how we can get into the RNC convention let us know. I'm sure someone has an uncle who knows a guy who can do that kind of thing.
Any PoliticsOnilne readers out there who are Skull and Bones Alumni?
Posted by Buzz Webster at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
