All About McCain

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

. To my mind, it's not a story until it's wrapped in at least the illusion of context and criticism. It's just a press release.

Which is exactly what Obama's done right with the internet. He hasn't attempted to force people who don't want to use it into using it. He continues to interact with traditional media just as effectively as he would without the internet. But he's supplementing it by presenting himself online in ways that the people who prefer that outlet appreciate.

If you're not the type that cares about internet communication, you're not "missing" anything by not seeing it. And if you're not the type that cares about traditional media, you're not missing anything either.

[Strangler Lewis]

Well, I've now signed up on the Obama web site and the McCain web site. Bring it on.

[Ghoulish Delight]

And what exactly would your criteria for judging the results be?

[Strangler Lewis]

Since we tend to vote for candidates who make us feel good about ourselves and the positions we hold, I guess I would have to vote for the one whose use of the Internet to run his campaign makes me feel best about myself in my relation to the Internet.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

Since we tend to vote for candidates who make us feel good about ourselves and the positions we hold, I guess I would have to vote for the one whose use of the Internet to run his campaign makes me feel best about myself in my relation to the Internet.

But are you someone who regularly uses the internet for information gathering beyond adaptation of traditional media (i.e., more than reading news sites as you would read a newspaper)? Are you comfortable and accustomed to following blogs, social networking, or online activism?

Keep in mind, Obama's online campaign is not designed to lure people away from traditional media onto the internet. He is simply trying to reach those who already prefer it and has done a more than admirable job of structuring his message online to appeal to them. So just jumping in as someone not in that target market may not be a particularly accurate way to judge the effectiveness.

[€uroMeinke]

re: the Obama VP text message - I heard praise for it's brilliance in bringing even more people to his website to sign up for it. Old marketing ploy but it brought more eyes to his message, and added to his contact list - how much that results in votes and dollars, I don't know but it probably created somewhat of an uptick in that regard.

[Gemini Cricket]

Any ideas on who McCain will pick to be his VP?

[BDBopper]

I am thinking it will be Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. It is a very "safe choice" but he is practically unknown. The media is really trying to grasp at straws during this process. A source on the conservative website, Townhall is sharing a claim that someone saw a McCain sign on the convention site that has room for 8 letters. Pawlenty would be the most likely to fit that bill but Giuliani, Huckabee,and even Gingrich have 8 letters in their last name.

[sleepyjeff]

Intrade.com has Romney at 2-1; Pawlenty is 4-1; Hutchinson is 7-1; Huckabee is 20-1; Giuliani is 20-1; and way down the list the darkhorse......Hillary Clinton is at 34-1

[Gemini Cricket]

Reuters is saying that Pawlenty canceled several obligations in Denver which makes them think he's McCain's choice for VP...
Hmmm.