From Moldova to Motrin Moms, Twitter has become the arena of coordinated, widespread revolution several times over the last year. Still, when we look back on how the microblogging platform has evolved into a low-barrier tool for grassroots organizing, these will only be footnotes to the events of the last few days in Tehran. As protestors took to the streets of Iran to voice their discontent with the 2009 presidential election results, people from around the world were attentively watching updates from the ground on Twitter, long before hearing reports from any major news outlets.
The collection of status updates on Twitter provided the world an inside look on the dire situation within Iran from firsthand accounts, each message deeply personal and compelling to a worldwide audience. But when the masses turned to their favorite cable news network for more information, they were met with Mike Huckabee talking about credit cards or other irrelevant programming. With no recognizable coverage in mainstream media as events unfolded, it led users to cry foul on the news networks, demanding more information than 140 characters could deliver.
Among the many Twitter-fueled stories from the event, the one that impacts media coverage the most may be how this backchannel removed the mainstream filter to display an amalgamated concept of the news. It gave the masses – first inside Tehran and then across the world – a crude and easy way to drive the issues that concerned them to the top of the marketplace of ideas.
The crowd felt a sense of entitlement for news they wanted covered, and it left the media world playing defense to users who had turned the trending topics sidebar on Twitter’s home page into their own headlines; a user-generated “above the fold” that reflected the group’s dissatisfaction through leads like #CNNFail. Twitter became the instant ombudsman for the media establishment, holding media accountable for what they were - or were not - broadcasting.
The members of the news desk, as well as PR professionals with a vested interest in its agenda, must face the fact that the pulse is beating within a crowd that has tools at their fingertips to easily express their thirst for a certain story. Whether a global issue like the Iranian elections or a local story, communicators must now adapt to provide insights that will smooth the edges and shine the news called for by the crowd.
David Almacy (@almacy) is an SVP and Dave Levy (@levydr) is an AE, both with the digital public affairs team at Edelman in Washington, DC. This post is also available on Dave Levy’s blog Most Likely to Die Alone. Original Source: PRWeek (subscription required)
Back in March, Jose Antonio Vargas from The Washington Post assembled a bipartisan group of five panelists to periodically review President Obama’s White House Website in a feature called “Grading WhiteHouse.gov.”
Due to the overwhelming response to the first column, Jose decided to add a guest reviewer for “Grading WhiteHouse.gov, Round Two,” which was posted earlier this week — and I was honored that he thought of me. Of course, he did indicate that he wasn’t going to be able to print my entire thoughts, but agreed to allow me to post them here.
However, a few things to note before we start:
The transition was absolutely flawless. President Bush’s site was archived and President Obama’s new site was officially launched on Inauguration Day right on time. I don’t think many truly recognize what a major accomplishment that was.
It’s important to recognize that the Internet is still relaltively in its infancy and that social media is just a few years old. When I was at the White House, MySpace was all the rage, Facebook was still limited those in college with .edu email addresses and Twitter hadn’t officially launched yet. Today, many are still trying to figure out what it means for business, the media and yes, even for our democracy.
The Obama White House new media team, led by Macon Phillips, has only been in place a short time so let’s give them some room to settle in. They join a small fraternity of White House Internet staffers who came before them that built the foundation for what they will ultimately achieve. They are breaking new ground, trying new things and will certainly make some mistakes along the way. As ttechnology and tools continue to improve, I know that they’ll get there, but it will just take time so let’s be patient. However, there some basic things that seem to be missing, some of which are discussed in more detail below.
These comments and opinions are purely my own and I’m very interesed in your feedback. Feel free to weigh in at the bottom of the post.
So, in the spirit of transparency, the full transcript is provided below for your review.
Q: How would you define transparency? Accessiblity? Engagement?
There’s a whole lot of buzz about transparency these days, but I believe that there’s a lack of common understanding as to what it really means and how it should apply to the process of governing online.
In my opinion, the word “transparency” as it relates to government represents the ability for citizens to gain easy access to information surrounding the decisions and public activities of our elected officials. Clearly the Internet has assisted with this. People have more information available to them than ever before and this is one of the primary reasons why I refer to President Bush as the first “digital president” despite the fact that President Clinton was the first to launch a White House site. In the same way, President Obama will certainly build upon this progress as the Internet continues to expand.
However, most would agree that complete transparency for every communication, no matter how large or small, between federal employees poses unique challenges of its own, especially in our fast-paced, technology driven world.
Despite the sheer volume of content, privacy concerns, national security protections and political sensitivities, there are some technological hurdles, as well. For example, content must be universal to ensure that everyone can consume information equally including those without regular access to the Internet, on slower connections or using outdated equipment, browsers and plug-ins.
In addition, Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that content on federal government Websites must be made available in different formats for those who may be hearing or sight impaired. There have been major strides in this area, including closed captioning options in YouTube, readable PDFs, audio/video tagging and other web-based software innovations which have leveled the playing field, most of which either didn’t exist, were restricted or too cost prohibitive to employ just a couple years ago.
Conversations that used to be one-way and constrained to “walled-gardens” on a handful of specific sites are a thing of the past thanks to social media. Now, when the White House publishes information, there is no shortage of online outlets where those issues can be discussed including social networks, news sites and blogs. The big question that still remains is whether the White House will use the Web to engage and better connect with citizens.
We saw the beginning stages of this under Jimmy Orr’s leadership (my predecessor) with the launch of “Ask the White House” in April 2003. By January 2009, the White House had hosted over 400 online chats via ATWH with officials from all areas and disciplines within the federal government, including one with President Bush aboard Air Force One in January 2008 on return from a Middle East trip.
President Obama broke similar ground with his “Open for Questions” event. Essentially, this was a standard live Webcast from the East Room where a handful of questions submitted via WhiteHouse.gov were answered in front of a pre-screened invited audience. It was reported that over 10,000 questions were sent in and I am hopeful that there will be many future opportunities to have those addressed in the coming months, as well, including live questions randomly selected from those who may wish to connect to the White House via real time video streaming technology such as Qik, Ustream or Skype.
Q: In your mind, what’s the mission of WhiteHouse.gov?
During White House events, President Bush often welcomed guests to the “people’s house” and I always viewed the Website in the same manner: WhiteHouse.gov is the people’s site — and it is one of a kind. Sure, other world leaders have similar sites but WhiteHouse.gov is the one place that users should be able to go to answer one simple Twitter-like question, “What is the president doing?”
I believe every American should have access to the activities of our president on any given day. For those looking beyond the sound bite to learn more about what is said and done on their behalf, the site serves an important role as a digital archive for unedited transcripts, photos, audio and long-form video of public events and press briefings.
In addition, WhiteHouse.gov should be a place where one can find more information about the president’s positions on current policy issues, as well as historical information about the American Presidency, the White House and the United States.
Q: What has surprised you most about Obama’s WhiteHouse.gov?
I was very impressed by the speed and efficiency of the transition when the White House team successfully managed the transfer and archival of President Bush’s site (including related multimedia) while simultaneously launching President Obama’s new version at 12:01 PM on Inauguration Day.
Load times are fast and the design is clean, crisp and modern. I am a fan of the rotating features which helps the user navigate the site based on relevant and timely issues. As an E-Gov evangelist, I was very pleased that President Obama chose to answer questions from WhiteHouse.gov for the East Room Webcast and the implementation of Google Moderator to manage the process was smooth and seamless. Also, the White House LiveStream has worked quite well since its launch. I specifically enjoyed watching the multi-stream coverage of the meetings on healthcare, as well as the continued tradition of the White House Easter Egg Roll Webcast.
Q: What has disappointed you the most?
As we know, this week marks 100 days since President Obama officially took office, (originally written in late April) so it is fitting to take a step back to examine some of the areas where the site still needs improvement now that his team has a few months under their belt.
My biggest disappointment with the new site is the difficulty I have in locating information due to poor organization architecture. It is confusing to locate specific content and the structure is not intuitive. So much emphasis is placed on the blog that, unfortunately, related materials such as transcripts, photos, audio, video and links get lost, are buried or seem to be posted as an afterthought in separate, unrelated location.
For example, the March 24, 2009 press conference was posted on the blog as, “Addressing Our Problems Head-On” and only included President Obama’s answer to a tough question posed by CNN’s Ed Henry which many thought was a highlight. The next morning, I still couldn’t find a transcript or video and when a link finally did appear a few hours later, it sent users to the Los Angeles Times blog. I’m sure the LA Times executives (and the blog’s advertisers) appreciate the increased site traffic from a taxpayer funded site, but shouldn’t WhiteHouse.gov – and ultimately the National Archives – be the permanent source for that information? What happens if the LA Times moves the transcript or starts charging for archived content on their site? In all fairness, I did eventually find the transcript a day or so later after several attempts via the search engine, but it wasn’t easy.
This isn’t an isolated situation. Since I couldn’t find a daily listing of presidential activities, I went to the Speeches section of WhiteHouse.gov under “The Briefing Room” and found only three (one in Spanish) currently listed. At the time of this post, the most recent listed is from 2/27/2009, “Remarks of President Barack Obama – Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq.”
Similarly, it is unclear as to how the items listed in Official Statements differ from speeches which have remarks mixed in with written statements from President Obama, Mrs. Obama and Vice President Biden – which are all separate from Presidential Actions such as executive orders, proclamations, etc.
Q: As it stands, what grade would you give the site? And give your one paragraph explanation.
Although the new WhiteHouse.gov has an attractive, modern design and a number of new features, it is still in its infancy and it is important to remember that. However, in some ways, the site seems to actually have less content than its immediate predecessor.
Simple things that were standard on President Bush’s Website such as daily press briefing video (which is on YouTube now, but not embedded or otherwise available on WhiteHouse.gov), Cabinet member photos and bios and RSS feeds for all remarks, weekly addresses, briefings and other releases (not just selected items) all seem to be missing. Given this, combined with the site’s organizational challenges, delayed postings and hard to find information, I have to give it a current grade of: C
I am confident that the Obama team will eventually fix these issues and ultimately take WhiteHouse.gov to the next level as the Internet also continues to grow and evolve. More importantly, users will help shape the site’s future by expecting the White House to add new functionality by providing more data, finding ways to incorporate social media, offering mobile versions of the site, adding text messaging and soliciting feedback from citizens on important legislation, thus improving the transparency of, access to and engagement with their government.
Of course, as with most lists, there will usually be some disagreement. However, with all due respect, I think that Patrick’s list is way off the mark. All of these folks (with the possible exceptions of Ana, Patrick and Joe) would be influential whether they are on Twitter or not.
Having said that, there is no doubt that Karl Rove is influential and it has been fun to watch him truly embrace Twitter to connect with his audience to answer questions or promote his media appearances, OpEds, speeches and travels. A friend sent me this note after Karl personally responded to one of his DM’s, “I love how my sisters never respond to my emails, but Karl Rove directly responds to Twitter messages.” I’m also a big fan of his TwitPics.
In contrast, Al Gore has only tweeted 13 times total (four times since Christmas 2008) and I am fairly certain that it isn’t him anyway. Where is the value in that? Also, there are over 200,000 people following him, but yet he only follows two. Is that what we need? A one-way conversation with Al Gore? No thanks, we’ve done that already. It was called Campaign 2000.
What about those that are influential *BECAUSE* they are on Twitter, not just influential *AND* on Twitter? See the difference?
I would actually place Patrick Ruffini toward the top of that list. However, he has been at it for a long time - and not just on Twitter. First there was his personal blog, PatrickRuffini.com, then he launched The Next Right with Jon Henke & Soren Dayton, then Mindy Finn joined him at Engage DC, and on top of all that, he has been instrumental in his recent efforts to help Rebuild the Party. So, yes, Patrick should definitely be on the list.
This got me to thinking. Who else would I put on there? I pulled out a pen and a post-it pad and began to scribble some names down. I actually came up with about 50 but decided to chop that down to ten, with five honorable mentions. Now, I can’t speak as to whether these people influence you but they have all had an impact on me.
My Top 10 DC Twitterers
So, to clarify, each of these people: 1) live/work in the Washington, DC area, and 2) have influenced me in some way via Twitter. In the spirit of yesterday’s #followfriday, the timing is perfect (sorta)! Here they are…
Rob Klause (@robklause), longtime digital guru and federal IT pro working at the highest levels of government. Rob first introduced me to Twitter back in March 2007. I’m also a big fan of @tonyaklause and food blogging sister @BigRedKitchen!
Jim Long (@newmediajim), NBC photojournalist. Jim is single handedly bridging the gap between old and new media. Usually the answer to, “Are you following @newmediajim?” is always, “Of course!” After all, 24,000 followers can’t be wrong!
Katie Harbath (@katieharbath), DCI Group online strategist, former Giuliani eCampaign and RNC staffer. I was sitting next to Katie at a conference once and learned more about the session from her Twitter feed analysis than I did from the actual speakers!
Michael Turk (@MichaelTurk), former Bush-Cheney, RNC and government staffer. If you aren’t learning anything from Turk on Twitter, then you just aren’t paying attention. In fact, on his blog KungFuQuip, he indicates that he was labeled a “nuclear followcost.”
Leslie Bradshaw (@LeslieBradshaw; formerly @Leslieann44), New Media Strategies, active member of the DC tech set. Leslie first popped up on my radar screen when she live tweeted the White House Correspondents’ dinner, as well as her various appearances on C-SPAN during Campaign 2008.
Mark Drapeau (@cheeky_geeky), government consultant, co-founder of Government 2.0 Club. I’ve never actually met Mark in person, but we’ve had several @ & DM conversations and spoken on the phone. Mark does a great job connecting the “Dot Gov” community and posting about issues I care about.
Liz Mair (@LizMair), Strategic Manager at New Media Strategies, former RNC Online Communications Director. Liz made news in June 2008 when she represented the McCain campaign in a Twitter debate vs. Mike Nelson of Georgetown representing Obama at the Personal Democracy Forum in NYC.
Shaun Dakin (@IsCool), founder of StopPoliticalCalls.org. Shaun is also the man behind @EndTheRoboCalls and someone that I credit for increasing the awareness and level of debate around this issue. If there is a new media event in town, Shaun is usually in the room.
Soren Dayton (@SorenDayton), another NMS staffer, blogger, co-founder of The Next Right, former McCain campaign. When I needed to borrow a book for the GWU grad class I was teaching last summer, I turned to Twitter. Soren saw my tweet, responded and I borrowed his copy just in time!
Shireen Mitchell (@digitalsista), speaker, author, founder and Executive Director of Digital Sisters/Sistas, Inc., a non-profit organization focused on using digital media and technology. Shireen and I met at a Media Future Now event last year and I’ve enjoyed keeping up with her via her tweets!
Honorable Mentions
Paul Rodriguez (@pjrodriguez), cable industry blogger and self described “pop culture media maven.” I officially met Paul at BlogWorld in Las Vegas last year and have been following his smart, witty and insightful tweets ever since.
John Czwartacki (@CZ), Verizon’s PolicyBlog editor. John was one of the first people that I followed on Twitter. He may not know it, but he helped me indirectly explain the value to my mom when she, a Verizon retiree, had questions about the looming potential strike last summer. I sent her inquiry to John via direct message and I had an answer back within the hour.
Jeremy Epstein (@jer979), author of “Igniting the Revolution” blog, entrepreneur, formerly with Microsoft. Jeremy’s perspective on digital marketing, including his “raving fan” concept, is spot on.
Shana Glickfield (@dcconcierge), DC blogger and PR pro. I met Shana via Twitter last year and have since seen her at a number new media events around town. Plus, her DC Concierge blog is a terrific resource for those visiting the Nation’s Capital.
Andrew Feinberg (@agfhome), scrappy Hill reporter, blogger. I spoke with Andrew after the Politics Online “White House 2.0” panel in March 2008. He was also the first to interview Rep. John Culberson (@johnculberson) about his use of YouTube, Twitter and Facebook during the “Let Our Congress Tweet” debate.
There Must Be Others!
Of course, as I mentioned, there are a number of names that probably could have been listed here but again - there’s a difference between people I know who are on Twitter versus those that actually influence me because of Twitter. There are also those that have had a significant impact on me who choose to “lock down” their Twitter account to maintain a smaller circle of influence. I decided not to include them either out of respect for their wishes to keep their tweets private.
Obviously, everyone’s list would be different but thanks to those who I have met over the past year via Twitter. You have made a difference and your tweets have not fallen on deaf screens (OK, not the best analogy, but you get the idea)!
Today, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide is releasing a white paper on digital healthcare titled, “Healthcare Communications in the Digital World: Mitigating the Risks in a Highly Regulated Environment.”
In conjunction with the paper, I will be moderating a live panel discussion this morning, Tuesday, February 24 at 9 AM EST at The Madison, 1177 15th Streeet, NW in Washington, DC. The event will also be available via live webcast.
The panel will focus on the online regulatory issues currently facing the healthcare industry, as well as the advances and the promise of Government 2.0. Participants include:
Mark Gaydos, Sanofi-Aventis US Regulatory Affairs Marketed Products, Senior Director
Sanjay J. Koyani, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Director, FDA Web Communications
Christina Pearson, former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
Following the unprecedented use of social media throughout President Obama’s campaign, the new administration will bring a fresh perspective to digital regulations for healthcare. Companies will need to become educated on how new regulatory policies will affect their online communications. As the administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) begin to review existing policy and move to create new guidelines, now is the time for pharmaceutical and biotech companies to learn how to effectively engage their audiences online to stay ahead of the competition.
Those who are watching online and may wish to ask a question may do so via Twitter by using the hashtag: #wehealth. Looking forward to great event!
A friend of mine on Twitter @MelaniePhung sent me a few interview questions to answer and asked me to post here on CapitalGig. She’ll post hers on her site, All About Content. Enjoy!
THE QUESTIONS
1. How long have you been working in public relations? What attracted you to it?
I officially entered the public relations industry when I joined Waggener Edstrom Worldwide in May 2007. However, I have been working in the communications arena for the past 15 years including the Republican National Committee, Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, Washington Business Journal, C-SPAN, GovTech Solutions, U.S. Department of Education and most recently, the White House. I have always been fascinated by the power of communications, meaning the ability to effectively disseminate and consume information through valuable channels of influence. Whether it’s by word of mouth, print, radio, television, the Internet, or a convergence combo of all the above, methods are quickly evolving to keep pace with societal needs for 24-7 news and information. It is as exciting to watch as it is to participate.
2. In your opinion, what elements are essential to a good digital PR campaign?
All good PR campaigns begin with defining the business challenge first. Then, identifying target audiences and establishing monitoring processes and success measures assist in determining the best strategies and tactics that map to those objectives. The Internet should simply be part of that overall plan, woven through accordingly to augment message and reach. Basic elements should include SEO/SEM (keywords & tagging), cross platform sharing, blogger outreach, multimedia (audio, video, photos), online community building and social media engagement.
4. How do you communicate the importance of new media strategies to your clients?
I usually begin by making the point that the Internet isn’t a panacea, but rather a tool that can assist in augmenting message, monitoring conversations and connecting key influencers and audiences in new ways. Some may be wary of the Web because it’s new, percieved as unproven, or pushes them outside their comfort level. The best way to allay their concerns is to provide real concrete examples, mapped to business objectives, that have produced successful results.
5. President-elect Obama’s social media campaign was credited for being the first of its kind. What’s your take on the role of new media and the blogosphere in Obama’s success?
Certainly, the Obama campaign understood the power of building online community. They used the Internet as an effective communications tool and, of course, to raise money. They also put the proper resources behind it with 95 Web staffers and almost $12M spent in two years for online efforts alone. That’s huge! Leveraging social media sites like Facebook (co-founder Chris Hughes joined the campaign) and Twitter helped connect his supporters but ultimately his election, in my opinion, was more a reflection of the promise of his candidacy rather than just his Web presence.
6. Please describe the biggest challenge you face in your current job.
Clearly, trends on the Internet move at a very rapid pace. It is very difficult to stay on top of the latest site or tool that pops up. Often, there’s a temptation to be wowed by a new site because it is “bright & shiny” but over time, it’s utlization will determine it’s value and market staying power. I think Twitter is a good example of that. When I first joined, I admit that I just didn’t get it - and many that I have spoken with about Twitter agree that they also initally felt the same way. Once I started to really use it, however, it has consistently demonstrated value to me in countless ways and although others have tried (Jaiku, Plurk, Pownce, Yammer), I keep coming home to tweet!
7. Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in working as a communications consultant in DC?
First, one must understand that even though Washington is a powerful world city, in many ways it’s also a small town community. So, I recommend getting out there, attend some Capitol Hill events, find others with like interests, join DC Facebook groups, follow DC folks on Twitter and explore all opportunities no matter how big or small they may seem. If just getting started, seek an internship at a PR agency or media outlet to get a foot in the door. To demonstrate knowledge of the digital space and it’s importance, start a blog and use it as way to connect with the DC set online.
8. If you could rank for any keyword phrase you don’t currently rank for, what would it be?
Hmmm, you mean besides “Nine-time Olympic Gold Medal Champion?” OK, seriously, let’s go with digital strategy expert. I personally think that it’s a little presumptious for anyone to call themselves an expert, but I certainly don’t mind if Google does it!
9. Assuming you had never gone into public relations, what would you be doing now professionally?
As a child, I dreamed of one day becoming either a dentist or a fireman. However, a couple cavities later and a fear of heights quickly dashed those hopes. Other than that, I probably would have become a stand-up comic or an international star of stage and screen. Ha!
10. Do you follow the Washington Nationals? Do you root for Teddy during the Presidents Races?
Believe it or not, I have never been to a Nationals game - I know, I know! I’m originally from Maryland and grew up during the height of Cal Ripken’s career, so naturally the Baltimore Orioles have always been my team. Go O’s! Plus, the Ripken family is from Aberdeen, Md. which is where my mom is from so I have always felt a little vicarious hometown connection. However, since I currently live very close to Mount Vernon, I have to root for the original George W!
Well that’s it! I hope you enjoyed reading this. A big thanks to @MelaniePhung for sending the questions for all to answer.
Thanks to everyone who participated. Please check out their sites and follow them on Twitter.
There has been a lot of buzz recently about how President-Elect Obama might carry the online momentum created during his campaign into the White House with him come January 2009. Taking a step in that direction, the President-Elect announced this week that he may alter the traditional method of delivering the Presidential Weekly Radio Address.
As the Washington Post’s Jose Antonio Vargas reported yesterday in The YouTube Presidency:
President-elect Obama will record the weekly Democratic address not just on radio but also on video — a first. The address, typically four minutes long, will be turned into a YouTube video and posted on Obama’s transition site, Change.gov, once the radio address is made public on Saturday morning.
According to Mike Allen, who writes Politico.com’s Playbook, the Obama-Biden transition stated on Friday that “No President-elect or President has ever turned the radio address into a multi-media opportunity before.”
Actually, that’s not true. All of President George W. Bush’s radio addresses have been published weekly since January 27, 2001 and available via WhiteHouse.gov on the White House Radio page. In addition, President Bush has delivered several LIVE radio addresses, many of which included a webcast, audio, photos and on demand video post event.
In July 2005, as White House Internet Director, I worked with our web team and Apple to create a “room” in iTunes to house all White House Podcasts, starting with President Bush’s Weekly Radio Address in both English and Spanish.
We built it out further in September 2005 to include audio from all of the President’s public remarks, events and White House press briefings. We also added video such as State of the Union speeches and Presidential Addresses to the Nation.
At the time, washingtonpost.com’s Robert MacMillan wrote about the new WhiteHouse.gov feature in The Paradox of Podcasting:
I don’t know any other word to use besides “mainstream” when I hear from the White House that President Bush’s radio addresses will be offered via podcast. … Not only that, the White House has created RSS feeds for the radio addresses in English and Spanish. That means that anyone who wants to can sign up to receive the information through their RSS readers along with news and other Web site updates that offer this service. … Regardless of the current brouhaha over what that vision is, it might be possible to classify the Bush White House as jumping ahead of the curve on technology.
Why Audio? President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke directly to the American people about thirty times via radio from 1933 to 1944 in a series of broadcasts which later became known as “Fireside chats.”
During this Golden Age of Radio, FDR envisioned American families huddled around the radio in homes around the country listening to the voice of their President providing them assurance and comfort as the nation struggled to endure the trials of The Great Depression.
Today, the president typically records the radio address on Friday in the Cabinet Room with audio broadcast and web transcript publication embargoed until 10:06 AM EST Saturday morning. Originally, that time was chosen because the five minute national news reports aired at 10 AM, with the address immediately following. To honor that past tradition, we usually published the content on the White House staging servers before we went home on Friday night, and set the pages to auto-publish on Saturday at the appointed time.
Using video is an interesting — and definitely more modern approach, but I think it defeats the spirit and purpose of a “radio” address. There’s a big difference between audio and video presentations. Anyone who has ever set the tuner to AM to hear a local talkshow, subscribed to XM Radio, enjoyed the long form style of C-SPAN Radio coverage, National Public Radio reporting or the CBS Sunday Morning’s use of ambient sound during the nature segment can certainly appreciate the nuance of the medium.
How will President Obama’s radio address differ from any other Presidential webcast or televised speech he gives? Will it lessen the value of other White House addresses to the nation, like those typically delivered from the Oval Office? What about the fact that it might be in YouTube as opposed to just on WhiteHouse.gov (assuming E-Gov policies are changed to allow it)?
Well, here is President-Elect Obama’s first one from today. What do you think?
10:57 PM Rep. Mark Udall (D) has defeated former Rep. Bob Schaffer (R) in the Colorado Senate race, AP reports.
11:00 PM Barack Obama has won Florida, AP reports.
11:00 PM Twitter via @almacy: @FoxNews is now officially projecting Sen. Obama as the next President of the U.S.
11:01 PM Barack Obama will be the 44th president of the United States of America, AP reports. CNN also projects that Sen. Barack Obama has won election as the next president of the United States.
11:04 PM Twitter via @almacy: Obama is leaving Hyatt around 11:35 PM and is expected to speak at 12 AM. McCain to speak shortly.
11:06 PM Twitter via @almacy: Campaign official says that McCain called Obama to concede.
11:09 PM Beverly Perdue (D) has defeated Pat McCrory (R) and will become North Carolina’s first female governor, AP reports.
11:13 PM Twitter via @almacy: How ironic that this my 1600th tweet on the night that we elect a new US President - as in Pennsylvania Ave. Congrats, Sen. Obama.
11:18 PM Twitter via @almacy: Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin taking the stage.
11:22 PM Twitter via @almacy: Sen. McCain officially concedes, congratulates Sen. Obama on winning an historic election.
11:24 PM Politico: John McCain concedes, says “this is an historic election… I pledge to [Obama] tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.” CNN: John McCain congratulates Barack Obama on his “historic” election as president of “the greatest nation on Earth.”
11:32 PM Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) has defeated John Kennedy (R) in the Louisiana Senate race, AP reports.
11:33 PM Sen. Roger Wicker (R) has defeated former governor Ronnie Musgrove (D) in the Mississippi Senate race, AP reports.
11:47 AM Twitter via @almacy: Top Twitter themes: President OBAMA, President-Elect, United States, Congratulations http://election.twitter.com/
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008
12:00 AM President-elect Barack Obama expected to speak in Chicago.
12:01 AM Twitter via @almacy: Obama takes the stage in Chicago. Quite an impressive scene.
12:02 AM Barack Obama declares victory, says, “If there is anyone out there who still… questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”
12:08 AM Twitter via @almacy: Just flipped through channels, Obama speech being aired on 21 of them. M*A*S*H, Frazier & Tyra fans rest assured, programming uninterrupted.
12:13 AM Barack Obama, in victory speech, tells supporters that his election as president shows that “change has come to America.”
12:16 AM Kathy Dahlkemper (D) has defeated Phil English (R) in Pennsylvania’s Third District, AP reports.
12:26 AM Twitter via @almacy: @FoxNews Shepard Smith, “If you’re conservative and angry, get over yourself. We gotta move past this.” FOX 5 newsroom erupts w/ laughter.
12:32 AM “Good job, people!” overheard in FOX 5 Newsroom, received by thunderous applause. That’s a wrap!
Like millions of Americans, I exercised my civic duty and voted today. It was a breeze. No line at all and we were in and out in five minutes - literally. I even got my standard little “I Voted” sticker. In fact, I still have the last one from when I voted in the Virginia Primary. I put it on the dashboard in my car and for some reason, just left it there. However, today that sticker is actually worth something.
At the end of my last post I pointed out that voters can take advantage of tons of free stuff today, November 4th, after voting. Using the election season to promote your brand is pretty smart marketing. For example, Starbucks is giving away free cups of tall coffee. So, I stopped by and it was quite crowded. I overheard one woman say, “I love the fact that everyone has their stickers on today.”
Several were gathered around the counter to receive their “Voter coffee.” The staff was so overwhelmed by customers, I asked the barista whether traffic had been this heavy all day. He told me that they had served over 600 cups and gone through approximately 60 bags of coffee since opening this morning. So, quick math here: 600 cups x .12 oz = 7,200 oz. Divide that by 128 and you come up with 56.25 gallons! And all this by only 1:30 PM ET. Wow!
Of course, I had to share with the Twitterverse. @dkarchner saw my tweet and responded:
I also sent out a note via Twitter seeking info regarding other perks available to voters today and here’s what I heard back:
gbyehuda @almacy http://tinyurl.com/55zdyp Chik-fil-a, many others! LizMair @almacy I’ve heard a rumor that Chick-Fil-A is giving away free sandwiches to people with “I Voted” stickers
kholmgren @almacy - Chick-fil-a is giving out free food too!
deborahdawn @almacy The H Street Martini lounge will have a “free gift” for those with “I Voted” stickers.
But, as it has been said, “Nothing in life is free” and some have voiced concern that giving things away to voters could be perceived as paying them to vote. To that point, BigWheelOne sent me this: “@almacy Unfortunately, voter perks are illegal. Anyone can get them if they ask.”
According to an article via KIROTV.com, here’s how Starbucks addressed the issue:
A statement from Tara Darrow of Starbucks says, “We’ve been excited by the number of positive responses received about our free coffee offer. To ensure we are in compliance with election law, we are extending our offer to all customers who request a tall brewed coffee. We’re pleased to honor our commitment to communities on this important Election Day. We hope there is a record turnout on Tuesday and look forward to celebrating with our customers over a great cup of coffee.
So, whether you visit Krispy Kreme, California Tortilla, Chick-fil-A, Shane’s Rib Shack or Ben & Jerry’s, there is no doubt that there are several options for how to eat free on Election Day.
Here we are on the night before Campaign 2008 officially comes to a close. I have listened to the pundits, read the blogs, checked in with Twitter and reviewed all the polls. It indeed seems that all signs point to an Obama victory.
Or do they? There are some less traditional ways to predict Presidential elections, as well. Let’s take a look at a couple, as well as some ideas for what to do after you vote.
Unofficial Virginia Yard Sign Poll Speaking of signs, I was driving in to work after dropping off my daughter at school last week and noticed that there were quite a few yard signs in my Alexandria, Virginia neighborhood. So, just for kicks, I decided to actually count them today.
Some yards had more than one sign. Others had signs that were torn (likely vandalized) and patched up with tape. Still others were missing. A wire frame was all that was left of a McCain-Palin sign that I saw in a neighbor’s frontyard on Halloween. According to him, that was the second sign he had placed there because the first had been stolen last week.
Whatever the case, the final tally according to my count was Obama-Biden 21, McCain-Palin 20. Margin of error is +/- 3 since my 5 year-old assisted with the counting and we may have missed some.
Washington Redskins at Home Gotta love Monday Night Football, especially on Election Eve. There was much discussion about how the outcome of tonight’s game might compare with tomorrow’s election results. CBS News reported it this way:
If the Washington Redskins win their last home game before election, it means the incumbent party will get to stay in the White House. Since 1936, except for 2004, the outcome of that game has correctly predicted the winner of the race.
Well, as you can see from the graphic above, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Skins soundly by a score of 23 to 6. More good news for Senator Obama - and my Fantasy Football team which improved to 5-4 thanks to a decent performance from Washington’s defense.
Scholastic Presidential Election Poll
In mid-October, 250,000 students from grades 1-12 voted in a nationwide mock election both via paper ballots and online. Senator Obama defeated Senator McCain 57 percent to 39 percent. Yeah, but what are the odds that they are right? From the article:
Since 1940, the results of the student vote have mirrored the outcome of the general election all but twice: In 1948, kids voted for Thomas E. Dewey over Harry S. Truman. In 1960, more students voted for Richard M. Nixon than for John F. Kennedy. In 2000, a majority of student voters chose George W. Bush, mirroring the Electoral College result, but not the result of the popular vote.
7-Election 7-11 convenience stores used their coffee sales this year to help gauge the pulse (most likely rapid given the caffeine rush) of the American voter.
Customers chose different color coffee cups, RED for McCain, BLUE for Obama. The national result is currently sitting at 60% for Obama and 40% for McCain. Similarly, 61% in my swing state of Virginia chose Obama and McCain received 39% of the beans.
Free Coffee and Donuts After You Vote
Growing up, I was never much of a coffee drinker, except for the occasional all nighters studying for college mid-terms and finals. Then, a few years later, along came Starbucks and I was hooked. This year, those who vote get a free cup of Starbucks coffee on November 4th. Their ad originally aired during this past weekend’s Saturday Night Live and if 262,000 views are any indication, there will be long lines at the voting booth and your local coffee shop.
Next, head over to Krispy Kreme with your “I Voted” sticker for Hot Vote Now and get a free star shaped donut with “patriotic” sprinkles. However, if you live in California, you might be out of luck.
One week to go until Election Day! After almost two long years of campaigning, we are finally in the home stretch and these days everyone is a political pundit and prognosticator. If you believe the latest polls, we will all be heading to bed early on November 4th with an Obama-Biden landslide victory while McCain-Palin and the GOP receive another “thumpin’” akin to the 2006 midterm election.
What do you think? Want to play pollster? A friend of mine sent a link to PredictNovember.com via Facebook which gives users an opportunity to predict the outcome via their own electoral map. Will swing states like Virginia, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida go RED or BLUE? You make the call!
The debates seem like a distant memory. Not sure they helped either candidate, but in my view the real winners were Joe the Plumber (aka Joe Wurzelbacher) and Twitter. In fact, Joe is still making news and is eviently considering launching a Congressional bid of his own vs. Democrat Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur for Ohio’s 9th District U.S. House seat.
In the veep race, Sen. Biden’s warning to “Gird your loins” in preparation for a major international crisis under an untested President Obama raised the ire of political opponents. At the same time, SNL’s Tina Fey had a little fun with Gov. Palin in a doppelganger appearance that seemed to entertain, but didn’t have the desired affect on moving the poll numbers. The Amy Poehler Palin rap was also one that will surely land in the SNL political skit Hall of Fame.
The MSM continues to pile on Palin regarding the RNC’s $150,000 clothing spree for her and her family, failing to mention that she will return or donate them post-election. News also broke recently about McCain campaign insiders who have been calling her a “diva” and a “whack job.” Sheesh!
Sen. McCain is attempting to hammer home the idea that Obama would govern like a socialist by spreading the wealth around, and potentially use the Supreme Court to redistribute it. Today, during a campaign event at Widener University (my alma mater) in Chester, Pa., Sen. Obama hit back saying that spreading the wealth is not socialism, but rather opportunity which is as “American as apple pie.” He continued with his Bush third term narrative and his tired “eight years of failed Bush policies” line. However, I have always believed that politics is more about the future rather than the past. Obama has purchased 30 minutes of television in primetime tomorrow night where he will get one last chance to appear before a national audience to make his case.
Meanwhile, early voting is experiencing huge numbers in 31 states across the country. Some people in North Carolina, Indiana and Florida have been standing in four to five hour lines to cast their vote and some polls are narrowing.
Also, in the waning days, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the “Digital Road to the White House.” Here’s a video that I pulled together for an event that Waggener Edstrom co-hosted with Politico.com at the National Press Club over a year ago.
Whoever you support, just be sure to exercise your right to vote on Tuesday, Nov 4th. Whatever the result, I pray for a decisive victory and a peaceful transition that can be a shining example to the world and representative of our great democracy.
Due to the overwhelming response to the first column, Jose decided to add a guest reviewer for “
On Election night, I appeared on FOX 5 News (WTTG) TV and 
I even got my standard little “I Voted” sticker. In fact, I still have the last one from when I voted in the Virginia Primary. I put it on the dashboard in my car and for some reason, just left it there. However, today that sticker is actually worth something.
Speaking of signs, I was driving in to work after dropping off my daughter at school last week and noticed that there were quite a few yard signs in my Alexandria, Virginia neighborhood. So, just for kicks, I decided to actually count them today. 
Gotta love Monday Night Football, especially on Election Eve. There was much discussion about how the outcome of tonight’s game might compare with tomorrow’s election results. 
