Traditionally, August is supposed to be a little quieter in Washington, DC. Not so this summer with the current debates heating up over the future of the US economy, bailouts, healthcare reform and energy legislation.
The Internet is certainly playing a key role. In fact, YouTube may have officially reached its digital advocacy “tipping point” when a handful of videos were recently uploaded featuring flustered politicians struggling to answer tough healthcare questions during several Congressional town hall meetings.
Many Democrats in support of the bill have moved to characterize opponents as an organized, astroturfing, angry right wing mob. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) even went so far as to call the protests “un-American.” On the contrary, it was the SEIU who was caught on tape beating a black conservative who voiced dissent over the plan.
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.
The “Potomac Primaries” for Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia are in full swing today as voters head to the polls to select their favorite candidate in the 2008 race for the White House. This morning, I took my four year-old daughter to our local polling location, an elementary school in Virginia.
I expected there to be long lines of anxious commuters angrily elbowing their way to the voting booths but, thankfully, I saw none of that and was simply amazed at the ease of the process.
There were about ten people in line ahead of us, but it moved very quickly. When we got to the front, I presented my driver’s license ID, they checked me off the list, asked me to choose a Republican or Democrat card (Virginia voters participate in an “open primary“) and we were off to vote. I lifted my daughter up onto a chair, pointed to my candidate of choice and she touched the screen to cast and record my vote. That was it!
Chalk up another Internet success for Campaign 2008 as users continue to generate content aimed at moving minds and generating online buzz for Presidential candidates in their bid for the White House.
This time, Will.i.am from Black Eyed Peas fame, created a music video based on Senator Barack Obama’s speech after his loss to Sen. Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary.
The catchy and inspiring song, entitled “Yes We Can” officially lives at Dipdive.com, and features a number of celebrities from sports, stage, music, television and film.
Republican Convention President & CEO Maria Cino announced Ustream.TV as the official live video streaming provider of the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-Saint Paul slated for September 1-4, 2008.
“Partnering with Ustream.TV sends a clear message that the Republican Party wants the Internet generation and all people – from Party loyalists to casual observers – to be part of the 2008 Republican National Convention,” said Cino. “Anyone with computer and internet access will be guaranteed a front-row seat to history through www.GOPConvention2008.com, as we formally nominate the next President and Vice President of the United States.”
Ustream.TV co-founder Brad Hunstable was also on hand to explain that in addition to unprecedeted, live access of gavel-to-gavel floor activity, viewers, voters, bloggers and other interested parties will have access to video web chats, online interviews, behind the scenes coverage and other activities leading up to the event.
Al-Qaida is reaching out and soliciting questions online – approximately 900, but no answers as of yet. According to Lee Keath, Associated Press:
Sympathizers submitted hundreds of questions to al-Qaida deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri’s “on-line interview” before a recent deadline. Among them: Why hasn’t al-Qaida attacked the U.S. again, why isn’t it attacking the Israelis and when will it be more active in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria? So far, there have been no answers.
Al-Qaida’s use of the Internet is nothing new. In fact, Islamic militant websites have been a primary source of communication due to the aggressive and effective allied efforts to break up terrorist cells and thwart their violent activites.
From the tone of the questions, it appears as if supporters are confused, disorganized, worried about al-Qaida’s future and sense that the end of the terror network is nearing – thankfully!
One thing is clear from the questions: Self-proclaimed al-Qaida supporters are as much in the dark about the terror network’s operations and intentions as Western analysts and intelligence agencies.
Some of those posting questions sound worried: Does al-Qaida have a long-term strategy?
Many Democrats in support of the bill have moved to characterize opponents as an organized, astroturfing, angry right wing mob. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) even went so far as to call the protests “un-American.” On the contrary, it was the SEIU who was caught on tape beating a black conservative who voiced dissent over the plan.
