Final roundtable with e-campaign directors Joe Trippi, Peter Daou, Josh Orton, Christian Ferry, Mindy Finn, moderated by Zack Exley and Mike Turk.

Zack opened by lamenting how even after the web took off during the Kerry Campaign, Internet staffers like him were stuck “in a basement in the closet,” with scant influence and no ability to genuinely speak for the candidate. Trippi rebutted with generalizations about how great things are going this time around at the Edwards Campaign. Christian and Mindy struck a similar tone, saying things are wonderful and integrated on the McCain and Romney Campaigns. Exley pressed his point, arguing that even when e-campaign directors are on senior staff, they do not have the influence of insiders who make decisions at the candidates house in the middle of the night.

Peter Daou, who was recently dubbed “Yoda of the blogosphere” by The Washington Post, said the Clinton campaign’s new YouTube video was an example of a “very direct and personal” message from a candidate. The video, which invited viewers to vote on an official campaign theme song, included “Hillary’s choices of songs she likes and her choosing to make light of the national anthem video,” he added.

This is a nice, upbeat conversation, but it's also a bit staid. I think it's hard to run a lively panel with current campaign staff, because no one wants to take a verbal risk that might harm their cause, (which is totally understandable). It seems like everyone is trying to avoid making news or saying anything that might be edgy.