The first videos of plenary sessions from "Personal Democracy Forum 2008: Rebooting the System" are now available on our Blip.tv channel at pdf.blip.tv. Now playing: Elizabeth (and John) Edwards, Lawrence Lessig, Jonathan Zittrain and Mark Pesce
| Read more ...Here's the clip of Andrew Rasiej interviewing Elizabeth Edwards at home via Skype video Monday at PdF2008, when John Edwards happens to drop in. They discuss the impact of the Internet on politics 2008. Edwards says it's the only reason Barack Obama isn't taking public financing," noting that it's given him a huge fundraising advantage "over Bush"--a slip quickly corrected by Elizabeth, who you can hear chortling in the background. Andrew tells John that the "internet community really loves your wife," to which he responds, "I know, so do I!" And then Elizabeth comes back on to say goodbye, noting, "PdF is enormously important in building this community--thinking about how we can use it [the net] is enormously important."
1 comment | Read more ...Yesterday, things got a bit heated on the plenary session with the presidential campaign internet staffers. Mark Soohoo, the deputy internet director of the John McCain, was defending his boss for not personally understanding how to use a computer. Tracy Russo, Soohoo's counterpart on the John Edwards campaign (where she was deputy director of online communication), took issue with Soohoo, and then the fireworks started. Video after the jump...
| Read more ...Edwards endorses Obama, and we first found out about it on Twitter, of course; where was Elizabeth Edwards last night?; Edwards takes advantage of the renewed media glare to promote his own project; Edwards for AG? Maybe. VP? Don't bet on it; Sarah Stirland on the guy who produced the viral Obama smear video; Dean announces the DNC's "State Blogger Corps"; Marc Ambinder on Obama's understanding of the web; and Obama wields an iPhone. Is that thing a 3G model?
| Read more ...I had the pleasure of sitting down with Joe Trippi a week ago, as we both were in DC for the launch of Larry Lessig's new Change-Congress project. (Joe is working with Larry on CC, and the Sunlight Foundation, which I consult for, was co-sponsoring Larry's speech). If you watch closely, you can see Larry in the background of the first video, in fact. In general, the lack of production values suggests I should stick to my day job, I know. But we covered a lot of interesting ground, as you'll see...
| Read more ...Talk about viral video: a malicious email claiming to link to a Clinton video can actually infect your computer with malware; Danny Glover launches a new site, comes out of the closet; the Blackroots are behind Donna Edwards' win; which Dem has the best poverty agenda?; a strange piece of web art is like a mundane Chuck Norris Facts for Obama; charting the various ways Obama has been winning; McCain reaches out to conservative bloggers; and there's a six-foot-seven-inch Jewish faith healer in the race!
| Read more ...Barack Obama and John McCain sweep the Potomac Primaries; but while Obama enjoys all kinds of voter-generated support, there's nothing on the tubes in support of McCain; a new blog tracks the online advertising habits of the candidates; what if bloggers had access to the candidates? We can dream; a social greeting card wishes John Edwards well; a Norwegian perspective on the election; an online jokester gets serious; stop teh we can haz cheesburger madnez!; and some insight into Obama's text-messaging operation.
| Read more ...According to a new poll 45% of voters think the next president will get the tubes as much as they do; the internet also makes you smarter; Patrick Ruffini hustles to get the GOP nominee some funds in the aftermath of Super Tuesday; a fun interview with Craig Newmark; Karl Rove sends down tablets listing the new rules of politicking and and the still applicable old rules; the HuffPost's Fundrace now lets you map the political contributions of celebrities, friends, and neighbors; John McCain is one potential GOP nominee who actually understands tech policy; and Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton offer gracious notes to John and Elizabeth on their sites, with absolutely no ulterior motives.
| Read more ...The netroots take issue with Barack Obama comparing himself to Ronald Reagan; Jose Antonio Vargas reminds us that the web isn't just about raising money but about bringing voters into the fold; another new site lets voters chart their stands on the issues next to the candidates, and William Shatner; and most of the candidates are doing little online to prepare for tomorrow's caucus and primary.
| Read more ...Round ups of the conservative blogosphere make it clear that the GOP contest is wide open; Ron Paul supporters may be getting the shaft on Digg and PayPal; Ars Technica decides the New Hampshire vote controversy isn't a big deal; Google announces Checkout for Political Contributions; and John Edwards' ad contest yields pretty creative entries.
| Read more ...Recent blog posts
- Changes at Change.org: A Media Hub for Social Action
- Daily Digest: Why '08 Will Be the Election of Databases (One Way or Another)
- Daily Digest: From Field to Felonies to Fine-Tuned Targeting
- Must-Read: Zack Exley on the "New Organizers"
- Daily Digest: Was Last Night a Waste of 90 Minutes? Debatable
- "Townhall" Style Debate a Dot-Bust
- Daily Digest: "Open Townhall Debate" Neither Open Nor Townhall. Discuss.
- Networked Community, or Hyperconnected Mob? What to do about Internet Attention Deficit Disorder
- Social Security Administration Refuses to Budge
- Twitter: An Antidote to Election Day Voting Problems?


