Economically Disadvantage...
How would economics effect a gifted student? After watching the video please post a comment and describing how Europe would used education and economics (good or bad) in the Dark Ages?
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The idea has always been to engage the citizenry
After reading this excerpt, What was President Obama's secret weapon to winning the 2008 Presidential Election?
Blue State has helped Obama raise $200 million online Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Since Senator Barack Obama announced that he would forgo public financing for his Presidential bid, even more is being made of his campaign's prowess at raising record sums on the Web. Obama seems to have an almost magical ability to generate a spontaneous upwelling of political and financial support.
In fact, the presumed Democratic nominee has a secret weapon. It's a small, obscure firm called Blue State Digital, a market research-New Media hybrid that has played an instrumental role in fostering Obamamania. The campaign declined to discuss Blue State, but the firm says its handiwork and technology can be seen in the more than $200 million Obama has raised online, the 2 million phone calls made on the candidate's behalf, and in barackobama.com's social network of 850,000 users, who have organized 50,000 campaign events.
Besides Obama, Blue State has attracted more than 100 clients, including such widely known corporate names as AT&T (T) and Stonyfield Farm. There is also talk that the firm could continue playing a role as a contractor in an Obama White House. "Blue State is using technology to give people a chance to become involved, whether it's a voter or a customer," says film marketer Lisa Smithline. While director of creative marketing at independent film company Focus Features in 2006, Smithline hired Blue State to promote the Iraq war documentary The Ground Truth through a vigorous Web campaign that generated 500 screenings in churches and community centers. "They cross over and really reach those who have never been reached before," she says.
Blue State was founded in 2004 by four former members of Howard Dean's Presidential campaign. Other firms were already selling software to help candidates raise money online. But Thomas Gensemer, a former venture capitalist who, at 31, is now Blue State's managing partner, says he and his associates wanted to use such tools to mobilize grassroots support for progressive candidates, causes, or products. "The idea has always been to engage the citizenry, make them feel part of the process," Gensemer says.
In 2005, Blue State began working with AT&T, which was attempting to launch a TV service to compete with cable companies. The telecom declined to comment, but Gensemer says that in one project, Blue State used the Web and other media to organize community groups and citizens to mobilize against Connecticut's rigid cable franchise laws. Some 30,000 letters were sent to state legislators, who eventually enacted a new law making it easier for AT&T to take on the cable guys.
Financier-philanthropist George Soros hired Blue State in the fall of 2006 to work on two projects. The firm created a Web site for a fellowship-like program that sends journalists to New Orleans to document the city's rebirth. Blue State also has made Soros' European Council on Foreign Relations think tank more Web-friendly, and has taught academics how to blog effectively about business and economics.
Obama retained Blue State nine days before launching his candidacy in February 2007. It was a shrewd choice because the firm can do a lot with a little: According to filings, the Obama campaign has paid Blue State not much more than $1.1 million so far.
One of Blue State's greatest contributions to the campaign has been MyBO, the social networking dimension of the candidate's Web site. MyBO allows Obama supporters to communicate directly with each other, organize their own events, and swap ideas. Obama staffers monitor the exchanges as a way to help them make their own communications with supporters as timely and personal as possible. Hughes Rhodes, a 58-year-old garment industry executive and, until now, a lifelong Republican, has hosted salonlike meetings in his New York City apartment to spread the word about Obama and his policies. "It's remarkable how they've used the Internet as an organizing tool," says Rhodes, who checks Obama's site several times a day. "It's voter-to-voter."
Today, Blue State has a staff of 38 and offices in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. The firm keeps its profile so low that it doesn't even put "powered by Blue State Digital" at the bottom of Obama's Web page. But it is tightly entwined with the campaign. Joe Rospars, a 27-year-old partner, attends all of the Obama campaign's senior staff meetings, says Gensemer. Campaign insiders suggest privately that Blue State has so impressed Obama that, if he wins in November, the company could be in the unique position to play a role inside the White House.
Gensemer won't talk about a possible future with an Obama Administration, but others say it wouldn't be a stretch. "Instead of just having 'check box' polling, just think about what Blue State could do to help you in terms of developing and refining policy," says Clay Shirky, a New York University professor who consults and lectures about New Media. "You could drive the conversation down to the body politic."
The challenge for Blue State (which, as a private company, does not disclose financials) is to ride the Obama wave while diversifying its business—particularly overseas, where it sees opportunities. As the firm pushes deeper into the corporate world, Blue State may also need to rethink its politically loaded name. Gensemer acknowledges this, but adds: "We will always maintain a progressive idealism." Sounds a lot like a certain senator from Illinois.
Lowry is a senior writer for BusinessWeek in New York.
Blue State has helped Obama raise $200 million online Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Since Senator Barack Obama announced that he would forgo public financing for his Presidential bid, even more is being made of his campaign's prowess at raising record sums on the Web. Obama seems to have an almost magical ability to generate a spontaneous upwelling of political and financial support.
In fact, the presumed Democratic nominee has a secret weapon. It's a small, obscure firm called Blue State Digital, a market research-New Media hybrid that has played an instrumental role in fostering Obamamania. The campaign declined to discuss Blue State, but the firm says its handiwork and technology can be seen in the more than $200 million Obama has raised online, the 2 million phone calls made on the candidate's behalf, and in barackobama.com's social network of 850,000 users, who have organized 50,000 campaign events.
Besides Obama, Blue State has attracted more than 100 clients, including such widely known corporate names as AT&T (T) and Stonyfield Farm. There is also talk that the firm could continue playing a role as a contractor in an Obama White House. "Blue State is using technology to give people a chance to become involved, whether it's a voter or a customer," says film marketer Lisa Smithline. While director of creative marketing at independent film company Focus Features in 2006, Smithline hired Blue State to promote the Iraq war documentary The Ground Truth through a vigorous Web campaign that generated 500 screenings in churches and community centers. "They cross over and really reach those who have never been reached before," she says.
Blue State was founded in 2004 by four former members of Howard Dean's Presidential campaign. Other firms were already selling software to help candidates raise money online. But Thomas Gensemer, a former venture capitalist who, at 31, is now Blue State's managing partner, says he and his associates wanted to use such tools to mobilize grassroots support for progressive candidates, causes, or products. "The idea has always been to engage the citizenry, make them feel part of the process," Gensemer says.
In 2005, Blue State began working with AT&T, which was attempting to launch a TV service to compete with cable companies. The telecom declined to comment, but Gensemer says that in one project, Blue State used the Web and other media to organize community groups and citizens to mobilize against Connecticut's rigid cable franchise laws. Some 30,000 letters were sent to state legislators, who eventually enacted a new law making it easier for AT&T to take on the cable guys.
Financier-philanthropist George Soros hired Blue State in the fall of 2006 to work on two projects. The firm created a Web site for a fellowship-like program that sends journalists to New Orleans to document the city's rebirth. Blue State also has made Soros' European Council on Foreign Relations think tank more Web-friendly, and has taught academics how to blog effectively about business and economics.
Obama retained Blue State nine days before launching his candidacy in February 2007. It was a shrewd choice because the firm can do a lot with a little: According to filings, the Obama campaign has paid Blue State not much more than $1.1 million so far.
One of Blue State's greatest contributions to the campaign has been MyBO, the social networking dimension of the candidate's Web site. MyBO allows Obama supporters to communicate directly with each other, organize their own events, and swap ideas. Obama staffers monitor the exchanges as a way to help them make their own communications with supporters as timely and personal as possible. Hughes Rhodes, a 58-year-old garment industry executive and, until now, a lifelong Republican, has hosted salonlike meetings in his New York City apartment to spread the word about Obama and his policies. "It's remarkable how they've used the Internet as an organizing tool," says Rhodes, who checks Obama's site several times a day. "It's voter-to-voter."
Today, Blue State has a staff of 38 and offices in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. The firm keeps its profile so low that it doesn't even put "powered by Blue State Digital" at the bottom of Obama's Web page. But it is tightly entwined with the campaign. Joe Rospars, a 27-year-old partner, attends all of the Obama campaign's senior staff meetings, says Gensemer. Campaign insiders suggest privately that Blue State has so impressed Obama that, if he wins in November, the company could be in the unique position to play a role inside the White House.
Gensemer won't talk about a possible future with an Obama Administration, but others say it wouldn't be a stretch. "Instead of just having 'check box' polling, just think about what Blue State could do to help you in terms of developing and refining policy," says Clay Shirky, a New York University professor who consults and lectures about New Media. "You could drive the conversation down to the body politic."
The challenge for Blue State (which, as a private company, does not disclose financials) is to ride the Obama wave while diversifying its business—particularly overseas, where it sees opportunities. As the firm pushes deeper into the corporate world, Blue State may also need to rethink its politically loaded name. Gensemer acknowledges this, but adds: "We will always maintain a progressive idealism." Sounds a lot like a certain senator from Illinois.
Lowry is a senior writer for BusinessWeek in New York.
Internet key to Obama victories
After watching video located at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7412045.stm, would you agree with the excerpt below? If so why, If not explain. By using one aspect described in the Digital Divide by Norris Pippa, how has technology changed the election process?
With Barack Obama moving close to victory in the Democratic presidential primary campaign, the internet has proved one of the key tools to his success. And it may well give the Democrats a big advantage during the Presidential race itself.
The internet has been moving to the mainstream of political life in the US for some years.
But in this presidential cycle it has been particularly important for the Obama campaign, which was starting from scratch with few resources and little name recognition.
The internet favours the outsider, and gives them the ability to quickly mobilise supporters and money online.
And the more nimble use of the internet by the Obama campaign in its early stages helped him overcome the huge initial lead of Hillary Clinton in the presidential nominating race.
Ready to go
Mr Obama's internet strategy was at the heart of his plan to win the Democratic nomination, according to expert Phil Noble, who tracks trends in relation to the internet and politics.
When Senator Obama announced his campaign, his internet site was already fully developed and ready to go - with a set of tools which allowed supporters to meet and organise as well as contribute money.
According to Michael Turk, the e-campaign director for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign, the Democrats had learned the lessons of 2004 very well in an "arms race" between rival teams of developers.
John Kerry depended on online fundraising in the 2004 campaign
Mr Noble says he expects Mr Obama to raise $1 billion online during the 2008 campaign, 12 times as much as John Kerry raised through online fundraising in 2004.
And he says that two million Obama activists have already been mobilised to become volunteer workers for the campaign - a key advance in the "ground war" of getting out the vote.
And some key internet stunts - including the independently developed "Obama girl" mock ad on YouTube - helped increase Mr Obama's public profile early on.
Primary advantage
Both the fundraising and the mobilising potential of the internet proved key advantages for Mr Obama during the primary season.
Senator Clinton took more time to see the full potential of the internetHe was able to get more local volunteers on the ground in key states earlier than the Clinton campaign, which was especially important in smaller states and caucus states.
And his early success soon generated a wave of small-size campaign contributions that have continued to roll in.
This gave him a crucial advantage in campaign organisation and advertising over the Clinton campaign, which had raised a large sum of money, mainly from larger donors.
Funding shortages forced Mrs Clinton to dip into her own pockets, and limited the number of states she could campaign in.
New tools
One of the unique features of the Obama campaign has been its ability to embrace social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook.
Mr McCain has invested less in internet tools despite being an early pioneer
Indeed Mr Obama's decision to run was influenced by the fact that a page created on MySpace by supporters not connected to any official campaign quickly signed up 160,000 supporters.
According Paul Zube and Rebecca Hayes of Michigan State University, Mr Obama is far more popular on Facebook - the social networking site most widely used by college students - than any other candidate.
And joining Mr Obama's Facebook site - unlike responding to an email message of support - is a public expression of support which can have a broader political impact.
As such, it may be a more powerful mobilising tool to gain new supporters than sending out emails or expecting activists to come to your website.
Youth vote
His use of social networking sites has helped Mr Obama to mobilise young people, a group which has traditionally been uninterested in politics, according to Professor Thomas Patterson of Harvard University.
"Since the start of this campaign in early 2007, I think what we've seen is a second source of energy for young voters and that's the Obama campaign. They were attracted to him in the first instance by his early opposition to the war in Iraq. At the same time, he happened to have the kind of personality, the kind of message that appealed to them," he says.
Mr Obama has consistently performed extremely strong among younger and highly educated voters, whose increased turnout could be critical to the general election.
Lessons of recent history
In some ways, Mr Obama has drawn the lessons of the failed Howard Dean campaign in the 2004 primaries.
Mr Dean was the first Democratic presidential candidate to use the internet - through his Blog for America - to mobilise his supporters.
But he failed to connect with the voting public in Iowa and crashed out of the race.
Mr Obama has therefore also drawn lessons from the very successful Republican internet campaign that helped re-elect President Bush in 2004
As Michael Turk, the Bush-Cheney e-campaign director in 2004 explained, the Republicans were able to mobilise their supporters through a combination of email lists and internet 'data mining'.
They identified potential Republican supporters in every precinct around the country, using technology which predicts voter preferences on the basis of commercial data on car ownership, magazine subscriptions, and the like.
And then they sent their campaign volunteers detailed instructions on who to visit, including local maps of the area and walking routes, and issues that each potential voter was likely to be most concerned about.
Mr Obama has been utilising similar data to target primary voters - where turnout is crucial - through both telephone banks of volunteers and personal contacts.
Looking forward
Mr Noble believes that the Democrats will continue to enjoy an enormous advantage over their opponents in the use of the internet for campaigning in this election cycle.
Ironically, the McCain campaign in 2000 - when he unsuccessfully challenged George Bush for the Republican presidential nomination - was an early example of using the internet to raise money online.
But according to Phil Noble, this time round, Republicans are far behind in resources and investment in internet tools, and that Mr McCain is having difficulty appealing to the traditional Republican base.
The most important advantage could be in fundraising.
If Mr Noble's predictions are right, then Mr Obama could have a massive lead in the money needed to carry his message to the American electorate.
With Barack Obama moving close to victory in the Democratic presidential primary campaign, the internet has proved one of the key tools to his success. And it may well give the Democrats a big advantage during the Presidential race itself.
The internet has been moving to the mainstream of political life in the US for some years.
But in this presidential cycle it has been particularly important for the Obama campaign, which was starting from scratch with few resources and little name recognition.
The internet favours the outsider, and gives them the ability to quickly mobilise supporters and money online.
And the more nimble use of the internet by the Obama campaign in its early stages helped him overcome the huge initial lead of Hillary Clinton in the presidential nominating race.
Ready to go
Mr Obama's internet strategy was at the heart of his plan to win the Democratic nomination, according to expert Phil Noble, who tracks trends in relation to the internet and politics.
When Senator Obama announced his campaign, his internet site was already fully developed and ready to go - with a set of tools which allowed supporters to meet and organise as well as contribute money.
According to Michael Turk, the e-campaign director for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign, the Democrats had learned the lessons of 2004 very well in an "arms race" between rival teams of developers.
John Kerry depended on online fundraising in the 2004 campaign
Mr Noble says he expects Mr Obama to raise $1 billion online during the 2008 campaign, 12 times as much as John Kerry raised through online fundraising in 2004.
And he says that two million Obama activists have already been mobilised to become volunteer workers for the campaign - a key advance in the "ground war" of getting out the vote.
And some key internet stunts - including the independently developed "Obama girl" mock ad on YouTube - helped increase Mr Obama's public profile early on.
Primary advantage
Both the fundraising and the mobilising potential of the internet proved key advantages for Mr Obama during the primary season.
Senator Clinton took more time to see the full potential of the internetHe was able to get more local volunteers on the ground in key states earlier than the Clinton campaign, which was especially important in smaller states and caucus states.
And his early success soon generated a wave of small-size campaign contributions that have continued to roll in.
This gave him a crucial advantage in campaign organisation and advertising over the Clinton campaign, which had raised a large sum of money, mainly from larger donors.
Funding shortages forced Mrs Clinton to dip into her own pockets, and limited the number of states she could campaign in.
New tools
One of the unique features of the Obama campaign has been its ability to embrace social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook.
Mr McCain has invested less in internet tools despite being an early pioneer
Indeed Mr Obama's decision to run was influenced by the fact that a page created on MySpace by supporters not connected to any official campaign quickly signed up 160,000 supporters.
According Paul Zube and Rebecca Hayes of Michigan State University, Mr Obama is far more popular on Facebook - the social networking site most widely used by college students - than any other candidate.
And joining Mr Obama's Facebook site - unlike responding to an email message of support - is a public expression of support which can have a broader political impact.
As such, it may be a more powerful mobilising tool to gain new supporters than sending out emails or expecting activists to come to your website.
Youth vote
His use of social networking sites has helped Mr Obama to mobilise young people, a group which has traditionally been uninterested in politics, according to Professor Thomas Patterson of Harvard University.
"Since the start of this campaign in early 2007, I think what we've seen is a second source of energy for young voters and that's the Obama campaign. They were attracted to him in the first instance by his early opposition to the war in Iraq. At the same time, he happened to have the kind of personality, the kind of message that appealed to them," he says.
Mr Obama has consistently performed extremely strong among younger and highly educated voters, whose increased turnout could be critical to the general election.
Lessons of recent history
In some ways, Mr Obama has drawn the lessons of the failed Howard Dean campaign in the 2004 primaries.
Mr Dean was the first Democratic presidential candidate to use the internet - through his Blog for America - to mobilise his supporters.
But he failed to connect with the voting public in Iowa and crashed out of the race.
Mr Obama has therefore also drawn lessons from the very successful Republican internet campaign that helped re-elect President Bush in 2004
As Michael Turk, the Bush-Cheney e-campaign director in 2004 explained, the Republicans were able to mobilise their supporters through a combination of email lists and internet 'data mining'.
They identified potential Republican supporters in every precinct around the country, using technology which predicts voter preferences on the basis of commercial data on car ownership, magazine subscriptions, and the like.
And then they sent their campaign volunteers detailed instructions on who to visit, including local maps of the area and walking routes, and issues that each potential voter was likely to be most concerned about.
Mr Obama has been utilising similar data to target primary voters - where turnout is crucial - through both telephone banks of volunteers and personal contacts.
Looking forward
Mr Noble believes that the Democrats will continue to enjoy an enormous advantage over their opponents in the use of the internet for campaigning in this election cycle.
Ironically, the McCain campaign in 2000 - when he unsuccessfully challenged George Bush for the Republican presidential nomination - was an early example of using the internet to raise money online.
But according to Phil Noble, this time round, Republicans are far behind in resources and investment in internet tools, and that Mr McCain is having difficulty appealing to the traditional Republican base.
The most important advantage could be in fundraising.
If Mr Noble's predictions are right, then Mr Obama could have a massive lead in the money needed to carry his message to the American electorate.
OBama Bring Change to America
Lets talk about Islam. During Barack Hussein Obama presidental journey to become president of the United States of America, there was talk about him being a Muslim. Would it have matter if he was a Muslim? Does it matter if any president is a Muslim or not? Why or why not? Please make comments but post them anonymously.
A New Change for America
November 4, 2008 and after January 20, 2009, The country of America will have a chance to be born again. How do you feel about Mr. President: Barack Obama's nominal feat and accomplishment? Will is change America by deterring racism, help the economy, build a bridge among races in America, bring hope to African American children or build a stronger relationship with the world? How would Michelle Obama help the image of the African American Woman? Overall, just sincerely tell me how you feel about the election of 2008. YES WE DID!!!
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