Nice story for you guys. And because I have nothing else to say (PM - 2/26/2007 10:59:37 PM)
I'll post this:
In my opinion, though, the real lesson of the Webb campaign is how effective bloggers can be when they're outside the campaign. I think the candidates who benefit the most from the netroots are the ones who can inspire bloggers to do their work for free. They create unpaid, unofficial surrogates. Webb is a netroots success story because his team captured the imagination of independent bloggers and online activists.It was always clear that the netroots adopted Webb, not the other way around. His people figured out a way to make the relationship work. Throughout the race, besides hiring Feld and Chernila, his staffers also diligently cultivated relationships with bloggers outside the campaign. The Webb team started taking the pulse of the larger blogosphere before the Democratic primary -- and their candidate's primary victory was due, in part, to intense Internet support.
There's a lot more, check it out.
P.S. On Wednesday at 2 PM, I'll be on Heading Left's Blog Talk Radio show with the Salon.com author, Lindsay Beyerstein and host Nate Wilcox, to discuss the role of bloggers on campaigns.
Helping to merge and "cultivate" the established campaign and those "rag tag rebels" who blog online.
=)
When they hired me, I basically told them that if they wanted me I'd be there fighting like hell. But if they didn't, there'd be absolutely no difference.
The toughest tightrope for me was blogging while on the campaign. I wanted to fight, but didn't want to say anything to embarass Jim. I was basically hired to do field work and coordinate the 18,000 volunteers who stepped up. My blogging rapidly approached zero. Lowell had the hard part. He walked the tightrope, and it got very bloody. I never envied him his out-in-front position. He got as much press as Allen's campaign manager. I still don't know how he survived.
(comment first posted on majikthise)
I thought Lowell did the balancing act rather well. Not sure I would suggest the same tactic in a presidential race though - so much more scrutiny involved.
Actually, senate races are a cake walk either...
In any event, it all seemed to work out.