Pundit wanted
Submitted by James on Mon, 01/18/2010 - 9:52pm
UPDATE: Gary Pearce will be joining us next week on BlueNC Radio. Should be great conversation.
Next week on BlueNC Radio, we'll be talking about the three Senate campaigns from a ground level view. I've invited one expert guest, which I hope works out. And it would also be great to include someone who's deep into online tactics. If that's your strong suit, or if you know someone else who fits the bill, please let me know.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's some background. And there's a link to our first show below.
Now I see why reporters
like reliable sources. Sheesh. Producing even a half-baked radio show is a pain in the butt.
But fun.
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.
It was fun :)
I think I might need a vocal coach, though. I've got kind of a Cletus thing going on, like I should have been talking about NASCAR or deer hunting. ;/
Again on Monday at 6:30pm?
"And it would also be great to include someone who's deep into online tactics. If that's your strong suit, or if you know someone else who fits the bill, please let me know."
I'm not sure if it is a strong suit, but I'm definitely in to talking politics online and would be up for doing it radio style too. I've had a very small bit of experience speaking on air on WUNC's The State of Things live primary day coverage of the democratic primary in '08 plugging Neal's campaign, I've recorded part of a WCHL radio commercial for Carrboro Plaza Vet & I've done the commentators thing on their station a few times.
I certainly tried to keep BlueNC, PamsHouseBlend, and OrangePolitics up-to-date on the goings on of the Mark Kleinschmidt for Mayor campaign and how to get involved in my role as Volunteer Coordinator for the campaign here in Chapel Hill. In addition to blogs I relied on e-mails and very heavily on facebook. I found that no matter what other sites you follow, most people have a facebook account, and so it was an easy way to publicly unite the campaign volunteers from the easy access of their own homes.
I used it to translate things I learned on the Jim Neal for Senate campaign as an intern into an online format. We used facebook and e-mail communications to organize a lot of events from making & putting up signs, to phone banking & canvassing. One particular memory I have is of the Jim Neal for Senate HQ in the final days being covered in huge pieces of paper from ceiling to table level full of precincts & shifts for poll tending and people coming by and writing their names on them to sign up. For the mayoral campaign I translated it into this:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=91222152476#/event.php?eid=1549028...
Originally all those were OPENING SHIFT - LUNCH SHIFT - AFTER WORK SHIFT, and in the end with the increased buy in and team motivation from seeing everyone else sign up, we were able to get full coverage of all the high turnout precincts and student precincts and did alright in most of the others too. Online campaigning offers easy and affordable access to organizing some campaign efforts (no office space required), but it is important that every online action have a real in person corollary whether your organizing an event or sharing where a candidate stands on the issues.
In this current senate race it seems that all the candidates have somewhat lackluster websites, that will hopefully heat up as the primary gets closer, but I've noticed all 3 of their campaigns have found their way onto facebook in fan page format for Kenneth Lewis, in support group format Elaine Marshall, and in many regional groups, a main group, and a page for Cal Cunningham which may prove to be useful regional organizing points or may prove to be too schizophrenic to function well.
Online politics not only makes it easier on campaigns to campaign, but it can also make it easier for voters to reach candidates. In the last election I got Kay Hagan's thoughts on LGBT equality by attending a public event at UNC and waiting until the question and answer portion to ask my question. This election season I was able to talk to Kenneth & Elaine right here on BlueNC during the live blogging events, and to Cal by way of facebook message to get all of their thoughts on LGBT equality in a public and enduring way and much sooner during the campaign cycle than I ever would have expected.
Anyways, if you want me I'm game provided that you could teach me in advance how to call in & get it all working, although if you could get a professional or someone directly involved with any of the campaigns those would certainly be strong choices. But I offer my amateur voice if you're interested & provided that it is still on Monday evenings (I have classes most other evenings for my MPA program at State) and you've now seen a preview of my thoughts on online tactics to see whether that was at all in the realm you were looking for.
Cheers,
Jake
Thanks, Jake
Let me think through your generous offer and see how we can weave you into the mix.
For this upcoming show, Gary Pearce has graciously accepted an invitation to join as our guest.
I've never met Gary and I'm excited to have the chance to talk with him about the three Senate campaigns underway. His personal contacts are a who's who list of influentials in North Carolina politics. Should be fun.
Maybe a good way to get your feet wet is to call in during the show and be another source of commentary, or perhaps have questions for Gary? Let's keep talking this through and come up with something that works all around.
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.
Sounds good
I'll definitely tune in next week, and if I hear an opportunity for a good comment or question, I'll call in.
This will be an interesting conversation
I SO look forward to the BlueNC radio show at 6:30pm this coming Monday night 1/25. With the recent developments in Mass., you just have to know that there will be a lot of discussion on the upcoming effort by democrats to unseat Richard Burr.
Here I sit a Cal Cunningham supporter just devastated by the way things seem to be going for we democrats across the nation. Burr is, to say the least, one of the worst U.S. Senators in Washington. We here in NC have to do everything we can to get solid, proper representation for our state. We currently do not have that.
Cal is a very good looking, young candidate with a progressive vision for not only our state but for the country. He has a fabulous military background. He is an honors laws degree graduate from UNC.
He has served the people admirably as a state senator but did not run after the district was gerrymandered.
It would be a travesty if a republican less qualified and less committed to our state and nation like Richard Burr were to be allowed to continue to represent us here in our state simply because there is a negative feeling about democrats in general across the nation.
I am going to be asking Gary his take on this Monday night if I can get through.
41st Republican All Across the Country
Brown was signing his campaign stuff as Brown 41. If not for him every republican across the country could have run as the potential 41st republican this fall, and now they can't, Burr included. And hopefully this will work as a wake up call to the whole democratic party. (trying to see a bright side)