Author: BrianR

Stop Right Wing Democrats

Stan Goff has a article over at the Huffington Post called Unmasking the DLC. Its about the Democratic Leadership Council and pegs just what liberals need to do in America right now.

A strategic imperative for the antiwar movement must be to push for the defeat of any and all DLC supported candidates, and to expose and eviscerate the power of this ruling class committee. This is possible using the communications media available to popular forces through the internet, and combining this networking capacity with aggressive grassroots education efforts.

Check out this great bit of info about the so called New Democrat Movement (aka Right Wing Democrats) over at NNDB.

The right wing current of the Democratic party, characterized by its neoliberal economic policies, support of Israel, desire to increase defense spending, and links to heavy donors and fundraisers.

Believes that “left-wing” positions are not politically viable. Describes itself as “moderate and pro-growth”. Probably responsible for erosion of the Democratic Party’s historical labor and minority base due to support of treaties like NAFTA, lack of support for affirmative action and poverty programs, and their siphoning away of campaign funds from minority groups.

“I’m from the democratic wing of the Democrat Party” –Paul Wellstone, progressive Democrat, criticizing the New Democrat Movement.

“Democrats for the Leadership Class” –Jesse Jackson, progressive black Democrat, describing the DLC.

Support real progressive candidates who have a anti-war voting record! This is the strategic direction we need to put the liberal wing of the Democrat Party in control. Will John Edwards and Barack Obama reject the DLC?

WRAL has blogs and Citizen Video

A while back I participated in a usability test for the new WRAL.com. The site is now up and has some interesting features. No longer are our local newspapers the only news outlets with blogs. WRAL has several like The Skinny on local tech, High School Hoops, WRAL Sports: The ACC & Beyond, and more. They even link to local Political Blogs in their News politics section. (ex. OrangePolitics.org, The Locker Room, Science and Politics.)

The new feature that really caught my eye was the Share Video part of the site. I didn’t find it by browsing but read about it on Dot John — Inside WRAL.com. Right now they have three videos up you can watch in the web browser. Two are promos and one is a video shot of a house fire.

While I love the fact that WRAL is getting into using Citizen Journalist video I’m still concerned. How should Citizen Journalists be compensated? Right now they have awarded an iPod to one person who has uploaded video.

And keep an eye on the page for contests. We already have awarded an iPod to a visitor who shot, edited and uploaded high school football highlights to WRAL.com.

Do all people who upload video get an iPod? I doubt it. What is the reward for the work Citizen Journalist perform? A pat on the back? The satisfaction of having your video on the WRAL site?

I recommend that WRAL treat Citizen Journalists like any other stringer. Publish rates and details of all content sharing deals. This to me is the fair thing todo. WRAL is a for-profit media outlet that will gain one way or another by the hard work of Citizen Journalists. Do the right thing WRAL and compensate everyone who provides you content. Prove to us that having video on your site has advantages over just putting it on our own blogs.

Great job with the new site WRAL! Keep it up.

Robert E. Lee Statue, Racism, and Caribou Coffee

Every weekday morning I get coffee at Caribou on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. Its near the bus stop I get off at. I’ve been going there for several months and enjoy the coffee.

About one month ago I overhead one of the guys working there talk about writing for The Carolina Review, a conservative student publication at UNC – Chapel Hill. The night before Hardball with Chris Matthews show at Memorial Hall he mentioned writing some critical articles about Sen. Edwards. Coffee Guy said a buddy was going to give him tickets.

Sure enough when we were watching Hardball that night the same Coffee Guy was sitting on the stage with all those students behind Sen. Edwards. He was starring into the camera shaking his head at Edwards responses. I half expecting him to hold up two fingers behind Edwards head like bunny ears. It was a very John 3:13 moment. (If you look about 16 seconds into the YouTube video you can see him. Goto the above Hardball video link.)

So last week I got to talking with the Coffee Guy about stuff. He mentioned his sister lived in Richmond, VA. I told him I grew up there. I mention a bunch of things like I went to VCU. But never did I engage him in a political discussion. I just wanted coffee. I decided to live in peace with a fellow Chapel Hillian. I wasn’t going to hold this man’s political views against him. No problem right?

Well this morning the Coffee Guy said his sister has seen a NAACP protest at the Lee Monument in Richmond. He exclaimed it was a shame. I blurted out, “I completely disagree. I think they should tear down those statues.” The Coffee Guy was surprised and said he was “sorry I felt that way”.

“So should they leave the statue of Authur Ashe up?” he asked. Instead of answering that I asked him to take the race component of the statues out of the conversation for a moment. “Consider the death of all the white people’s husbands, brothers, sisters, daughters, etc. during the Civil War. Those statues are glorifying war and death. That’s wrong.”, I said.

He proceed to question me about it. I told him that I really didn’t want to go there because it might make me not want to come back to Caribou. He thought maybe we could debate it another time when he wasn’t working. I just smiled and walked out.

One of the strongest forms of protest modern Americans can do is deciding where not to spend money. I wonder if the Coffee Guy’s boss values his free speech over the money I spend there every week?

This occurrence has convinced me to join the NAACP. My efforts to appose racism are strengthened.

Historic K(thousands) on Jones Street

Saturday February 10, 2007 a large coalition of people from all over the state will gather at General Assembly Memorial Auditorium in Downtown Raleigh, NC for H K on J. Arrive at 11:00 am. The Program will be at 12:00 p.m. Thousands will march to Legislative Building on Jones Street. Bellow the fold you can read The People’s Agenda, Fourteen Points that the organizers have put together. This is going to be an amazing event. A milestone in North Carolina Politics. Read more about it over at NC Policy Watch. Here are some pdfs to print out and use to spread the word.
HKonJ Flyer PDF
The Peoples’ Agenda – 14 Points PDF
Continue reading “Historic K(thousands) on Jones Street” →

NCSBC Pre-conference skills session

Yesterday Anton, Bora, and I helped introduce blogging to about 12 people. It was a pre-conference event for the North Carolina Science Blogging Conference.

Check out Anton’s EXCELLENT NCSBC Pre-conference skills session page. These exercises were quite effective in helping people get hands on experience with blogs. You could see the fear of blogs melt away.

Anton’s Blogs, wikis & podcasts primer is good too.

N&O adds blog about Orange County

Orange Chat

Thursday, January 18, 2007
Welcome to Orange Chat

Did you ever read a story and say, “I wish the reporter had asked …”

Well, the truth is sometimes we did but there wasn’t space to put it in the paper.

Welcome to Orange Chat, where we hope to expand on the Orange and Chatham County coverage we provide in The News and Observer and The Chapel Hill News, and where we hope you’ll tell us how we’re doing.

Send us your questions, criticisms and suggestions.

And thanks for reading.

Mark Schultz
Editor

Hat tip to Andy at The Editor’s Desk

Was I duped by Astroturf?

Astroturf-ing

In politics and advertising, the term astroturfing describes formal public relations (PR) campaigns which seek to create the impression of being a spontaneous, grassroots behavior. Hence the reference to the “AstroTurf” (artificial grass) is a metaphor to indicate “fake grassroots” support.

After I wrote the post Criticize Congress go to jail?, with a link and quote to Richard Viguerie’s cry foul Bora linked to me asking Is this Possible (and True)?.

Mike Dunford, Bora’s fellow Sceince Blogs blogger, wrote in response to Bora’s post, Someone’s Trying to Play Us. In response to another comment Mike wrote Why astroturf disclosure legislation is needed.

Follow? No?

We all need to research everyones claims. No matter how much we may agree or disagree with them. When I wrote the the first blog post Criticize Congress go to jail?, I didn’t even know who Richard A. Viguerie was.

Richard A. Viguerie of American Target Advertising, a direct marketing advertising company, pioneered political/ideological direct mail in the 1960s and 1970s. That marriage of direct mail and politics enabled grassroots Americans to participate in the political process to a greater degree than ever before and built the conservative movement that elected President Reagan in 1980.

Thanks to Kirk for filling me in on that. Mike Dunford does a much better job than I dissecting the legislation in question.

One of the cool things about blogs is I can update a post with more context as I learn about a subject and/or person. Plus other bloggers and the bloggers they know can inform me even more about the topic.

I’m still very concerned about blogs and free speech. People are radically altering political structures. They are using blogs as a new tool of immense individual power. Lots of powerful and moneyed people would love to stop that.

Sorry to use so many questions as post titles but this has been one of those weeks. (see Media hiding opinions behind the question mark? for the joke)