Bloggers Appreciate Edwards' Appreciation of Net

In New Hamphire
Photo by Aldon Hynes

Note that the people asking the questions sound like “professional press.” But they are not. They are average citizens who got to come backstage before his townhall meeting.....

Robert Scoble

SEE FULL VIDEO OF JOHN EDWARDS' TOWN HALL MEETING IN DES MOINES, IOWA DECEMBER 28, 2006 (By Joshua Brown)


As I reported a couple days ago, Robert Scoble is 'touring' with Senator John Edwards as an embedded blogger. Talking about a town hall meeting last night in Iowa, he says,

...1,500 people packed a hall tonight to hear John Edwards speak with almost two years to go before the general election. The rest of us usually would just ignore this stuff cause there’s no way to engage or make your own impact.

Jake Ludington appreciates Senator John Edwards' new way of campaigning. Speaking about Edwards in Iowa last night, Jake posted:

Quotable John Edwards

On Iraq:

"enormous mistake to adopt McCain doctrine to escalate war in Iraq"

"tell the truth about what happened in the past and what's happening now in Iraq"

"we have an enormous responsibility to humanity"

On humanitarian issues and global warming:

"we need to be willing to sacrifice about something other than just war"

"be willing to conserve... be willing to not be an excessive consumer of energy"

"show what we're willing to do in the U.S. to be an example"

Jake's video of John Edwards in Iowa December 28 being interviewed by a handful of bloggers.




NEW HAMPSHIRE
DECEMBER 29, 2006


New Hamphire this morning
Photo from Soapblox.net



Photo by Aldon Hynes

The photo above is of Senator Edwards' appearance in New Hampshire this morning. After he spoke, there was a bloggers' Meet and Greet with Sen. Edwards. There was a good crowd and there are some posts going on at the local blogs. Check out Blue Mass group and
SooapBlox.net. At Blue Mass, commentator JC Sinclair makes rough notes on Edwards' Iraq position:

Totally opposed to the escalation. Men serving are heros, not in favor of cutting off funding that would put the men at risk. Need hearings, loud vocal opposition.
Region could become unstable no matter what we do. Believes only solution for Iraq is political..

One Corps Members
Photo from Soapblox.net
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John Edwards: The Campaign to Change America

Preparing to officially announce his intention to run for President in 2008 from New Orleans, Louisiana this morning, [NOLA live blogging] Senator John Edwards spoke to about 20 online supporters last night on a teleconference call. He thanked them for their online participation, web coverage and support over the past year and appealed to them to help motivate others in what he promised to be a grassroots campaign. His message to them and to all concerned, motivated, and interested Americans is shown on the following YouTube video.



In an email sent this evening, Senator Edwards outlines his goals and hopes for his 2008 campaign:

I'm announcing here because no place better demonstrates the two Americas I've talked about for a long time. But even more important, no place better demonstrates the power people have when they -- not Washington -- take responsibility and take action to build the America we believe in.

I'm running to ask millions of Americans to take responsibility and take action to change our country and ensure America's greatness in the 21st century.

And I'm asking you to play a crucial role in this campaign.

Last week I asked if you were ready to take our effort to change America to the next level. Thousands of letters have come in, and the answer was an overwhelming yes -- we're in this together.

That's why I'm asking you to help spread the word in your area by holding your own local "Citizens' Launch" event tomorrow. It just takes a few minutes to set up, and anyone can do it.

Click here to download a step-by-step guide and everything you need to hold your own Citizens' Launch this week.

We know what we need to do. Changing our country means:

Providing moral leadership in the world -- starting with Iraq, where we should begin drawing down troops, not escalating the war
Strengthening our middle class and ending the shame of poverty
Guaranteeing health care for every single American Leading the fight against global warming
Getting America and the world to break our addiction to oil

That's not just my vision –- it's our vision. And we can't wait for the next president to take office to begin fundamentally changing our country.

And the truth is, we don't have to wait. Since I left Washington, I've seen firsthand the power that ordinary people have when we work together.

We worked with thousands of volunteers to raise the minimum wage in six states – and we got it done. We're making the first year of college free for young people in Greene County, North Carolina. And we've been working from the grassroots up to organize workers so they can stand up for their rights and earn a decent living.

And this week in New Orleans, I've been working with young people who gave up part of their Christmas vacation to work on rebuilding and helping those in need -- just like the hundreds of college students who came here to work with me during their Spring Break earlier this year.

This is the kind of commitment to solving our problems that I've seen time and time again over the last two years – and it reaffirms one of the great lessons of my whole life. The power of America doesn't lie in Washington; the true power of America is in the people of America.

That's why we're getting ready to launch a campaign that says to everyone who wants to take responsibility for our future: we can't wait until tomorrow. We must act now.

Tomorrow begins today.

The Next President Will Be A Podcaster
Podcasting News
December 27, 2006

Podtech’s Robert Scoble is on his way to New Orleans to cover John Edward’s Thursday announcement that he will be running for President. The Edwards event is significant, not only for Edward’s announcement, but for Edward’s understanding of the increasing importance of Internet media.

Edwards is arguably the most Net-savvy of likely candidates. He has been actively courting the interest of bloggers and podcasters. Earlier in this year, Edwards attended Gnomedex, a conference that focuses on technology and independent publishing, seeking attendees’ input on how politicians should use Internet media. Edwards was also one of the first politicians to have his own podcast.

Democrat jumps gun in announcing presidential ambition
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 58 minutes ago
John Edwards, the Democratic party's candidate for vice-president in the 2004 elections, will make a second run at the White House, his campaign said yesterday ...

The secret Scoble mission revealed
San Francisco Chronicle, USA - 20 hours ago
Tech Chronicles has confirmed with Robert Scoble that he's embarking on an out-of-state trip into the world of politics: He's been invited to help former ...

Edwards Announces and a Birthday Present
by WeDemocrats
Daily Kos
December 28, 2006

Well John, here is one Democrat who welcomes you with open arms, who thinks its time this country woke up to the fact that we need a regular guy in the Whitehouse.

While I won’t speak for the membership of the WeDemocrats.org group, they will decide that at our Annual Meeting in June, I will as of this moment give you my personal endorsement for what its worth.

Thanks for the birthday present!

Ron McBride
Founder & Chairman
www.WeDemocrats.org

Bloggers enter the political sphere
San Francisco Chronicle, USA - 6 hours ago
Some of the blogosphere's movers and shakers are leading the charge to support the candidacy of John Edwards, who took the unusual step of pre-announcing his ...

Edwards Joins Presidential Race
ABC News - 6 hours ago
Former US Sen. John Edwards works in the yard of a home that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006. (AP Photo/Bill Haber). ...

John Edwards’ YouTube Candidacy
NewTeeVee, CA - 7 hours ago
As blogosphere watchers already knew, John Edwards is making no small plans to conduct a lot of his expected 2008 campaign for President online. ...

At a glance: Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards
Kansas City Star, MO - 1 hour ago
AP. FAMILY: Wife, Elizabeth Anania Edwards (married 1977); daughters Cate, 24, and Emma Claire, 8; son Jack, 6. Edwards' 16-year-old ...

Edwards to launch presidency bid
BBC News, UK - 3 hours ago
John Edwards, the vice-presidential running mate to Democrat candidate John Kerry in 2004, is to announce a new run for the White House on Thursday. ...

John Edwards Version 2.008
The Nation., NY - 7 hours ago
The John Edwards who today announces his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination is a very different contender from the fresh-faced young senator ...

Edwards plans to toss hat in ring
Los Angeles Daily News, CA - 10 hours ago
WASHINGTON - On Thursday, John Edwards is planning to announce what has been clear to much of the world since the end of the last presidential election: He is ...

Edwards launches new...
Boston Globe, United States - 5 hours ago
Senator John Edwards will indeed announce a second presidential bid in New Orleans, a spokeswoman confirmed to the Associated Press Wednesday afternoon. ...

Edwards' Web site jumps gun on presidential run
CNN - 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) -- His campaign says Democrat John Edwards plans to make another run for the White House. John Kerry's former running ...

Edwards campaign accidentally reveals '08 bid early
USA Today - 5 hours ago
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Bloomberg - 5 hours ago
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John Edwards' campaign says he's running for president: AP
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Edwards Likely to Try for Democratic Presidential Nomination
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Former US senator and 2004 Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards is expected to today announce a new bid for the White House in 2008, his ...

Edwards Throws Hat in 2008 Ring
Prensa Latina, Cuba - 3 hours ago
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John Edwards to Enter Presidential Race
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John Edwards Kick's Off His Campaign Tour
abc11tv.com, NC - Dec 26, 2006
(12/26/06 -- CHAPEL HILL) - John Edwards, the former North Carolina Senator, will make a White House run and the announcement will come in just two days. ...

Katrina victims look for a champion
Sauk Valley Newspapers, IL - Dec 26, 2006
Before the end of this year, former North Carolina senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards is set to announce his plans for 2008, in my ...

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John Edwards and "The Web"

In writing about Senator John Edwards getting ready to announce his intent to run for POTUS from New Orleans tomorrow morning, NYT political columnist Adam Nagourney recognizes the force he calls "the web" - an innocuous and impersonal description of which actually consists a lot of real people and the power of those incredibly spirited, committed, and hard-working people who support Senator Edwards but do not have the deep pockets of the establishment "in-crowd".

Mr. Edwards, who is arguably the most Web-savvy candidate in the ’08 race to date, is using Thursday’s event to try to gin up his supporters via the Internet. He sent out an e-mail message earlier this week, saying he was on the verge of making a decision that his aides say has, in fact, already been made.

The decision of how to time the announcements also reflects the particular needs of the candidates.

For Mr. Edwards, there is clearly interest in trying to win attention after two months in which Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama dominated the coverage of the Democratic contest.

Winning attention is what it's all about in politics, as we all know. It's certainly not a mark of character defect or a political sin, unless it appears to be totally inauthentic.

In my opinion, when it comes to potential campaigners and supporters, it's a lot more respectful and credible for a candidate to try to "win attention" by appealing directly and personally to potential voters than to have his or her message delivered solely through the old media.

Much of what Senator Edwards'supporters have been doing has been done 'under the radar'. If he finds success in 2008, it will change the face of future presidential campaigns. The One America Committee, largely directed by Senator Edwards' technology advisor Ryan Montoya, has been the soul of a new and empowering engine created by technology wizards and driven by the grassroots.

I'm not sure how Adam knows this for a fact:

Mr. Edwards has been preparing for this moment since the second in 2004 when he knew he and Mr. Kerry had been defeated.

I've been following and covering Senator Edwards' political moves for a long time and I have never heard him verbalize anything like this. Perhaps it's just Adam's opinion, although he doesn't make it clear.

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John Edwards Announcement Tour: People Get Ready
Daily Kos

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Benny wants us to know that two North Carolinan CJs are live blogging from NOLA and have a picture of Senator Edwards working with some middle school kids in shelving debris out of someone’s yard in the Lower Ninth Ward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robert Scoble quotes the same article and talks more about the progress of social media and how it's changing the face of political campaigns. And guess what? Robert says he'll be raising at least one glass in NOLA tomorrow!