On Thursday morning I was at breakfast with Alec Ross. One of the tech guys who advises Barack Obama. He told me to look around the restaurant at the Mayflower hotel in Washington DC. He said I had landed a breakfast in one of the most powerful rooms in Washington DC (I had no idea I had before breakfast had started). Then he said “they are pissed.”
But back to who they were. He said they were the Democratic Party’s top “bundlers.” These are people who raise funds for candidates. They hold parties for rich people in their home towns and “bundle” those rich people’s donations together.
Until now they played a major role in deciding who the next president was, and they, Ross told me, do that to have access to the President.
Back to why they are pissed. Barack Obama, Ross told me, is raising tons of money $50 to $100 at a time outside of this “bundling” system. The people in the old system don’t like that a new system is being built and that they aren’t part of it.
ABC News was there at the dinner where Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton spoke together later that night and said you could cut the tension in the room with a knife.
Of course, it’ll be interesting to see if Obama’s new donors will get tired of constantly being seen as an ATM, which is the reaction of some over on FriendFeed.
Interesting to have been in that room, though, talking about tech policy with one of Barack’s advisers. He told me that Obama is going to make tech (both the policy of, and understanding of) one of the key differentiating points between Obama and McCain. To me that mattered more than who was raising money for the candidates, even as that story swirled all around us.
I asked Ross to get Obama online to demonstrate he’s willing to use online media to listen to his supporters and have conversations. I also encouraged Ross to bring Obama out to meet with other bloggers so he could explain his tech policies and how they are different from McCain’s. Of course, maybe they should just pass out this video, where McCain admits he doesn’t know how to use a computer.
Of course, at the Personal Democracy Forum earlier this week, that alone caused a pretty sizeable debate. Does a President need to know how to use a computer? Does that affect his view of the tech industry? Several Congressmen and women (Democrats, of course) told me it does. We were debating just that over on FriendFeed all week.
Regarding the Presidency, several Congressmen and women made it very clear they couldn’t wait to have a new President, no matter who it is. Both Republicans and Democrats told us that (mostly off camera). Why? They said this administration has blocked so many of their efforts that the Congress has totally frustrated them. 2009 will be an interesting year in politics, the city felt like a pressurized bottle just waiting for someone to pop the cap off.
As someone who is directly involved with each campaign’s blogger outreach, I’ve been pleased with the level of knowledge each side has had on tech, bloggers, and social media. Of course Obama sat down with BlogHer, and McCain is holding calls…but there is room for so much more.
As someone who is directly involved with each campaign’s blogger outreach, I’ve been pleased with the level of knowledge each side has had on tech, bloggers, and social media. Of course Obama sat down with BlogHer, and McCain is holding calls…but there is room for so much more.
Barack has been well ahead of the field in regard to “new school” elements. However, he employs both new school and old school elements (including in fundraising) both, so don’t let anyone try to fool you on that or minimize it.
Barack Obama does embody, I believe, a new type of politics, but it is not completely without spin (even if it is, from my view/examination rather reduced from what often sees in politics from others).
Barack has been well ahead of the field in regard to “new school” elements. However, he employs both new school and old school elements (including in fundraising) both, so don’t let anyone try to fool you on that or minimize it.
Barack Obama does embody, I believe, a new type of politics, but it is not completely without spin (even if it is, from my view/examination rather reduced from what often sees in politics from others).
Robert, what did Alec Ross say about Obama using social media when you encouraged him to do so and do you have any more details on what he does for Obama. I still think there are many ways Obama can use social media during his campaign and when he is in the White House, but he has a very strong start. Great post, thanks.
Robert, what did Alec Ross say about Obama using social media when you encouraged him to do so and do you have any more details on what he does for Obama. I still think there are many ways Obama can use social media during his campaign and when he is in the White House, but he has a very strong start. Great post, thanks.
Robert, your posts show me what a loving dad you are. As a loving mom of a son with an incurable genetic illness, I wanted to share this tidbit with you and your readers.
When the primaries began, I e-mailed each nominee and told them I was against a national health care plan and why — mass health care is no different than mass marketing — cover the largest possible audience with non-engaging, ineffective, mediocre content.
Every candidates’ website acknowledged my e-mail — except Obama’s. Had I Twittered or Friended him, maybe he’d have answered me. Change and improvement aren’t synonymous.
Best,
betaBonnie
Robert, your posts show me what a loving dad you are. As a loving mom of a son with an incurable genetic illness, I wanted to share this tidbit with you and your readers.
When the primaries began, I e-mailed each nominee and told them I was against a national health care plan and why — mass health care is no different than mass marketing — cover the largest possible audience with non-engaging, ineffective, mediocre content.
Every candidates’ website acknowledged my e-mail — except Obama’s. Had I Twittered or Friended him, maybe he’d have answered me. Change and improvement aren’t synonymous.
Best,
betaBonnie
betaBonnie: that sucks. I know it always feels a little better to get an answer. I don’t always get answers from people either.
betaBonnie: that sucks. I know it always feels a little better to get an answer. I don’t always get answers from people either.
Ethan: he said to stay tuned and watch. Hopefully this is the start of a conversation.
Ethan: he said to stay tuned and watch. Hopefully this is the start of a conversation.
I’ve always been depressed at the way the older generation has, for many years, seemed to regard computer illiteracy as some sort of status symbol. Fortunately, between the march of time and the explosive growth of computers and the Internet over the last decade, I think this is finally nearing extinction - but it’s not quite there yet. That said, even speaking as someone who has been programming for 20 years and been online for more than half that time, I think there are far more important criteria for voting!
There’s nothing new in Obama’s fundraising, of course: it’s exactly the same path Howard Dean trod four years before, except that Dean fizzled out during the primaries while Obama kept going.
I’ve always been depressed at the way the older generation has, for many years, seemed to regard computer illiteracy as some sort of status symbol. Fortunately, between the march of time and the explosive growth of computers and the Internet over the last decade, I think this is finally nearing extinction - but it’s not quite there yet. That said, even speaking as someone who has been programming for 20 years and been online for more than half that time, I think there are far more important criteria for voting!
There’s nothing new in Obama’s fundraising, of course: it’s exactly the same path Howard Dean trod four years before, except that Dean fizzled out during the primaries while Obama kept going.
BetaBonnie: I agree with you on both parts, the former largely thanks to having experienced such a system in the UK and only barely survived the experience!
When the UK introduced an official system for petitioning the Prime Minister, I thought it was at least a step in the right direction; sadly, any petition which contradicts the government’s agenda at the time is simply dismissed out of hand. The one glimmer of hope, if it can be called that, is that Brown’s takeover indicates the petition responses are actually at least influenced by the PM: the recent dismissals have been much blunter and more arrogant without even a token effort to understand the point of view being expressed. Sadly, the system falls far short of the potent democratic tool it provides in Switzerland and some American states.
BetaBonnie: I agree with you on both parts, the former largely thanks to having experienced such a system in the UK and only barely survived the experience!
When the UK introduced an official system for petitioning the Prime Minister, I thought it was at least a step in the right direction; sadly, any petition which contradicts the government’s agenda at the time is simply dismissed out of hand. The one glimmer of hope, if it can be called that, is that Brown’s takeover indicates the petition responses are actually at least influenced by the PM: the recent dismissals have been much blunter and more arrogant without even a token effort to understand the point of view being expressed. Sadly, the system falls far short of the potent democratic tool it provides in Switzerland and some American states.
Robert, the people who network on Facebook and Twitter and collect donations through the Internet are no different than bundlers who collect paper checks in their living rooms. They’re still bundlers, just using a different technology to bundle. So they have more elements to their bundle, with smaller donations? So? Whether it’s 8 million geeks and social media nerds or 2 million socialites, so that? It’s still a class, a lobby. It’s not everybody.
And next time, the tools will be more mainstreamed and all kinds of political movements will use them, just like either party can use checks and mail.
Robert, the people who network on Facebook and Twitter and collect donations through the Internet are no different than bundlers who collect paper checks in their living rooms. They’re still bundlers, just using a different technology to bundle. So they have more elements to their bundle, with smaller donations? So? Whether it’s 8 million geeks and social media nerds or 2 million socialites, so that? It’s still a class, a lobby. It’s not everybody.
And next time, the tools will be more mainstreamed and all kinds of political movements will use them, just like either party can use checks and mail.
[...] Scobleizer — Tech geek blogger » Blog Archive The changing power in Washington DC « Insight into Obama’s campaign. (tags: obama politcs election) [...]
Prokofy: well, it’s a different set of people doing the bundling and the old guys who used to have the power aren’t very happy that the new guys are moving in and taking over.
But I didn’t send my $100 through a bundler. It went straight to the campaign.
Prokofy: well, it’s a different set of people doing the bundling and the old guys who used to have the power aren’t very happy that the new guys are moving in and taking over.
But I didn’t send my $100 through a bundler. It went straight to the campaign.
[...] Scobleizer — Tech geek blogger » Blog Archive The changing power in Washington DC « Back to why they are pissed. Barack Obama, Ross told me, is raising tons of money $50 to $100 at a time outside of this “bundling” system. The people in the old system don’t like that a new system is being built and that they aren’t part of it. [...]
Hillary backers aren’t old guys, Robert. They’re women and young men, too. What is your plan for these “old guys” (who aren’t even all old and all guys) in a real country that has to be run not only on Facebook? Are you hoping that they just never discover Twitter and keep reading newspapers?
The point is, Obama voters are just a constituency; a lobby. Like any other lobby. They are not sanctified by being on the Internet.
Hillary backers aren’t old guys, Robert. They’re women and young men, too. What is your plan for these “old guys” (who aren’t even all old and all guys) in a real country that has to be run not only on Facebook? Are you hoping that they just never discover Twitter and keep reading newspapers?
The point is, Obama voters are just a constituency; a lobby. Like any other lobby. They are not sanctified by being on the Internet.
[...] Scobleizer — Tech geek blogger » Blog Archive The changing power in Washington DC « Back to why they are pissed. Barack Obama, Ross told me, is raising tons of money $50 to $100 at a time outside of this “bundling” system. The people in the old system don’t like that a new system is being built and that they aren’t part of it. [...]