"You missed my baby!"
"The scariest thing of all is that John Sharp has learned how to text message."
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Future of Texas Politics
I'd like to take the opportunity of a web forum all to myself (Elizabeth's picking up her cousin at the airport, so I stole the computer and told Emily I was checking my email 145 times) to address a troubling rumor once and for all:
Patrick Rose and Mark Strama are not the same person.
I mean, that would be ridiculous, right? Though it is a widely accepted fact that Patrick Rose is a politician of such high caliber and campaigning know-how that he could feasibly have been elected to two different seats in the same year, I have difficulty believing that he would create a political alter ego, use that alter ego to establish a Campaign Academy, and not call that academy "Patrick Rose Campaign Boot Camp." Therefore, using my intern's intuition and the philosophical principle of Occam's Razor, I have come to what I believe is a simple and elegant conclusion:
Patrick Rose is Mark Strama's younger self, sent forward in time to serve Texas right when it needs him the most.
If you think about it, the signs are many: Patrick Rose is younger than Mark Strama. Mark is married and has a daughter; Patrick Rose has not yet been married, and does not have any children. Patrick Rose drives a DeLorean and has watched every single installment of I Love the 80s.
Look, I'm not saying that if you busted into Mark's capitol office and ripped up the floorboards, you would find the portal to the fourth dimension that was used to bring Patrick Rose into the 21st century.
But I'm also not saying that you wouldn't.
Patrick Rose and Mark Strama are not the same person.
I mean, that would be ridiculous, right? Though it is a widely accepted fact that Patrick Rose is a politician of such high caliber and campaigning know-how that he could feasibly have been elected to two different seats in the same year, I have difficulty believing that he would create a political alter ego, use that alter ego to establish a Campaign Academy, and not call that academy "Patrick Rose Campaign Boot Camp." Therefore, using my intern's intuition and the philosophical principle of Occam's Razor, I have come to what I believe is a simple and elegant conclusion:
Patrick Rose is Mark Strama's younger self, sent forward in time to serve Texas right when it needs him the most.
If you think about it, the signs are many: Patrick Rose is younger than Mark Strama. Mark is married and has a daughter; Patrick Rose has not yet been married, and does not have any children. Patrick Rose drives a DeLorean and has watched every single installment of I Love the 80s.
Look, I'm not saying that if you busted into Mark's capitol office and ripped up the floorboards, you would find the portal to the fourth dimension that was used to bring Patrick Rose into the 21st century.
But I'm also not saying that you wouldn't.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Ex (blog)Post Facto
Oh.
My.
God.
The last couple weeks of Campaign Academy have successfully shown my true colors.
Red, white, and HOT PINK.
The woman inside is really a 13 year old girl.
After throughly flipping out when I received the email informing me that GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN was scheduled to speak to the Academy, I wondered if anything could top that moment.
Well despite my best efforts to be coy, I had another tremble of admiration when I met the man himself. Emotions ran high as I casually introduced myself to Gov. Dean, and his assistant, Jeremy. As I led the pair to the calling room, I was embarrassed as I stumbled over my words and forgot to offer the pair a bottle of water or a 5-day-old doughnut from the coordinated campaign.
Actually hearing Dean speak was the best part of the whole ordeal. (Strange, I know.) He was genuinely enthusiastic about grassroots organization and political activism. The rhetoric was replaced with solutions and basic campaign ideas. For instance, new technology has made it possible for activists to print out campaign flyers, reordering topics to fit a particular constituency. Gov. Dean is so cool!
My.
God.
The last couple weeks of Campaign Academy have successfully shown my true colors.
Red, white, and HOT PINK.
The woman inside is really a 13 year old girl.
After throughly flipping out when I received the email informing me that GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN was scheduled to speak to the Academy, I wondered if anything could top that moment.
Well despite my best efforts to be coy, I had another tremble of admiration when I met the man himself. Emotions ran high as I casually introduced myself to Gov. Dean, and his assistant, Jeremy. As I led the pair to the calling room, I was embarrassed as I stumbled over my words and forgot to offer the pair a bottle of water or a 5-day-old doughnut from the coordinated campaign.
Actually hearing Dean speak was the best part of the whole ordeal. (Strange, I know.) He was genuinely enthusiastic about grassroots organization and political activism. The rhetoric was replaced with solutions and basic campaign ideas. For instance, new technology has made it possible for activists to print out campaign flyers, reordering topics to fit a particular constituency. Gov. Dean is so cool!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Christine Pelosi Can Be My Campaign Drill Sergeant Any Day
Indication #472 that I might, in fact, have metamorphosed into the biggest nerd I know:
When Christine Pelosi comes to visit the Campaign Academy on Friday, sharing stories of conscience, conflict, and public policy, I become convinced over the course of an hour that she is the coolest person on the face of the earth.
Seriously, though, I challenge the internet to come to a different conclusion. We're talking about a lady willing to give us the downlow on what it takes to be a politician (complete belief in your cause, willingness to sacrifice wedding anniversaries for house parties and minor injuries), how to deal with being right but not being able to do anything about it ("I told you so" is not a policy, unless you have younger siblings), and the appropriate application of grandmothers to the political process (making phone calls and bickering over the nationalities of your constituents).
"She's so practical!" I gushed to fellow interns, who had by then politely moved on to the next speaker. It is moments like these-- when data entry makes me giddy, when I breathlessly exclaim to Howard Dean that his new voter registration strategies are "so statistically significant," when Scroll Down, Vote for Andy Brown strikes me as the epitome of cleverness-- that make me realize just how sad a place my brain has become.
But never mind all that. CHRISTINE PELOSI.
Not only does she have her very own Wikipedia entry and comprise approximately 20% of our blog's readership (the other 80% being me, Emily, Grant, and people hitting "I'm Feeling Lucky" on Google), but Pelosi served as John Tierney's chief of staff, has written a book called Campaign Boot Camp that is surprisingly not a biography of Mark Strama, and IS A SUPERDELEGATE. DID YOU KNOW THAT? She can also stop bullets. With her mind.
If you don't believe me, check Wikipedia. Hint hint.
When Christine Pelosi comes to visit the Campaign Academy on Friday, sharing stories of conscience, conflict, and public policy, I become convinced over the course of an hour that she is the coolest person on the face of the earth.
Seriously, though, I challenge the internet to come to a different conclusion. We're talking about a lady willing to give us the downlow on what it takes to be a politician (complete belief in your cause, willingness to sacrifice wedding anniversaries for house parties and minor injuries), how to deal with being right but not being able to do anything about it ("I told you so" is not a policy, unless you have younger siblings), and the appropriate application of grandmothers to the political process (making phone calls and bickering over the nationalities of your constituents).
"She's so practical!" I gushed to fellow interns, who had by then politely moved on to the next speaker. It is moments like these-- when data entry makes me giddy, when I breathlessly exclaim to Howard Dean that his new voter registration strategies are "so statistically significant," when Scroll Down, Vote for Andy Brown strikes me as the epitome of cleverness-- that make me realize just how sad a place my brain has become.
But never mind all that. CHRISTINE PELOSI.
Not only does she have her very own Wikipedia entry and comprise approximately 20% of our blog's readership (the other 80% being me, Emily, Grant, and people hitting "I'm Feeling Lucky" on Google), but Pelosi served as John Tierney's chief of staff, has written a book called Campaign Boot Camp that is surprisingly not a biography of Mark Strama, and IS A SUPERDELEGATE. DID YOU KNOW THAT? She can also stop bullets. With her mind.
If you don't believe me, check Wikipedia. Hint hint.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Too Cool for Netroots
It was day two of Netroots Nation for the Campaign Academy-- did anybody else know you had to register for this shindig?! Luckily, my escort off the premises was not a burly security guy (do they even have those at blogger conventions?) but fellow intern Matt Bell, and not before we achieved a quick fifteen minutes of fame: While circling Ballroom D yet again, my ardent political activism as expressed in the sentiment "Ooh, candy!" earned us the attention of a gentleman with Commonweal Institute, who promptly interviewed us for the group's podcast. In a great personal breakthrough, I managed to answer his questions using phrases other than "save me a Junior Mint."
Actually, today was a big one for me in terms of media savvy. Though perhaps not as illustrious as, say, a stint on 60 Minutes, this interview was excellent practice for me in crafting sound bytes and not using words commonly found on the SAT. I even worked in a reference to Bono.*
We've got an exciting day lined up tomorrow, even though that day is Saturday and technically our day off. It's like they say: No rest for the interns.
*I am so pop culture impaired that Bono is the only "cool" reference I know. I try to use it only once when meeting new people, in the hope that I will seem so cool in that moment that I will never have to prove myself again. This tends to fall apart when they discover that I've never heard "Smack That" and don't know what they're talking about when they start in on McDreamy and how cute Jim and Pam are.
Actually, today was a big one for me in terms of media savvy. Though perhaps not as illustrious as, say, a stint on 60 Minutes, this interview was excellent practice for me in crafting sound bytes and not using words commonly found on the SAT. I even worked in a reference to Bono.*
We've got an exciting day lined up tomorrow, even though that day is Saturday and technically our day off. It's like they say: No rest for the interns.
*I am so pop culture impaired that Bono is the only "cool" reference I know. I try to use it only once when meeting new people, in the hope that I will seem so cool in that moment that I will never have to prove myself again. This tends to fall apart when they discover that I've never heard "Smack That" and don't know what they're talking about when they start in on McDreamy and how cute Jim and Pam are.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
I'm glad we aren't the only ones with a Dean crush!
Eileen Smith of Poll Dancing and In the Pink (what is the grammar for blog sites?) implied that most people at the Netroots Nation convention have or are going to have Dean crushes in her Obama girl post.
After he spoke to the acad today I know that we all have major Dean crushes. BBeth's introuction literally made Dean blush, and I think Lorenzo asked him to sign his pocket constitution.
After he spoke to the acad today I know that we all have major Dean crushes. BBeth's introuction literally made Dean blush, and I think Lorenzo asked him to sign his pocket constitution.
Dean makes the world sweet (he can't help himself)
As an Acad member I feel like a political insider. Speakers like Matt Dowd, and Gary Mauro are disarmed by our youth and squalid surroundings. Whether it’s Mauro tweaking his public remarks or Matt Dowd telling us *Censored by Public Strategies Representatives* speakers don’t seem to want to misrepresent the world to us.
Howard Dean- who requested not to be filmed- presented the world as a place we were obligated to change. Too long(in his mind) the last generation allowed republicans to create fear and then farm the resulting anxiety. Now, he believes people are tired of arguing issues that will never be resolved. Now, the country is ripe for the party of change.
Suprisingly, even when he was demanding commitment and public service from us he was uplifting.
Here are some examples:
*Disclaimer: these quotes come from my poorly scribbled notes and memory so they are probably mildly inaccurate.*
Howard Dean- who requested not to be filmed- presented the world as a place we were obligated to change. Too long(in his mind) the last generation allowed republicans to create fear and then farm the resulting anxiety. Now, he believes people are tired of arguing issues that will never be resolved. Now, the country is ripe for the party of change.
Suprisingly, even when he was demanding commitment and public service from us he was uplifting.
Here are some examples:
“Democracy is not the natural state of humanity. It can die like any other human
Any other human construction.”
“Voting gets you a C[as a citizen]. It’s the bare minimum.”
“Freedom doesn’t mean for politicians to tell you how to run your life. We need people that understand that.”
“Volunteering for a campaign earns you a B. Then you need to run for office.”
“I don’t believe that you need to ‘wait your turn.’…unless you can’t win.”
Any other human construction.”
“Voting gets you a C[as a citizen]. It’s the bare minimum.”
“Freedom doesn’t mean for politicians to tell you how to run your life. We need people that understand that.”
“Volunteering for a campaign earns you a B. Then you need to run for office.”
“I don’t believe that you need to ‘wait your turn.’…unless you can’t win.”
*Disclaimer: these quotes come from my poorly scribbled notes and memory so they are probably mildly inaccurate.*
Party Like a Blog Star
In my career as an intern, I've found that sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. In this case, "discretion" entailed discreetly tagging along on a stickering mission to Brush Square despite not knowing what stickering was, and "valor" the fact that said mission put me in the path of Howard Dean and a convention center full of bloggers.
It turns out that there's a little get-together called Netroots Nation going on this weekend, and a few of us at the Campaign Academy were sent over to entreat the bloggers, advocacy groups, and assorted political junkies to accept our "Turn Texas Blue" stickersand thereby pledge their eternal souls to the cause. As if the bloggers weren't incentive enough, we also learned that Howard Dean would be putting in an appearance as part of his nation-wide voter registration efforts.
I fixed my hair ninety-seven times before I would agree to get out of the car.
Unfortunately, just as the man himself was launching into a great and fascinating speech, I fell victim to the most irresistible of convention lures: swag. Tempted by the prospect of free pens and luggage tags, fellow Campaign Academician Catherine and I traipsed up to the fourth floor of the Austin Convention Center and made our way into Ballroom D. There we found a treasure trove of activist groups, worthy causes, and foam Statue of Liberty crowns-- yours truly walked away with no fewer than nine pins and a bevy of stickers, and currently resembles nothing so much as an ambulatory billboard of democracy.
I couldn't think of a good note to end this post on, but Jen Fomby has advised me to tell you all: "I notice you're pretty gangster. I'm pretty gangster myself."
It turns out that there's a little get-together called Netroots Nation going on this weekend, and a few of us at the Campaign Academy were sent over to entreat the bloggers, advocacy groups, and assorted political junkies to accept our "Turn Texas Blue" stickers
I fixed my hair ninety-seven times before I would agree to get out of the car.
Unfortunately, just as the man himself was launching into a great and fascinating speech, I fell victim to the most irresistible of convention lures: swag. Tempted by the prospect of free pens and luggage tags, fellow Campaign Academician Catherine and I traipsed up to the fourth floor of the Austin Convention Center and made our way into Ballroom D. There we found a treasure trove of activist groups, worthy causes, and foam Statue of Liberty crowns-- yours truly walked away with no fewer than nine pins and a bevy of stickers, and currently resembles nothing so much as an ambulatory billboard of democracy.
I couldn't think of a good note to end this post on, but Jen Fomby has advised me to tell you all: "I notice you're pretty gangster. I'm pretty gangster myself."
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Sarah Eckhardt was a misdemeanor prosecutor
I can not say nice enough tings about county commissioner Sarah Eckhardt. There is not glory in the County Commissioner’s court. Each commissioner represents more than 100,000 people. The county government represents all the unincorporated areas, but has almost no authority. They cannot zone. They cannot impose buffer regulations on land fills. Basically they cannot infringe on any property rights. Sarah says that this makes the county government nimble and forces them to work with other government structures. As she puts it “We can’t ram it through. We have to ask.” This statement seems to be typical of Sarah’s conversation with us: cute, highly informative, and accidentally risqué. At one point Sarah told us that she had been a misdemeanor prosecutor, and I could have sworn she said misdemeanor prostitutor.
Before Sarah came we were having a spirited conversation about drugs, gangs, and creative solutions. By spirited conversation I mean that I proposed a ludicrous solution (lets just legalize drugs….all of them) which was shot down by the rest of academy. Pretty much a typical morning at the Campaign Academy..
Turns out our morning was a pretty good warm-up for our lunch. At the end of our talk Sarah presented a common problem that the Commissioner’s court faces: the Travis county health district chose a spot in a low crime neighborhood for a publicly funded rehab center…without consulting the neighborhood. Now, the neighborhood is up in arms insisting that the clinic will lower neighborhood property values and increase the crime rate. Sarah argues the directing non-violent offenders away from jail and into treatment will improve our community. Once again the court will have to navigate the intersection of property rights and the society’s welfare.
When Matt Dowd came to the academy(Acad for short) he told us that he didn’t believe that fundamental change could be implemented on the national level. It needs to begin on the local level. Dowd, always the hippie, pointed out that Jesus and Buddha changed the world without ever traveling beyond a 30 mile radius. At least I think that’s what he said. Anyway, I think Sarah Eckhardt is an example of a person who is at least trying to start change at the local level.
Before Sarah came we were having a spirited conversation about drugs, gangs, and creative solutions. By spirited conversation I mean that I proposed a ludicrous solution (lets just legalize drugs….all of them) which was shot down by the rest of academy. Pretty much a typical morning at the Campaign Academy..
Turns out our morning was a pretty good warm-up for our lunch. At the end of our talk Sarah presented a common problem that the Commissioner’s court faces: the Travis county health district chose a spot in a low crime neighborhood for a publicly funded rehab center…without consulting the neighborhood. Now, the neighborhood is up in arms insisting that the clinic will lower neighborhood property values and increase the crime rate. Sarah argues the directing non-violent offenders away from jail and into treatment will improve our community. Once again the court will have to navigate the intersection of property rights and the society’s welfare.
When Matt Dowd came to the academy(Acad for short) he told us that he didn’t believe that fundamental change could be implemented on the national level. It needs to begin on the local level. Dowd, always the hippie, pointed out that Jesus and Buddha changed the world without ever traveling beyond a 30 mile radius. At least I think that’s what he said. Anyway, I think Sarah Eckhardt is an example of a person who is at least trying to start change at the local level.
Observation
Ian Davis dreams big.
Every time I see Ian he’s selling another big dream, whether it’s Obama taking Texas in November or the Campaign Academy “burning through the Travis county universe” and then making calls to Houston or Corpus.
Even his language is otherworldly. Words like mega, awesome, and universe pepper his conversation. Honestly it’s pretty motivating(which I think is his goal.)
Every time I see Ian he’s selling another big dream, whether it’s Obama taking Texas in November or the Campaign Academy “burning through the Travis county universe” and then making calls to Houston or Corpus.
Even his language is otherworldly. Words like mega, awesome, and universe pepper his conversation. Honestly it’s pretty motivating(which I think is his goal.)
Failure to Launch (But Not to Lunch)
When the morning's block-walking efforts up in Wells Branch were stymied by a surprise lack of lit, stranding us in the home of host Jimmy Talarico and his family until help or pizza could arrive, the plucky interns of Campaign Academy knew exactly what to do.
"Right hand red!"
"Wait, is that everybody's hand or just my hand?"
"I'd love to see this game played with a group of yoga instructors ..."
Twister was preceded by an exceedingly democratic game of Catch Phrase: Instead of creating needless division by picking teams (boys against girls, every other person, everyone against Lorenzo), we passed around the little electronic timer and focused on the sheer joy of guessing. Afterwards, we caught The Breakfast Club on TV while lunching on Mexican Ole pizza, broadening this intern's horizons with the revelation that people actually make and serve Mexican Ole pizza.
Then Grant showed up with the flyers and we hit the streets, but not before I swore to start dying my hair red and serving excessive Saturday detention sentences.
"Right hand red!"
"Wait, is that everybody's hand or just my hand?"
"I'd love to see this game played with a group of yoga instructors ..."
Twister was preceded by an exceedingly democratic game of Catch Phrase: Instead of creating needless division by picking teams (boys against girls, every other person, everyone against Lorenzo), we passed around the little electronic timer and focused on the sheer joy of guessing. Afterwards, we caught The Breakfast Club on TV while lunching on Mexican Ole pizza, broadening this intern's horizons with the revelation that people actually make and serve Mexican Ole pizza.
Then Grant showed up with the flyers and we hit the streets, but not before I swore to start dying my hair red and serving excessive Saturday detention sentences.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Carry On, My Wayward Blog
Well, it's been a long break for yours truly-- an epic, action-packed, mile-a-minute week of driving my out-of-town relations back and forth from Ross to TJ-Maxx. Back at the Campaign Academy "ranch," it looks like I missed out on some pretty cool happenings: visits from Evan Smith, Paul Burka, Matthew Dowd, and a small contingent of bloggers (including the illustrious Eileen Smith of In the Pink Texas). But you know what? I'm not bitter.
I've got data entry.
Yeah, that's right. Forget about the glamor of political celebrity and the pure adrenaline rush of blogging; I'm sitting behind a cubicle wall trying to figure out what to do when voters check off "yes" under sex. Are they subversive or just really enthusiastic? Will this be mistaken for a campaign promise of some kind? Is "9 Hell Cirlc" a street in Austin, or an occult tome from Hellraiser III? These are questions that I can't answer.
Not without a much, much deeper knowledge of handwriting analysis.
I've got data entry.
Yeah, that's right. Forget about the glamor of political celebrity and the pure adrenaline rush of blogging; I'm sitting behind a cubicle wall trying to figure out what to do when voters check off "yes" under sex. Are they subversive or just really enthusiastic? Will this be mistaken for a campaign promise of some kind? Is "9 Hell Cirlc" a street in Austin, or an occult tome from Hellraiser III? These are questions that I can't answer.
Not without a much, much deeper knowledge of handwriting analysis.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Haught for Vaught in Dist. 107
Although I definitely missed walking through the sauna-esque temperatures of the TCDP Headquarters, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my D-Town blockwalking excursion.
After only a few Dallas driving mishaps (getting lost, driving the wrong way on a one way, swerving to avoid getting crushed by an SUV...), we finally reached Vaught's targeted precinct. Michael and I knocked on 50+ doors, speaking candidly about the candidate, like we had known him for years (or atleast had been campaigning for him for years).
"Allen Vaught is the Democratic candidate running for re-election as State Representative this November. He is an Iraq war veteran and a Dallas attorney who stands for strong public education, clean air and water, as well as insurance reform. We would really appreciate your vote this November 5th."
We memorized the his basic campaign material, walked and repeated.
Though most people weren't aware that they even had a State Rep., everyone was friendly and gracious (we did only knock on D doors). I can honestly say that I am confident that the voters we reached will go down ballot for Allen Vaught.
(Sorry. I don't mean to be haughty.)
After only a few Dallas driving mishaps (getting lost, driving the wrong way on a one way, swerving to avoid getting crushed by an SUV...), we finally reached Vaught's targeted precinct. Michael and I knocked on 50+ doors, speaking candidly about the candidate, like we had known him for years (or atleast had been campaigning for him for years).
"Allen Vaught is the Democratic candidate running for re-election as State Representative this November. He is an Iraq war veteran and a Dallas attorney who stands for strong public education, clean air and water, as well as insurance reform. We would really appreciate your vote this November 5th."
We memorized the his basic campaign material, walked and repeated.
Though most people weren't aware that they even had a State Rep., everyone was friendly and gracious (we did only knock on D doors). I can honestly say that I am confident that the voters we reached will go down ballot for Allen Vaught.
(Sorry. I don't mean to be haughty.)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Point and Counterpoint
When Gary Mauro visited the Academy, he claimed that for Obama to win...or at least win with a wide margin, he requires Senator Clinton to run as the VP on the ticket.
Mauro reasoned that Obama needs the many voters who will either vote for McCain or not vote at all due to their strong allegiance to Clinton. For Obama to form a coalition with Clinton would be the smartest move; for Clinton to run as VP may almost be a sacrifice since more power lies in the seat of a New York senator. Therefore, together they can secure many more votes, and Obama will have the added benefit of having a woman of experience on his side.
Matthew Dowd disagrees.
Dowd claimed that even though the primary was extremely polarized, the situation is reasonable calm at the moment. Obama doesn't need Clinton to win...in fact, she may be a deterrent. His brand of "change" and "hope" would be soiled. No part of having the wife of a past president who has been serving as a senator for the past 7 years carries a message of "change." It is a mantra of the old White House, an image that does not fit Obama's message.
Personally, I don't know which side I support. However, I am sure the brilliance of the winning side will be revealed in hindsight...as it always is.
Mauro reasoned that Obama needs the many voters who will either vote for McCain or not vote at all due to their strong allegiance to Clinton. For Obama to form a coalition with Clinton would be the smartest move; for Clinton to run as VP may almost be a sacrifice since more power lies in the seat of a New York senator. Therefore, together they can secure many more votes, and Obama will have the added benefit of having a woman of experience on his side.
Matthew Dowd disagrees.
Dowd claimed that even though the primary was extremely polarized, the situation is reasonable calm at the moment. Obama doesn't need Clinton to win...in fact, she may be a deterrent. His brand of "change" and "hope" would be soiled. No part of having the wife of a past president who has been serving as a senator for the past 7 years carries a message of "change." It is a mantra of the old White House, an image that does not fit Obama's message.
Personally, I don't know which side I support. However, I am sure the brilliance of the winning side will be revealed in hindsight...as it always is.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Exerpts from Amy's Journal..... 7/8/08
Daily Journal:
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
http://blogs.kxan.com/kxanonline/
http://austinist.com/2008/04/08/local_political.php
http://pinkdome.com/
http://www.inthepinktexas.com/
http://www.texasmonthly.com/
Today we had a blogger panel: Eileen Smith, Charlie Ray, and Paul Burka. Elieen Smith is the new online editor of Texas Monthly. Paul Burka now works under her and is also a major text contributor to the magazine. Charlie Ray is now editor of KXAN online.
Last cycle, Charlie Ray and Elaine Smith were both on the blogger’s panel for Campaign Academy because they ran their own political blogs. Today, they have both transitioned into mainstream media. Paul Burks has been writing for magazines for years and is going the other direction. This was a convergence panel.
Eileen and Charlie, both Democrats, started parallel political blogs in 2004 and each created a character to present often opposing points of view. The two authors often had meetings with each other in a space they liked to call ‘the pink room’ to discuss current political happenings. Charlie began his blog anonymously, which allowed him to say things he wouldn’t normally say in public. However, when he realized his blog had influence in political circles and was giving people serious information and a taste of opinion, he decided he should add credibility to his space and give himself a name.
When KXAN hired Charlie Ray, he believed it was the wisest decision to end his persona on Pink Dome. However when Evan Smith approached Eileen, it was because of her blog. They appreciated her insight and liked her blog character and strongly encouraged her to keep up both pursuits (working for Texas Monthly and running her In The Pink blog site). (She blogged about us after speaking today.)
All three talked about the benefits of blogging in the face of a declining print media. A vast majority of intellectually savvy twenty-somethings and younger do NOT watch television, especially for their main source of the news. The internet has given people a way to customize the content that they get, with news feeds, bookmarks and customizable home pages. People do no even actually have to go to a website to read content; it is fed into their home page.
Media has turned into a different style of reporting. It is no longer a one-to-many conversations where the news source decides what news the public is given. News has become people talking to people in groups and communities. The blogs are able to create a community of people with similar interests who wish to dialog. People are no longer willing to wait for their news; deadlines are no longer at 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00, people want their news faster, so deadlines must be every five minutes, more precisely whenever you can get the news. Charlie Ray works for a television station (KXAN) but just plain never watches it because he is in the generation who, really, only uses internet.
Reading blogs doesn’t feel like anyone is hammering you with opinion or information, because you generally agree with what you are reading. Either you skim past what you don’t believe or you go and switch blogs. Based on whether or not you read the comments, you can have more angles about the subject. Reading the comments should broaden one’s perspective.
Thought: The filter we learned about in Dr. St. Clair’s class, in which people choose what to believe, a filter that was present in even the old way of thinking, has gotten even smaller. In other words, people are more able to pick and choose what to listen to and what is truth, so they are becoming much more adept at being selective. Will this cause our society to become more narrow-minded?????
They brought up three interesting points.
1) When you blog, you don’t have to wait for a monthly publication. You can get more out, more quickly, showing more progressions of the story. Instead of doing 3 articles once a month, Paul Burka said he can do twenty articles over the month, and as people comment, he can also provide updates in his responses.
2) Blogging anonymously vs. anonymous comments: Are these freedoms good or bad? Does it allow you to be more unrestrained than you should be? It is more of a debate than an answer to a question, because to a certain extent, the freedom allows you to be more honest than you would be if you weren’t being anonymous, but then because you are anonymous, sometimes you don’t take yourself seriously enough and it doesn’t occur to you how far-reaching and how widely read you are being and so you might do damage to others’ reputations, when you figured you were merely talking to thin air.
The anonymity of when people post comments is a double-edged sword as well. People are more honest and more likely to get into a discussion with each other if they don’t have their name attached. But paid staff could get in hot water, for certain kinds of comments!!!!
Charlie Ray and Mark Strama have a running joke about Mark’s ‘inability to dress’. Charlie Ray thinks Mark’s favorite suit is tacky. This happens to be the suit Mark got married in, the most expensive suit Mark has ever purchased. Having recalled that Evan Smith writes a list of ten best and worst legislators, I suggested that Charlie Ray should start a best- and worst-dressed legislators list and then see where Mark fell. Catherine and I stuck up for Mark’s impeccable fashion sense. Eileen said that since Charlie had shut down his blog, In The Pink should strike up that debate. Charlie said they also have a joke about if Mark can’t dress better, at least he should stop looking like Patrick Rose (and give him a break).
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
http://blogs.kxan.com/kxanonline/
http://austinist.com/2008/04/08/local_political.php
http://pinkdome.com/
http://www.inthepinktexas.com/
http://www.texasmonthly.com/
Today we had a blogger panel: Eileen Smith, Charlie Ray, and Paul Burka. Elieen Smith is the new online editor of Texas Monthly. Paul Burka now works under her and is also a major text contributor to the magazine. Charlie Ray is now editor of KXAN online.
Last cycle, Charlie Ray and Elaine Smith were both on the blogger’s panel for Campaign Academy because they ran their own political blogs. Today, they have both transitioned into mainstream media. Paul Burks has been writing for magazines for years and is going the other direction. This was a convergence panel.
Eileen and Charlie, both Democrats, started parallel political blogs in 2004 and each created a character to present often opposing points of view. The two authors often had meetings with each other in a space they liked to call ‘the pink room’ to discuss current political happenings. Charlie began his blog anonymously, which allowed him to say things he wouldn’t normally say in public. However, when he realized his blog had influence in political circles and was giving people serious information and a taste of opinion, he decided he should add credibility to his space and give himself a name.
When KXAN hired Charlie Ray, he believed it was the wisest decision to end his persona on Pink Dome. However when Evan Smith approached Eileen, it was because of her blog. They appreciated her insight and liked her blog character and strongly encouraged her to keep up both pursuits (working for Texas Monthly and running her In The Pink blog site). (She blogged about us after speaking today.)
All three talked about the benefits of blogging in the face of a declining print media. A vast majority of intellectually savvy twenty-somethings and younger do NOT watch television, especially for their main source of the news. The internet has given people a way to customize the content that they get, with news feeds, bookmarks and customizable home pages. People do no even actually have to go to a website to read content; it is fed into their home page.
Media has turned into a different style of reporting. It is no longer a one-to-many conversations where the news source decides what news the public is given. News has become people talking to people in groups and communities. The blogs are able to create a community of people with similar interests who wish to dialog. People are no longer willing to wait for their news; deadlines are no longer at 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00, people want their news faster, so deadlines must be every five minutes, more precisely whenever you can get the news. Charlie Ray works for a television station (KXAN) but just plain never watches it because he is in the generation who, really, only uses internet.
Reading blogs doesn’t feel like anyone is hammering you with opinion or information, because you generally agree with what you are reading. Either you skim past what you don’t believe or you go and switch blogs. Based on whether or not you read the comments, you can have more angles about the subject. Reading the comments should broaden one’s perspective.
Thought: The filter we learned about in Dr. St. Clair’s class, in which people choose what to believe, a filter that was present in even the old way of thinking, has gotten even smaller. In other words, people are more able to pick and choose what to listen to and what is truth, so they are becoming much more adept at being selective. Will this cause our society to become more narrow-minded?????
They brought up three interesting points.
1) When you blog, you don’t have to wait for a monthly publication. You can get more out, more quickly, showing more progressions of the story. Instead of doing 3 articles once a month, Paul Burka said he can do twenty articles over the month, and as people comment, he can also provide updates in his responses.
2) Blogging anonymously vs. anonymous comments: Are these freedoms good or bad? Does it allow you to be more unrestrained than you should be? It is more of a debate than an answer to a question, because to a certain extent, the freedom allows you to be more honest than you would be if you weren’t being anonymous, but then because you are anonymous, sometimes you don’t take yourself seriously enough and it doesn’t occur to you how far-reaching and how widely read you are being and so you might do damage to others’ reputations, when you figured you were merely talking to thin air.
The anonymity of when people post comments is a double-edged sword as well. People are more honest and more likely to get into a discussion with each other if they don’t have their name attached. But paid staff could get in hot water, for certain kinds of comments!!!!
Charlie Ray and Mark Strama have a running joke about Mark’s ‘inability to dress’. Charlie Ray thinks Mark’s favorite suit is tacky. This happens to be the suit Mark got married in, the most expensive suit Mark has ever purchased. Having recalled that Evan Smith writes a list of ten best and worst legislators, I suggested that Charlie Ray should start a best- and worst-dressed legislators list and then see where Mark fell. Catherine and I stuck up for Mark’s impeccable fashion sense. Eileen said that since Charlie had shut down his blog, In The Pink should strike up that debate. Charlie said they also have a joke about if Mark can’t dress better, at least he should stop looking like Patrick Rose (and give him a break).
Monday, July 7, 2008
Exerpts from Amy's Journal..... 7/7/08
Evan Smith http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Smith is editor and VP of Texas Monthly Magazine. http://www.texasmonthly.com/. He discussed the role of the media in politics today. Most of it confirmed what my professor, Dr. St. Clair, had taught us last semester in Media and Politics.
Mr. Smith said that the media should act as though it has a fiduciary responsibility to report the facts to the public. The vast majority of the American public gets one-sided news. In order to keep his own biases in check, Mr. Smith reads a vast array of publications even those in direct opposition to his own point of view. If one only reads what one already agrees with, they aren’t expanding their view. It is very easy for the media to shape public opinion, if there is only one outlet. The media has abused this power and overstepped its boundaries by using spin.
Both Hillary and Obama were misrepresented by the media. Obama was painted as extremely inexperienced. While he lacks experience in the conventional sense of politics, his community-based experience should have explained why he so easily related to people. Hillary was painted as part of the establishment and ‘anti-change’. However if she were running against anyone else, her views would have been presented as a change from the Republican status quo. The reason why Clinton supporters seemed to be having a hard time supporting Obama is that they never thought they could lose. It is the same situation as what happened in the last super bowl. No one expected Eli Manning to make a miracle pass. In the same way, everyone thought Hilary had the nomination tied up and in the bag. One possibe reason why the Clintons were blind-sided; they thought they had the dream campaigning ticket, with him helping her campaign.
Smith didn’t talk about why Obama had a ‘Eli Manning miracle’, but here is my speculation… He had the miracle because of the youth turnout. No one ever expects youth to turn out in measurable numbers. Consultants and political candidates don’t know how to cater to us. This is unprecedented and all the political pundits don’t know what to do. All the conventional measures and tools cannot be used to determine where we will show up or how we will vote. As Evan Smith said, “this is more than just the average transformational election. The pendulum will not swing back. Politics will never be the same again.”
The media is in love with Obama. They have one characterization of him. Per Smith…“School-girl/ put notes in his locker/ send him flowers/ start a scrapbook in love with Obama”. They feel badly for how they treated Kerry on flip-flopping, plus they were criticized harshly by the public last election, plus they like Obama, so this election they’re giving him a ‘pass’ for any flip-flopping.
These candidates are not moving in the eyes of the press the way most candidates should move. Obama would like to be able to develop his positions as public opinion demands it and as situations change, but the media is getting angry because he is starting to differ from their fairy tale image that they have created for him. The same goes for Hillary as ‘the horrible establishment’, the media wants her to live up to that so much that it shouldn’t include her campaigning for Obama. They want her out of the picture and she keeps trying to fight her way back in.
I agree with Evan Smith’s take on the unity of the parties; the media is worried about the unity of the Democrats, but when you look at each candidates’ platform, the Democrats agree on 98% of the issues. However, when you look at the race as a whole, it’s not the Democrats who should be worried, it’s McCain. Even when the Republican nomination had officially been handed to Texas, he only won by 52%. 48% of Texas does not like where he stands on the issues. A deep red state doesn’t like McCain; he has a problem. He needs to be creating unity, like Obama has.
Even if Obama doesn’t win, the turnout he’ll create will help in down ballot races. Noreiga’s race will help Obama’s race because Hispanic turnout will spike in Texas, not the other way around. McCain will not help with turnout of Republicans because too many Republicans are dissatisfied with the nominee.
I asked Evan Smith if he thinks the media is too one-sided in it’s opinion. I commented that when I read one news source for several months, I felt like the same opinion was being hammered into me whether I liked it or not. If I were reading by choice, I would have stopped reading (yet this was for my term paper on the AAS Democratic election where they clearly wanted Obama over Clinton). He agreed and said this is why most of the public is disenchanted with the main-stream media and has stopped reading it. He told me to ask the blogger panel the same question, tommorrow.
Mr. Smith said that the media should act as though it has a fiduciary responsibility to report the facts to the public. The vast majority of the American public gets one-sided news. In order to keep his own biases in check, Mr. Smith reads a vast array of publications even those in direct opposition to his own point of view. If one only reads what one already agrees with, they aren’t expanding their view. It is very easy for the media to shape public opinion, if there is only one outlet. The media has abused this power and overstepped its boundaries by using spin.
Both Hillary and Obama were misrepresented by the media. Obama was painted as extremely inexperienced. While he lacks experience in the conventional sense of politics, his community-based experience should have explained why he so easily related to people. Hillary was painted as part of the establishment and ‘anti-change’. However if she were running against anyone else, her views would have been presented as a change from the Republican status quo. The reason why Clinton supporters seemed to be having a hard time supporting Obama is that they never thought they could lose. It is the same situation as what happened in the last super bowl. No one expected Eli Manning to make a miracle pass. In the same way, everyone thought Hilary had the nomination tied up and in the bag. One possibe reason why the Clintons were blind-sided; they thought they had the dream campaigning ticket, with him helping her campaign.
Smith didn’t talk about why Obama had a ‘Eli Manning miracle’, but here is my speculation… He had the miracle because of the youth turnout. No one ever expects youth to turn out in measurable numbers. Consultants and political candidates don’t know how to cater to us. This is unprecedented and all the political pundits don’t know what to do. All the conventional measures and tools cannot be used to determine where we will show up or how we will vote. As Evan Smith said, “this is more than just the average transformational election. The pendulum will not swing back. Politics will never be the same again.”
The media is in love with Obama. They have one characterization of him. Per Smith…“School-girl/ put notes in his locker/ send him flowers/ start a scrapbook in love with Obama”. They feel badly for how they treated Kerry on flip-flopping, plus they were criticized harshly by the public last election, plus they like Obama, so this election they’re giving him a ‘pass’ for any flip-flopping.
These candidates are not moving in the eyes of the press the way most candidates should move. Obama would like to be able to develop his positions as public opinion demands it and as situations change, but the media is getting angry because he is starting to differ from their fairy tale image that they have created for him. The same goes for Hillary as ‘the horrible establishment’, the media wants her to live up to that so much that it shouldn’t include her campaigning for Obama. They want her out of the picture and she keeps trying to fight her way back in.
I agree with Evan Smith’s take on the unity of the parties; the media is worried about the unity of the Democrats, but when you look at each candidates’ platform, the Democrats agree on 98% of the issues. However, when you look at the race as a whole, it’s not the Democrats who should be worried, it’s McCain. Even when the Republican nomination had officially been handed to Texas, he only won by 52%. 48% of Texas does not like where he stands on the issues. A deep red state doesn’t like McCain; he has a problem. He needs to be creating unity, like Obama has.
Even if Obama doesn’t win, the turnout he’ll create will help in down ballot races. Noreiga’s race will help Obama’s race because Hispanic turnout will spike in Texas, not the other way around. McCain will not help with turnout of Republicans because too many Republicans are dissatisfied with the nominee.
I asked Evan Smith if he thinks the media is too one-sided in it’s opinion. I commented that when I read one news source for several months, I felt like the same opinion was being hammered into me whether I liked it or not. If I were reading by choice, I would have stopped reading (yet this was for my term paper on the AAS Democratic election where they clearly wanted Obama over Clinton). He agreed and said this is why most of the public is disenchanted with the main-stream media and has stopped reading it. He told me to ask the blogger panel the same question, tommorrow.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Hittin' the streets.
We at the Campaign Academy block-walked for the first time late last week, and since then, we've been burnin' up the pavement. We've been walking around the east side this week, passing out literature for a Democratic block party at the Coordinated Campaign headquarters, that is coming up on the 22nd of this month. It's made me look at my devotion to this party in a whole different way ... who in their right mind block-walks in the 98+ degree heat to put little pieces of paper on people's doors?
People who love the Democratic party, that's who. I've been out twice today already, and I can tell you I'm on fire for the party.
Figuratively and literally.
People who love the Democratic party, that's who. I've been out twice today already, and I can tell you I'm on fire for the party.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Bringing Sexy Back
It should come as no surprise to the informed reader that, in working in Texas politics this summer, the word we interns hear more often than any other is "sexy."
"The smaller down-ballot races are not the sexy ones," one campaign manager told us during yesterday's lunch, while another guest speaker warned, "Some people don't think that life and liberty are very sexy."
Who knew that a dearth of sex appeal would be such an issue in down-ballot state races? In an attempt to redress this glaring problem, I have thoughtfully compiled a list of ways to "sexy up" your own bid for not-so-prestigious elected office:
Consider selecting "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake as your campaign song. Not only is it the definitive sexy pop anthem, but it also makes for a catchy attack ad through its assertion that your opponents "don't know how to act."
Send out mailers that feature your vacation pictures with Bono. Photoshop skills a plus.
Try to finagle an endorsement from the National Union of Victoria's Secret Models.
Don't lose heart, bottom-of-the-ballotters! Your fight for glamor and glitz has only just begun. Just remember: One campaign's "misunderstanding of the term 'sexy' in its application to local races" is another campaign's "calendar shoot."
"The smaller down-ballot races are not the sexy ones," one campaign manager told us during yesterday's lunch, while another guest speaker warned, "Some people don't think that life and liberty are very sexy."
Who knew that a dearth of sex appeal would be such an issue in down-ballot state races? In an attempt to redress this glaring problem, I have thoughtfully compiled a list of ways to "sexy up" your own bid for not-so-prestigious elected office:
Don't lose heart, bottom-of-the-ballotters! Your fight for glamor and glitz has only just begun. Just remember: One campaign's "misunderstanding of the term 'sexy' in its application to local races" is another campaign's "calendar shoot."
Working hard or hardly working?
As much as I like to convince my friends that I am working from 10 to 6 every day, blistered from block walking and disheartened by opening the political Pandora's box, I cannot help but enjoy every minute of the Campaign Academy.
The video project that both defines the Campaign Academy message and invites Howard Dean to speak to the academy has been an interesting endeavor. I initially thought the amount of people interested in the project would slow us down, and eventually doom the project as a whole. I couldn't have been more wrong. The ideas and enthusiasm bouncing back and forth between the crew has been an excellent environment for creativity.
Most of all, making the video has been FUN. I could grab the online thesaurus and find a better way to say that, but how else do you describe sipping on tapioca balls while jamming out to "Toxic" on the way back from the Capitol shoot?
Fun.
And the insightful speakers have shed light on topics I had never seriously considered as political issues. Karen Huber, for example, mentioned eventually adopting the Light Rail system here in Austin.
You know it is an enriching learning experience, when you realize how much you don't know.
Anyway, here are some of the notes I took on our speakers so far to update those who have missed out:
Robert Jones-
-50% plus 1
-Not everyone registers, votes, cares, or listens!
-Don't underestimate the voter's intelligence. Don't overestimate their interest.
Kelly Fero-
-Everyone pays attention to headlines.
-Campaign in poetry. Govern in prose.
-Emotion is good when used professionally.
Jack Martin-
-People are anxious to hear about issues.
-Do not focus on turnout just for turnout. Focus on turnout for issues.
-Nationally growing sense that people want the person working on the campaign hardest. People want the underdog.
-Sad-the demise of the daily newspaper covering politics and politicians.
-What do you believe in?
Paul Steckler-
-Make people think your interested in what they say.
-Portray them-who they actually are.
-Use simple questions.
-Hours and hours and hours of extra footage.
Matt Angle-
-Elections matter.
-Winning is the point.
-Leaders have to raise money.
-Don't underestimate importance of talking to your peers.
Robert Jones pt.2-
-6 Methods of voter contact (mail, phone, door-to-door, television, radio, and internet).
-Door-to-door is the best way to win a vote but it is time consuming and laborious.
-Any vote goal under 15,000 probably doesn't need TV and radio.
-Need a field plan!
-Don't put the candidate in a situation that could detract from their dignity.
Gary Mauro-
-There's nothing your doing that hasn't been done before.
-Learn the lessons of the past. Don't reinvent the wheel.
-Every campaign brings a whole new group of people. Every cycle brings you opportunities.
-Incremental Election: technique
-Change Elections: think BIG
-Ongoing battle in politics. 3 steps forward, 1 step back.
-Barack Obama needs Hillary Clinton on the ticket to win, or to win by a much larger margin.
-Ethanol is not a silver bullet, but it is part of reforming gasoline.
-We have to govern from the center. Bush's problem is that he tried to govern from the right.
-Vice President is very powerful based on the President. It is negotiated ahead of time.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
A Future Candidate?????????
Gary Mauro has suggested that all of us could be future officials, so we're always on record. While I fully understand that everyone should always be aware of how they are perceived, there are several logical reasons why I should never run:
Obama, do you need an apprentice?
- My life is issue-based, so I would run an issue-based campaign
- I stay on message
- I care too much
- I love rhetoric
- I listen
- I'm unheard of, outside obscure circles
- Let's try something new
- Give people what they need, then what they want
- Young people are smart, AND COOL!
- Everyone counts
Obama, do you need an apprentice?
It's lunch time already?
Former Texas Land Commissioner, gubernatorial candidate, and close Clinton friend Gary Mauro came by today to give a talk that was part pep-rally, part political commentary. Mr. Mauro talked candidly about everything from working on George McGovern's and Jimmy Carter's campaigns and befriending Hillary and Bill Clinton, to being Texas Land Commissioner and taking a lead in environmental issues both in Texas and nationally.
Mr. Mauro left us with an impression that we are at the cusp of a historical election; that this is a 'change' election as opposed to an 'incremental' election. In change elections, Mr. Mauro stressed, we have to think big. He called the opportunity for change in this election as a 'leap of faith' kind of change. Mr. Mauro thinks this election is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build a governing majority that could last for the next twenty years. To build an effective governing majority, Mr. Mauro said, Barack Obama needs to select Hillary Clinton as his running mate.
Mr. Mauro also gave us practical political advice. One of the biggest mistakes campaigns can make, Mr. Mauro said, is to try and reinvent the wheel. Everything has been done before, even the internet. The internet makes things easier, but we still need to be careful to not forget the lessons learned by the people who came before us. With that being said, we still need to think outside of the box and remember that everyone wants to protect the status quo at some level.
The wisdom and folksy nature of Mr. Mauro left all of us captivated. Not only did the Academy ask more questions of Mr. Mauro, but lunch was postponed due to Mr. Mauro's talk. And trust me, it takes pretty much an act of God to postpone lunch around here.
Mr. Mauro left us with an impression that we are at the cusp of a historical election; that this is a 'change' election as opposed to an 'incremental' election. In change elections, Mr. Mauro stressed, we have to think big. He called the opportunity for change in this election as a 'leap of faith' kind of change. Mr. Mauro thinks this election is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build a governing majority that could last for the next twenty years. To build an effective governing majority, Mr. Mauro said, Barack Obama needs to select Hillary Clinton as his running mate.
Mr. Mauro also gave us practical political advice. One of the biggest mistakes campaigns can make, Mr. Mauro said, is to try and reinvent the wheel. Everything has been done before, even the internet. The internet makes things easier, but we still need to be careful to not forget the lessons learned by the people who came before us. With that being said, we still need to think outside of the box and remember that everyone wants to protect the status quo at some level.
The wisdom and folksy nature of Mr. Mauro left all of us captivated. Not only did the Academy ask more questions of Mr. Mauro, but lunch was postponed due to Mr. Mauro's talk. And trust me, it takes pretty much an act of God to postpone lunch around here.
Not So Ready For My Close-Up, Mr. DeMille
Yesterday morning, I bounced bright-eyed and bushy-tailed into Campaign Academy HQ, only to find an ominous email from Mark announcing that a news crew was coming by to do a story on Campaign Academy. Naturally, I was filled with panic. Although I am passionate about politics and the work that we do here, I am not exactly known for my discretion and palatable sound bytes, and was seized with terror that if a microphone were placed in front of me, I might accidentally say something I would later regret, like "Socialism now!" or "PATRICK ROSE WILL YOU MARRY ME."
(This of course was silly. Like I could ever regret proposing to Patrick Rose.)
When reporter Elise Hu showed up, Mark tried to help me out.
"This is Elisa, she's sort of a journalist but more of a writer and she really doesn't want to be on television ever."
Clearly, with this ringing endorsement of my camera savvy, when we broke up into groups to assemble voter registration packets, the person at my table who was randomly selected for a miniature interview was me. This went approximately as well as could be expected: I did not declare my allegiance to the Mole People or proclaim that the truth was out there, but I did ramble painfully about registering voters at this point in the election cycle and everyone knows what an important primary this was for turning out new voters blah blah blah. I actually used the word "arcane."
"I think he was just looking for you to be bouncy and cute," a fellow intern confessed, kindly, as I hyperventilated in a corner. "You know, with the pigtails."
The news story, which fortunately does not feature too much of me, can be found here. Check it out!
The pigtails are deceiving.
(This of course was silly. Like I could ever regret proposing to Patrick Rose.)
When reporter Elise Hu showed up, Mark tried to help me out.
"This is Elisa, she's sort of a journalist but more of a writer and she really doesn't want to be on television ever."
Clearly, with this ringing endorsement of my camera savvy, when we broke up into groups to assemble voter registration packets, the person at my table who was randomly selected for a miniature interview was me. This went approximately as well as could be expected: I did not declare my allegiance to the Mole People or proclaim that the truth was out there, but I did ramble painfully about registering voters at this point in the election cycle and everyone knows what an important primary this was for turning out new voters blah blah blah. I actually used the word "arcane."
"I think he was just looking for you to be bouncy and cute," a fellow intern confessed, kindly, as I hyperventilated in a corner. "You know, with the pigtails."
The news story, which fortunately does not feature too much of me, can be found here. Check it out!
The pigtails are deceiving.
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