CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" Will Have Some Tech-Politics Commentators
BY Nick Judd | Tuesday, May 15 2012
This should be interesting: CNN nightly news program Erin Burnett OutFront is out with its list of political commentators for the general election. Some of the names are familiar in Internet-politics-land. The gang includes Upworthy's Maegan Carberry, who was previously director of communications at Rock The Vote; Sasha Issenberg, who ventures into our corner of the political world frequently while documenting the new science of political campaigns for Slate; and Ben Smith, veteran political blogger turned BuzzFeed's top politics editor.
Read More[OP-ED]: In France, Still Waiting for the Internet Election
BY Federica Cocco | Friday, May 11 2012
Nicolas Sarkozy is not the only politician to have lauded Obama’s 2008 campaign. Many European campaigns were running slogans that echoed the “Yes, we can!” refrain.
The gimmicky rhetoric failed to persuade their electorate and, when push came to shove, pretty much the whole old continent has effectively failed to heed Obama’s campaign strategy. Mainstream parties didn’t carry out grassroots mobilization and fundraising in earnest. A top-down approach persisted.
Read MoreIn Pivot to General, Romney Campaign Seeking to Build Out Digital Staff
BY Nick Judd | Thursday, May 10 2012
For Personal Democracy Plus subscribers:The Romney campaign is advertising technology-related jobs on Mashable. (via @adamostrow)
Romney digital director Zac Moffatt says a robust internal tech staff is the new normal for presidential campaigns, but those positions weren't a priority during primary season.
"This is what people are doing online in 2012," he told techPresident Thursday morning. "This is the team that we need to build to be successful."
Read MoreFrom the Tea Party to Progressives, Outside Groups Look Online to Train New Candidates
BY Miranda Neubauer | Friday, April 20 2012
As city and state legislatures become battlegrounds where the political right and left do combat over education reform, labor organizing and social issues, outside groups from both sides are looking online for recruits to fill their ranks of local elected officials.
Read MoreTumblr Gets a Director of Outreach for Causes and Politics
BY Jack Harris | Tuesday, April 3 2012
Liba Rubenstein recently became Tumblr's new director of outreach for causes and politics after spending the last several years at News Corp, most recently as director of their Global Energy Initiative. Rubenstein was previously MySpace’s public affairs coordinator, and managed MySpace’s causes and politics channels, before taking on her role in corporate social responsibility at News Corp. Read More
The Politics of Pinterest
BY Nick Judd and Miranda Neubauer | Wednesday, February 22 2012
On Pinterest, the hot new social network, all politics is visual. The social media darling of the month has been taking off particularly among users with an interest in food or fashion. But with an audience that's reportedly 68 percent female, it's also prime ground for political messaging targeted specifically to female swing voters. Read More
NYTimes Matt Bai on "Flash Movements" of the Left and Right
BY Micah L. Sifry | Tuesday, February 14 2012
According to Matt Bai, the chief political correspondent for the New York Times Magazine, the progressive netroots upsurge of the mid-2000s and the rise of the Tea Party from 2009 to present are two variations on a common theme: they are "flash movements" born of online connections, cathartic urges and the devaluation of expertise. And unlike the big social movements of the past, he said both movements were merely oppositional and "ephemeral," unlikely to bring big changes to government. Read More
Inside Mitt Romney's Digital Mind
BY Nick Judd | Thursday, January 19 2012
From the rise of voters who can only be reached online to increased use of mobile devices and social media, Zac Moffatt recently spoke to Atlantic correspondent Nancy Scola about what it's like running digital for the campaign that now seems poised to confront Barack Obama for the presidency. Read More
Blue State's Lauren Miller Moving to Elizabeth Warren's Campaign
BY Nick Judd | Friday, January 6 2012
Blue State Digital's director of online communications, Lauren Miller, announced yesterday that she is leaving the left-leaning software giant to join U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's campaign as new media director. Miller starts working for Warren in about two weeks. Read More
Obama for America's 50-State Strategy Shows Up Online
BY Nick Judd | Friday, October 28 2011
In 2008, Obama for America's 50-state strategy contributed to his election. Now it looks like his campaign isn't just adopting it again on the ground — his campaign is rounding up ground troops online as well. ... Read More