Without a doubt, I am excited at the prospect of spending some time in the Pepsi Center this summer, but what I really want to do is find a way that this credential is a resource to the community. I want the voices of SquareState readers to be heard in the platform committees and on the floor. Lets make this credential more than just a way for a couple of front pagers to see the show. I'll bring what I can out of the stadium. Help me know what you want us to bring in.
The access and engagement that the DNCC has provided has been remarkable. CEO Leah Daughtry has been consistently available to the online and offline communities, Jenni Engebretsen has been a great ambassador, and without Jason Rosenberg I would not have been able to navigate the process. In fact, even some of the questions in the interview that follows owe a good deal to the insight he provided.
Aaron Meyers is Rosenberg's successor as Internet Communications Director, and he has been continuing the mandate of the convention to 'tear down the walls' between the Convention and the Country. In an effort to provide us information we wanted, straight from the source, he helped us have the opportunity to have a discussion with Chairman Dean.
I regret that I did not have time to ask him about ProgressCon, brokered conventions, or any of a dozen other questions I had in the queue, but I am grateful that the Governor was willing to go on the electronic record for as long as his time permitted.
SquareState: Gov. Dean, I want to thank you for making yourself available to SquareState, and please express our thanks to the convention staff for the good work they are doing as our guests here in Colorado.
Governor Dean: I will do that, and congratulations for being selected as the Colorado official blog at the DNC.
SquareState: We are very proud of that, thank you.
Governor Dean: You should be. You know that entitles you to get a seat on the floor with your delegation?
SquareState: Yes. Now... will the Michigan and Florida bloggers also be sitting with their delegations?
Governor Dean: Yes.
SquareState: Interesting. Ok. I have some questions for you if that's ok.
Governor Dean: Sure.
SquareState: When you were here in November, convention CEO Leah Daughtry promised that bloggers were going to be covering the convention in innovative and ground breaking new ways. Could you tell me a bit about how the convention is facilitating that, and what it is you feel that internet media brings that would not be available from other sources.
Governor Dean: We believe in something called a, "two way campaign," first of all. That is; trying to listen to people before we talk at them. The conventions in the past were staged events where we go to make grand speeches beamed out over mostly cable and some prime time. This time we are going to go get bloggers who represent the online community, one from each state, on the floor sitting with their delegation, so you will actually have more access than the average main stream media person because they don't get to stay on the floor the entire time; they can rotate through. Secondly, we want to tear down the walls between the Democratic National Convention and the online community and the people in general in the country. The way to do that is to seat people on the floor who are members of the online blogging community, and you'll get to give whatever reflections that you have about what your experience is, and people will presumably get in touch with you and post their own thoughts about what you are saying, so this is a terrific way for us to talk to the American people, and listen to them as well. There will be, and this is important, there are going to be opportunities for other bloggers that didn't get selected in this competetion, (and by the way, if anybody wants to see who is on the list they can go to DemConvention.com. At DemConvention.com the list of all the official bloggers for each state and territory will be posted) but for bloggers that want to cover the convention that didn't get to be chosen to be the official on-the-floor blogger, there are still the standard media-type credential that folks will get, and there will be a lot more blog sites represented than there were in 2004.
So, that is really what we are trying to do: open up the campaign and open up the convention, so that people can have their say and get a feeling what it is like to be a delegate nominating the next president of the United States.
SquareState: As you just explained, there is going to be a general blogger pool, but you are beginning the credentialing process with blogs focused on State level issues. Why start with state level issues?
Governor Dean: Well, there will be both. You don't go to the national convention and not talk about the economy, the War, and health care. That effects every state, but there are specific things that interest the people, for instance in Montana, or Utah, or Puerto Rico, that wouldn't be covered in the mainstream press. These bloggers, I'm sure, are going to cover the major issues of the day because everyone is going to be talking about that, but they are also going to be covering issues that matter in individual jurisdictions.
SquareState: There will be seats on the floor for those members of the State Blogger Corps. Will national bloggers have access to the podium? Are there other areas that traditional media might be able to reach, where internet media will be excluded?
Governor Dean: They will do some rotating through. I don't think that national media will be excluded, they just don't fit with the delegations the way state bloggers will. We certainly are not going to exclude national media, but they are going to rotate through, and the other bloggers will get that rotating treatment just like the national media does.
SquareState: As the primary season extends to include crucial races in so many states and territories, the local blogs have played a role in widening the communication reach of the campaigns. Is that a role that the Democrats hope the blogs will play for the Party as it implements the 50 State Strategy?
Governor Dean: Absolutely, yes. People have said, "Well gosh, I wish the campaign were over," but the fact of the matter is that this is the ultimate 50 State Strategy. We have actually had primaries that matter in all 50 states, and that has gotten us ready for the elections in those states. I think we are going to win some states that we haven't in a long time in the presidential race because of that.
SquareState: The online community has proven effective at amplifying the voice of oppositional outsiders, how can the Party maintain the loyalty of that community if the Democrats emerge as the de facto governing party?
Governor Dean: I think the way we maintain the loyalty of the community is to treat them respectfully; make sure they understand that they are part of the country and have a responsibility to make the country a better place. We are never going to say to the blogging community, "Give us a break. You're being unfair. Blah blah blah." You know, the blogging community are people. They are human beings first and bloggers second, and so they are really part of the fabric of the country. Should we end up governing the country, which is what I expect the outcome of the election to be, the blogging community will have a constructive role in criticism, but I also think they'll have a constructive role and an investment in making sure that decent people stay in government and that we don't have a return to the governance of the far right again.
SquareState: Let me read you something of a differing viewpoint on bloggers being just average folk. This was written in 2003 by Michael Wolff of New York Magazine, and he said this:
Indeed, anyone who is regularly in touch with people who respond instantly and passionately over the Internet knows they are not like you and me.
This is the most worrisome point. Not that the Dean campaign is based around policies that are too liberal, but that it is based around people who are too engaged. Too happy to be involved. Too emotionally joined at the hip.
Too convinced of their own specialness-in turn imbuing the campaign itself with an exaggerated sense of uniqueness.
How do you see that critique now, through the lens of this last election cycle?
Governor Dean: I have to laugh at that critique coming from the New York Magazine. I think that guy was looking in the mirror when saying something about bloggers. Isn't that really what the mainstream media is all about? Look, bloggers are human beings, they are not perfect, but we need a little engagement. We need a little passion. Part of taking the country back for the people who built it is to make sure that people care enough about it in order to get out to vote for the right stuff. I don't agree with everything I've seen on the blogs, but heavens, that is what we need; deeply dedicated people who care about democracy, and that's what bloggers are.
SquareState: I very much agree, and it makes me wonder if bloggers covering the convention are necessarily going to be seeing the end of your tenure as chair, or if offered the opportunity to stay on would you accept another term?
Governor Dean: [laughs] I'll be happy if my term ends on January of '09 and we have a Democratic President, then I don't care what happens.
SquareState: I applaud your recent trip to Guam, and I think it showed a real commitment to outreach and inclusion.
Governor Dean: I still have to get to American Samoa, though and I have to figure out how to do it. It is not an easy flight. It makes Guam look like a walk in the park, and I had to go through Tokyo to get there.
SquareState: I don't even know where you would go for, "Americans Abroad."
Governor Dean: I've done that. Every time I go abroad there are a fair amount; Japan, Australia, Europe. That's not so hard, but American Samoa, I have to be there before the end of my term and that is not so easy.
SquareState: Well, Guam holds a special place in my heart because during this period when you have been credentialing bloggers, I was doing some outreach to bloggers outside of Colorado and there is a blogger in Guam who I am hopeful will be on the roster. I feel he has earned it, but unfortunately it is very difficult for a blogger like him to plan the long trip to Denver when the credentials are announced in mid-May. I have room in my home for my colleague from Guam, but what housing will be available for the dozens of others who are just now learning they are on the list?
Governor Dean: I don't know the answer to that question but apparently there are rooms available. I would talk to Jenni and the folks here about that kind of information, if there is an answer.
[ed. note: the DNCC followed up on this and they say that there is housing available for the credentialed bloggers.]
SquareState: The press corps in Denver is going to look a lot like the press corps in Minneapolis. I expect the faces, process and access are going to be substantially similar. What contrast is there between the parties that keeps that from being true about the internet media.
Governor Dean: The major contrast is the contrast of the convention. Their's is a convention that looks to the past and seeks to hold power. Ours is a convention that seeks real change. I think that is much more synchronous to where bloggers are than the Republican convention. We are the party of the future. They are the party of the past. That's pretty simple. I think blogging, and the whole internet community is about the future, not about the past.
SquareState: Well, I have more questions, but I want to be respectful of your time and I understand that you have a tight schedule today.
Governor Dean: Thanks a lot, and I am sure I will see you the next time we come out.
SquareState: Thank you, very much.
The DemConvention State Blogger Corps is listed below.
STATE - BLOG NAME - BLOG URL
ALASKA - Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis - http://divasblueoasis.blogspot...
ALABAMA - Doc's Political Parlor - http://www.politicalparlor.net
ARKANSAS - Under The Dome.com - http://www.underthedome.com
ARIZONA - Ted Prezelski - Rum, Romanism and Rebellion - http://www.rumromanismrebellio...
CALIFORNIA - Calitics- http://Calitics.com
COLORADO - SquareState.net - http://squarestate.net
CONNECTICUT - My Left Nutmeg - http://myleftnutmeg.com
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA- DCist.com - http://dcist.com
DELAWARE - TommyWonk - http://tommywonk.blogspot.com/
DEMOCRATS ABROAD - Democrats Abroad Argentina - http://www.yanquimike.com.ar
FLORIDA - Florida Progressive Coalition - http://flaprogressives.org
GEORGIA- Tondee's Tavern - http://www.tondeestavern.com
GUAM - No Rest for the Awake - Minagahet Chamorro - http://minagahet.blogspot.com
HAWAII - iLind.net: Ian Lind Online - http://www.ilind.net
IOWA - The Iowa Independent - http://iowaindependent.com
IDAHO - 43rdStateBlues.com - http://www.43rdstateblues.com
ILLINOIS- Prairie State Blue - http://www.PrairieStateBlue.com
INDIANA- Blue Indiana - http://www.blueindiana.net
KANSAS - EverydayCitizen.com - http://everydaycitizen.com
KENTUCKY - BlueGrassRoots - http://www.bluegrassroots.org
LOUISIANA - Daily Kingfish - http://www.dailykingfish.com
MASSACHUSETTS - Blue Mass. Group - http://www.bluemassgroup.com
MARYLAND - The Center for Emerging Media - http://www.centerforemergingme...
MAINE - Turn Maine Blue - http://www.turnmaineblue.com
MICHIGAN - Blogging For Michigan - http://bloggingformichigan.com
MINNESOTA - Minnesota Monitor - http://minnesotamonitor.com
MISSISSIPPI - The Natchez Blog - http://natchezms.blogspot.com
MISSOURI - Fired Up! LLC - http://www.firedupmissouri.com
MONTANA - Left in the West - http://www.leftinthewest.com
NORTH CAROLINA - BlueNC.com - http://bluenc.com
NORTH DAKOTA - NorthDecoder.com - http://www.northdecoder.com
NEBRASKA - New Nebraska Network - http://www.NewNebraska.net
NEW HAMPSHIRE - Blue Hampshire - http://www.bluehampshire.com
NEW JERSEY - PolitickerNJ.com - http://www.politickernj.com
NEW MEXICO - Democracy for New Mexico - http://www.DemocracyForNewMexi...
NEVADA - Las Vegas Gleaner - http://www.lasvegasgleaner.com
NEW YORK - Room 8 - http://www.r8ny.com
OHIO - Ohio Daily Blog - http://www.ohiodailyblog.com
OKLAHOMA - DemoOkie - http://www.DemoOkie.com
OREGON - BlueOregon (blog) - http://www.blueoregon.com
PENNSYLVANIA - Keystone Politics - http://www.keystonepolitics.com
PUERTO RICO - Jusiper - http://jusiper.blogspot.com
RHODE ISLAND - Rhode Island's Future - http://www.rifuture.org
SOUTH CAROLINA - CracktheBell.com - http://www.crackthebell.com
SOUTH DAKOTA - Badlands Blue - http://www.badlandsblue.com
TENNESSEE - KnoxViews/TennViews - http://www.knoxviews.com
TEXAS - Burnt Orange Report - http://www.BurntOrangeReport.com
UTAH - The Utah Amicus - http://utahamicus.com
VIRGINIA - Raising Kaine - http://www.raisingkaine.com
VIRGIN ISLANDS - Democratic Party of the US Virgin Islands - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/...
VERMONT - Green Mountain Daily - http://greenmountaindaily.com
WASHINGTON - HorsesAss.org - http://www.horsesass.org
WISCONSIN - Uppity Wisconsin - http://www.uppitywis.org
WEST VIRGINIA - West Virginia Blue - http://www.wvablue.com
WYOMING - Hummingbirdminds blog - http://hummingbirdminds.blogsp...
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