Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Centerfield: "I understand now why Tom Brokaw didn't seem to be paying attention to Clinton's speech last night." 

Matt Gross: "Do you see the man behind the curtain yet?" 

Dan Gillmor: Why not to bid on Google IPO. 

Happiness is blogger buttons. 4 of em! 

More pictures from the show floor. Peter and Paul of Peter, Paul & Mary. Judy Woodruff (CNN) and Dan Rather (CBS). 

Pictures from the show floor, Wolfe Blitzer/CNN, the DNS office. 

Audio interview with Minnesota candidate for the House, Patty Wetterling. I did the interview with Natasha Celine of Pacific Views. We're in the Democratic News Service; they are "dedicated to getting great stories for the bloggers." 

Second audio interview with Don Means, senior political advisor at Meetup.Com. Again my co-hort is Natasha from Pacific Views. 

Michael, for a thoroughly researched but dark view of Microsoft, nothing beats Breaking Windows by David Bank. 

Paolo Valdemarin: Calibrating Points of View. 

National Journal: "Who would waste a cannoli?" 

Michael Markman, a longtime reader of this site, writes: "It looks like the bloggers at the convention have very little to say except, 'Look! we're blogging at the convention. I just got credentials." I respond: It's just the second day, and the first convention. Of course the first comments are going to be It works! And maybe that's all there is to it. We'll find out. You can't hurry love. 

Berkman exec director John Palfrey wonders, perhaps, if the bloggers may be sorry we asked for creds at the DNC, noting my "boring beyond belief" post. First, it got more interesting, and second, while it was really boring at 5PM, no regrets. I recalled watching conventions as a youth, probably the Ford-Carter conventions in 1976, and the ones that nominated Mondale and Dukakis. I go back as far as Nixon-McGovern in 1972. In all cases, you could tell, watching it on TV, that the people at the convention totally weren't paying attention to the speeches, even though the cameras were focused on them. I remember feeling, at the time, what a waste. Now the networks have figured that out and aren't bothering to cover the speeches that are so dull even the delegates don't bother. On the other hand it was a good move for bloggers to be included, and a good move for us to come. The convention proceeds at a pace that's more amenable to our style of reporting. We're getting the hang of it. I expect to be writing about this convention for weeks, months and years to follow, Murphy-willing, of course.  

Lance Knobel pulls a quote from a Jay Rosen piece about political consultants at Harvard's Institute of Politics, and how they set expectations for candidates. There is something seriously wrong, if our political system were working, candidates would be judged by how well they represent the interests of voters, not how well they meet the expectations of political insiders. The tech industry went through the same thing, it was called a bubble, and it popped. This one will pop too.  

Hollywood Reporter on convention bloggers.  

Today's Boston forecast: "Highs around 70." Ahhhh. 

On the bus back from the convention last night I sat next to two bloggers from The American Street, both from Oregon, which I learned is a swing state. I took some pictures but I have to get some coffee before I procede with processing.