The Negatives of New Media

by David Perlmutter Comment Closed
If you log onto any media, blog or social networking site you find it completely dominated by two things: Presidential politics and the economy. Now the further is engrossed in the economy so it boils down to one idea, everyone is talking, thinking and worried about the economy. What’s changed is how the media is covering the issue. Traditionally the media picks the topic, brings in an expert, brings in someone to counter the expert and goes from there. While the media claims to be unbiased, there is agenda setting going on and there is a slight biased one way or another. The interesting thing is how that is changing with what cnn.com calls “ireporters.” Anyone can post a story or chime in with their opinion or expertise. Now there will be differing opinions but the reader/viewer can watch what they want to whether it only supports one view or not. Additionally more opinions can be shared. Think about it, the media...
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Black and Yellow Friday

by David Perlmutter Comment Closed
Barely more than an hour has passed since the House passed a controversial $700 billion bailout package, and the buzz on Google News,Digg and Twitter (Did Sarah Palin help name these websites?) is billowing faster than I can update. Keeping up isn’t easy. It is oddly entertaining, if you’re into black humor. Here are a few of my favorite tweets within the past 30 seconds or so: •    scholvin: Anyone who pointed to the market collapse last week as evidence we needed a bailout: come to my house for an a__-whipping (I changed that a-word, not the tweeter) •    bketelsen: Note to all my elected representatives: You are on notice. I hold you responsible for voting YES on this bailout bill. Pork doesn't fly. •    dswinney: Dear stock market, with the bailout now in hand, can we now please have at least ONE week without histrionics? Thank you. That is all. Well, hey: it is a bit less depressing than listening to cable news and at least the tweeters are...
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The Broader role of New Media in the Wall Street Crisis

by David Perlmutter Comment Closed
Since one of the most tumultuous weeks in the 216-year history of Wall Street when the most serious financial crisis exploded, till October 3, President George W. Bush signed the biggest government intervention in the financial markets after the Great Depression, the new media (especially blogs) has gone through the deeper discussion and controversy on the economic crises and the government responses over the past weeks. The discussions were mainly concentrated on the reason of the economic crisis and the influence of the $700 billion bailout plan. While most bloggers noted that the Federal Reserve Bank’s long-time policy of bailing out wealthy financiers, combined with its refusal to regulate their behavior, had been leading to the causes of the crisis, the bailout plan raised the biggest controversy in the blogsphere since the broken of Wall Street Crisis that brought the pressure to the vote on September 29 and led to the proposal’s defeat in Congress more or less. Some bloggers criticized...
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New Media Update

by David Perlmutter Comment Closed
Amid warnings that both campaigns are engaging in too much mudslinging, the Obama campaign has released a 13-minute documentary style video and Web site targeting McCain’s involvement with S&L pro Charles Keating, who was at the center of a Savings & Loan scandal in the early ‘90s.  And while attack videos are certainly not new media or a new tactic, producing this kind of mini-movie is.  The Obama campaign seems to be cashing in on the success and/or influence of viral videos.  It’s working.  The trailer (yes, the trailer) has already garnered almost 300,000 views. A different, but no less effective video tactic is interactive billboard in Los Angeles. The California Democratic Party installed an interactive billboardnear an L.A.-area rally where Sarah Palin was appearing.  People can text-message short questions to the California Dems who would in turn put them on the billboard for all to read and ponder.  It’s an interesting way to get supporters and protesters alike to consider tougher questions that might otherwise be glossed over in a rally event. This week...
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Polls, momentum favor an Obama win

by David Perlmutter Comment Closed
"If the two candidates and the national mood, turned dark because of the financial crisis, continue in place for the next 28 days, McCain will almost certainly lose the election." —Sam Donaldson, ABC News / Oct. 7, 2008 Barack Obama will be the forty-fourth president of the United States – at least, that's what it seems right now. Recent economic news has shifted several swing state polls in favor of Obama, who's moved ahead in Colorado, Missouri, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio – many swing states McCain must carry in order to win the election. Also, Obama is closer to the 270 electoral votes needed to win: Should he add only a few of those states to his column, he will clinch the election. As Americans largely feel that President Bush is responsible for the economic crisis, many feelMcCain, by extension, is also responsible – and hence, the hugely unpopular Bush is hurting McCain's chance to win.  At a 70 percent disapproval rating – a record low for his presidency and the lowest since any other...
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Why Obama Will Win the Election

by David Perlmutter Comment Closed
As the Election Day gets closer, the probability for presidential candidate Barack Obama to win is supported by not only almost all latest polls but also by the analysis results of several economic models. Although some people make their points that it's far too early to assume that McCain's recent dip signals the end of his presidential chances for such reasons as his organizational strength, Republican Party history and his experience, etc., (By Chris Cillizaa, washingtonpost.com's Politics Blog, 2008) but it seems there is no doubt that Obama will keep his leading to the end. Here is why. 1. National Poll & International Poll  All three latest important national polls suggest Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is widening his lead over Republican presidential candidate John McCain in the race for the White House especially after two election debates. (more…)...
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Obama’s Celebrity 21st Century Campaign

by David Perlmutter Comment Closed
After months of political pandering, smear attacks, unexpected announcements and partially explicated promises, Americans are about to head to the polls and decide who will be the next president of the United States of America. However, recent numbers indicate that for better or for worse, Senator Barack Obama will become the 44th president of the country. According to the most recent average of existing polls collected by the Real Clear Politics Web site, Obama is favored by 49.9 percent of the national electorate to Senator John McCain’s 42.3 percent. Additionally, again according to Real Clear Politics, Obama is projected to win 277 electoral votes (with a hundred more up for grabs). Only 270 are needed to win the presidency; the polling figures seem irrefutable. However, poll results have the propensity for being wrong. For example, 2000 Democratic Party nominee Al Gore was winning the presidential polls by seven percent in mid-September of that year, according to a News Hour with Jim Lehrer clip. Gore did...
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McCain Will Win the Presidency

by David Perlmutter Comment Closed
As the general election comes closer to an end still no one knows who our next president will be. Polls currently show Obama in the lead, but polls don’t actually mean anything at the end of the day. McCain will more than likely win the general election for four key reasons; race, gender, age, and appeal. In the 2008 presidential election race has been the elephant in the room from the start. (Well McCain has been the elephant in the room, so lets say the awkward topic). Few people want to talk about it and half the time when it comes up someone shouts, “racist!” But race will play a major factor in this election nonetheless. Polls will not show racism, but focus groups sometimes can. According to Jerry Austin, Democratic political consultant, white, blue-collar males in Pennsylvania focus groups agree. Many focus group members agreed they supported Obama, he is the democrat, union candidate that fights for their issues, but...
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New Media Update

by David Perlmutter Comment Closed
The Obama campaign continues its reign on the Internet with two sites worth a mention.  First is the campaign’s mini-site Vote for Change, which allows people to find a polling location or share their campaign interests with friends through Facebook or MySpace.  Second, and even cooler, is theNeighbor to Neighbor Web site, a GOTV toolkit for any budding enthusiast.  Here, you can find list of voters by neighborhood or state, a script for your phone conversations, and a flyer you can distribute should you decide to go door-to-door.  Then you can use the site to report your results.  Confused?  Training and support are available to show you the way. Take a look at L Magazine’s guide to the new media landscape, which covers the spectrum of online political content.  It is user-friendly, easy to navigate, and offers a clever way to navigate the online minefield that has sprung from this campaign. It's worth noting that the scoring is done based on a spectrum of political minds from Chairman Mao ("The scare...
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Perlmutter Speaks on American Political Blogging to Europeans (Dept. of State)

by David Perlmutter Comment Closed
I just finished up a U.S. Department of State speaking tour of the Netherlands and Germany. Interest in American politics, new media and this election was VERY high. For more on the events in Munich--sponsored by the U.S. Consulate--go here. My different events and speeches: David D. Perlmutter. Panelist: Discussion on the Presidential Debates, Munich Conference on "U.S. Elections 2008: The Digital Campaign" at the German-American Institute, Munich, Germany, October 8, 2008. David D. Perlmutter. Keynote speaker on "Blogwars: The New Political Battleground," Munich Conference on "U.S. Elections 2008: The Digital Campaign" at the German-American Institute, Munich, Germany, October 8, 2008. David D. Perlmutter. Keynote speaker on "Overview of the New Media Landscape," Munich Conference on "U.S. Elections 2008: The Digital Campaign," on German Public Radio, Munich, Germany, October 7, 2008. David D. Perlmutter. Presentation on "U.S. Elections and New Media" at the German-American Institute, Nürnberg, Germany, October 6, 2008. David D. Perlmutter. Presentation on "U.S. Elections and New Media" at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands, October 3,...
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