Don't Tell Obama You Blog

Finally a chance to have my say!!! I was unable to comment on Obama's site unless I contributed, and my comment to their email request for funds was rejected and returned as spam. 

At any rate, what arrogance, selfishness & poor sportsmanship for asking Clinton to end her run!  It's not just about the candidates and Obama evidentially feels threatend. .. and there are many, many American's behind either candidate who want to have their voices heard.  As Clinton said, "let the voters decide".  Casting a vote is making a statement. . .even if it appears as if you are winning or losing. . .it's not over till it's over.. . and it's as if Obama and his team are saying. . .your voice doesn't count to endless Americans.  Hillary is going to be our next prez - she is fair and cares about your opinions.

LCM   

To those many Amerian's who have yet to have their voices heard.  Not the case, but if I were in a tennis match, ping pong game, chess playoff. . .whatever, and said to my opponent, give it up, I'm going to smear your ass -- I wouldn't feel very good about myself, and I don't think my supporters or my opponents supporters would either, especially if my oppenent caved and said, "OK". 

Isn't sportsmanship and respect somthing we learn early on in elementary school?  What does this say about a potential candidate running for future president?  

Obama isn't black.  He is of mixed race, and the correct term is malato.  I was quite taken back & personnaly offended from his pastor's comments, somthing to the sort, that mixed race children, espeically black father and white mother, can never make it succseffuly in society. . and about black girls wanting to be blonde with blue eyes. . .who are basically born to rich parents and skate through society and are fed from a silver spoon. 

Coming from a french and baltic ancestory, unlike my mother, I wa s born blonde with blue eyes. . .unlike the perception, I came from a poor military family and never had the easy life, wanted, nor skated through life. . .I have worked my ass off for the little I have, frequetly working too jobs, dedicating much of my free time to environmental resarch and disclosure to the envornmental hazards our miltary causces, and I am making 30% less than I was 8 years ago.  As well, I have mixed race cousins from the Bahamas - they are beufitul, and I don't think of them any differently than me. 

. . .and, I always envied and admired the dark exotic, and went through a  phase of dieing my hair mahogany henna.  Don't we always want what we don't have?  My sisters envied my wavy hair, and I wanted straight.  I was born short, and envied the tall.  Time to get over the race issue - we all a mix of some sorts in this day and age.

The real question, is who is the best equipped to handle the the most serious, financially draining and envrinmentally devasting issue in the US today - the war in Irac.  Hands down -- it is Hillary.

Obama isn't black.  He is of mixed race, and the correct term is malato.  I was quite taken back & personnaly offended from his pastor's comments, somthing to the sort, that mixed race children, espeically black father and white mother, can never make it succseffuly in society. . and about black girls wanting to be blonde with blue eyes. . .who are basically born to rich parents and skate through society and are fed from a silver spoon. 

Coming from a french and baltic ancestory, unlike my mother, I wa s born blonde with blue eyes. . .unlike the perception, I came from a poor military family and never had the easy life, wanted, nor skated through life. . .I have worked my ass off for the little I have, frequetly working too jobs, dedicating much of my free time to environmental resarch and disclosure to the envornmental hazards our miltary causces, and I am making 30% less than I was 8 years ago.  As well, I have mixed race cousins from the Bahamas - they are beufitul, and I don't think of them any differently than me. 

. . .and, I always envied and admired the dark exotic, and went through a  phase of dieing my hair mahogany henna.  Don't we always want what we don't have?  My sisters envied my wavy hair, and I wanted straight.  I was born short, and envied the tall.  Time to get over the race issue - we all a mix of some sorts in this day and age.

The real question, is who is the best equipped to handle the the most serious, financially draining and envrinmentally devasting issue in the US and world today - the war in Irac.  Hands down -- it is Hillary.

I guess bloggers served their purpose and he has moved on.....

Don't worry he'll be back (if he needs you again)

Re-read your comment here, then read this post of mine from almost 18 months ago, when I spoke with Chris Redfern in 1/06 about blogs. Think about what I wrote he said, and I can also tell you that in his demeanor, then anyway, I inferred the distinct impression that what the party level and candidate level of people are wanting to do is control the message with blogs as though it is the same kind of info source as anything else. No more, no less. That's why I've written before - as have others, not just me - that getting blogs to be considered "press" is a double-edged sword. We've been saying that for a long time.

So I would say to - these folks on the campaign, at least some? I suspect they understand EXACTLY how blogs work. We are independent, we represent and speak for only ourselves, but they - the party, the candidate etc - they want to control the message, period. No matter who is the messenger.

You are still in control. You have the vote, and the ear of a lot of voters. That's precisely why they want to control the message.

Just food for thought.

can't believe i'm writing this, but kos hits it on the head.....

Psst, Obama? It's stupid to keep people out of events because they have a blog. In today's world, everyone has a blog, or writes at blogs, or has a MySpace or Facebook page, or participates in online forums like bulletin boards.

I'm sorry, but not everyone is a blogger. Even I post on DKos, but I don't consider myself a blogger. If the press isn't allowed, then why would the Obama campaign want someone reporting on the event? If you want to go in as Jerid X, then I'd say that as a public event, it's well within your right to attend. If you want to go in as Buckeye State Blog, then I'd say it's well within the right of the Obama campaign to restrict access to the press.

Jerid, if a bunch of Freepers wanted to crash the event, would you still take issue with the Obama campaign for wanting to control their message? Would it be ok if Drudge decided he wanted to come and blog about the town hall meeting?

Talking about the meeting is one thing as a member of the general public is one thing, reporting on it is another as a member of the media.

surely you don't believe that.  anyone who pays any attention to bloggers (i.e. the people PAID to do so by campaigns) would know that jerid is not "crashing" anything other than a Rudy McRomney event.  he's on our side, and actually you should want him at your events.

jerid can have as many hats as he wants.  none of them are so threatening to the obama campaign as to warrant his being handled by them.

It's about a public campaign event where the campaign should control their message. I didn't say that Jerid was the same type of blogger as a Freeper or Drudge. I am saying that he thinks that he should be allowed into a non-press event as a blogger. If that was the case, then should the Obama campaign allow Little Green Footballs as well?

This isn't about only allowing supporters into campiagn events. I think anyone who is respectful should be allowed to go to a campaign event regardless of who they support. No one should have to sign a loyalty oath to attend an event. But I don't agree that campaigns have to let bloggers in to all functions.

We talk all the time about how bloggers are the new media, about how we are using the internet to disseminate information that we aren't getting from the mainstream media. So how can we demand access to a campaign that the press isn't allowed? I agree with the posters above. We can't have it both ways. If Jerid wanted to go in and attend the event as a member of the general public, then fine. But to want to identify himself as a blogger, then he's representing himself as the press. And the Obama campaign should have the right to restrict access to him as such.

Please re-read this...slowly:

"We talk all the time about how bloggers are the new media, about how we are using the internet to disseminate information that we aren't getting from the mainstream media. So how can we demand access to a campaign that the press isn't allowed?"

Now. Tell me what is wrong with this picture?

he wants the bloggers to work for him in his campaign, but he doesn't want to talk to them like normal human beings.  see ODP dinner.  

all media get treated with subtlety and preference given to those who are friendly.  bloggers should get that, and then some.  because at some point, obama wants bloggers to campaign for him.

that means I work with campaigns. I'm not disruptive. I'm not there to screw anyone.

Frankly, from a personal angle I was looking forward to the forum. I thought it might give me some good insights for some of my personal views. As bloggers have pointed out throughout the 'sphere, all the campaign had to do was ask me not to take pictures - or whatever else they didn't want. They didn't have to deny me entrance to something that I was interested in both as a citizen, and as a blogger. But whatever.

RMC was pretty whiny in his first post. I'd take his claims more seriously if he admitted this is a gray issue instead of black and white.

you have 31 posts on this thread, most from people who are not regular commenters. so, in that respect, while i might not have provided insight, i've certainly fomented it.

 as for being whiny, one must admit that this quote from your post most assuredly meets that standard:

Walking into a small room, Nicole Derse from the political desk of the Obama NH campaign was busy meeting folks. As she turned to me she started to say hello, so I replied with a smile, "Hi, my names Jerid. I'm a blogger."

"Oooooooh, I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave," she shot back. "These events are closed to the press."

I was dumbfounded. Searching for words I spurt out, "But I'm a blogger," as she started to usher me out of the room. 

 as for not seeing the gray between the black and white, i would think your assumption that obama not wanting a blogger at his faith meeting means, ipso facto, he has some bias against blogs and is running a closed campaign meets that standard as well.

mr. pot, meet mr. kettle

Looks like you're not taking pot shots and personal jabs anymore...welcome to the conversation.

The whiny remark directed at you originates from your first post, your attitude, and your attack. Don't want to be called a whiner?  Don't be an ass and take shots when you disagree, just explain your position.

And there's no assumption here. It's declarative on behalf of Obama's campaign. In my opinion, and in the opinion of plenty of folks not just at BSB, Obama's making tactical error on behalf of how he treats blogs. I don't think we fit exactly into the press box. I've articulated that plenty of times here already. You don't agree with that? Fine, but recognize it's a valid concern.

While you might not get it from my blogging (although I think it's apparent that I take hours out of my life everyday to provide this forum, and keep it updated) I'm very concerned about the direction of this country, our next President, and the state of Ohio. I'm wholeheartedly an activist. I believe deeply in the Democratic Party. Some folks give money. Some folks volunteer at Democratic HQ's. Some folks go door to door. I write about things. I write about my observations and opinions. In the long run, I hope to motivate people. I hope to get people doing precisely those activities I mentioned previous. I hope to influence the press. And I hope to put pressure on our electeds, and potential electeds to be as responsive, open, and honest as they can about EVERYTHING.

You don't like how I do things. You don't like what goes on here? You don't like me? That's fine.

Get your own blog. 

Says Jerid "I work with campaigns, I'm not there to screw anyone." 

I don't read this blog 24/7, but I've seen you screwing with many during your blog posts.

Campaign representatives pay attention to bloggers and determine how risky it is to cooperate with any given blogger. Apparently the Obama campaign has changed it's once warm position toward this blog.

So, what is this blog doing differently from the time when Obama paid for the bloggers at the Ohio Democratic Party dinner?  I think JeanLR compared some posters here to "frat boys" or something similar.  I get that same feeling.

One of the biggest mistakes the 2004 Kerry campaign made was to bring in a bunch of college age students from outside Ohio to run many aspects of the Ohio campaign.  Also, these out-of-state campaign representatives hired a few locals, but most of the people they hired were no older than 21 years old.  Personally, I didn't respond very well to all the college aged campaign organization Nazi's of 2004.  They thought they knew it all and ignored more experienced and older local people.

John Kerry got what he bargained  for.  He lost because he chose to dictate downward to relatively impressionable 20-somethings instead of listening to election experienced Ohioans who knew the details about Ken Blackwell's stranglehold on the election system among many other things that would have been much more useful to Kerry than a bunch of "frat boys" and sorority girls studying outdated precinct data while socializing and drinking beer at Meetups.

An even worse example of this type of campaign mistake was when Howard Dean sent the youngish horde of orange hat wearing cool college kids to canvass Iowa farmers and small town residents.  That didn't mix very well at the Iowa Meetups and it won't work in either Iowa or Ohio now. 

What benefits do campaigns get by hiring a horde of inexperienced college students at $8.00 an hour?  I don't have the answer, especially when campaigns nearly completely ignore older more experienced people unless they are willing to write a $2,500.00 or higher check.

There should be a happy medium.  Frat boy bloggers and passive check writers cannot carry the load. I suggest that frat boys and check writers quit disrespecting the broader base of voters, especially obnoxious or plain silly posters similar to a few of the posters on this blog.

Meg,

Frankly it is true. 

Thanks for your concerns. While you raise some valid points, I want to point out a couple things.

#1 Campaigns aren't afraid of me. You may disagree that I'm not friendly, but I'd ask you to back that up. Look at my posts in New Hampshire. Notice the postive coverage. Other the one Obama article, everything I've written out here has dripped with praise about our candidates (even one moderately critical article about Hillary). Communications folks that don't get that about me, or blogs in general, probably should get out of the business cause they're missing the picture.

#2 As a former campaign worker myself, I know all to well how important folks reputation are. I've worked hard to establish mine, and judging from my continued access in NH, and in Ohio, it's decent. Trying to say something? Back it up.

#3 While I welcome campaign staffers at this blog, if you are affiliated with the topic we're discussing you should either publicly disclose it in your post, or send me a quick email. I've noticed where you're blogging from and it raises very deep concerns.

#4 Don't ever make statements about the personal integrity of any of BSB's frontpagers, other posters, or anyone else in the Democratic community that is entirely hearsay. You might just get called out on it.

My barber doesn't blog, neither does my Grandmother.

If everyone blogged, the value of bloggers would be diminished, you should be glad everyone DOESN'T. More bombastic statements.

You must know, keeping journalists out of events maintains control of the campaign. You never know who is going to attend and post/print something unfavorable.

Bloggers can be perceived by the general public as unedited, uncredited sometimes unprofessional, amateur journalists that post questionable content , which many times is filled with gossip, rumors, rants and raves and be can terribly inaccurate.

Campaigns never know who is going to turn on them. The democrat party WANTS you to blog, but who really wants to have unfettered access to ANYONE else's thoughts?

This blog rarely has a "friendly" tone.  It is mostly sarcastic slap stick or hard hitting attacks.  This is neither "friendly" or "fun."

Some people who are leery of giving you an interview may believe they are being "smart" by distancing themselves from you.  Otherwise they would be willing to give you the interview.

Additionally, you keep stating that you are "a citizen" as if you have some sort of right to attend meetings that are intended for New Hampshire residents.  Please remember that you are not from New Hampshire and you write for a blog named Buckeye State Blog which has no roots in New Hampshire.

Meg Meg Meg (my friendly cap is starting to come off),

No one is leery of giving me an interview. In fact that hasn't been the subject of any of these posts. The subject, should you have read the post, was about a campaign denying entrance to bloggers regardless of who they are. As for interviews, access and all that jazz...I'd recommend paying a little more attention here (including the post I'm getting ready to put up on the front page)

And while I'm not voting in the NH primary, I certainly will be weighing in on some of these candidates at some point. If they want to declare that all campaign stops are only open to folks who have residency in the respective state - more power to them. But I would wager that would probably be more incendiary that the current policy discussed in this post.

You obviously have not been paying attention to the Ohio blogosphere.  If you had, you would know that Ohio Dem bloggers are a completely different animal than the broad brush you paint in your comments.  Perhaps you've gotten your briefing on the "friendliness" of Ohio bloggers from some of those on the business end of our activism, but Obama has never been one of them.  Not even in this post.  Not once.

As for being a "citizen", listen toots, we here in Ohio get saddled with whoever comes out of these primary states and then are expected to put them over the top into the White House no matter who those yuks in Iowa and NH choose.   Every.  Fucking.  Year.  Then people like you parachute into our state and complain about how  incompetent we are while you proceed to shit all over the politics of a place you will leave after election day. And all these campaigns will be avalanching our inboxes with please help, gimme money, blogging, money, volunteers, money, more money...you get the picture, sweetheart.

So, yeah.  You'd better believe an Ohio Democrat has a right to attend whatever god damn meeting they want to in New Hampshire, Iowa, or wherever, blogger or not.  If you want a Democratic president in 2008, if I were you, wherever you may be sitting, I'd want Ohio voters paying damn close attention right now, in every state.  See you in October, 2008.

this is just a quick tip from your uncle eric.  the ride will be much more fun if you actually open your eyes.

wheeeeee! 

The 3rd most hated internet word.

I always preferred calling myself a Sports Racer with Republican bloggers being Hard Chargers, or course.

I was surprised that folksonomy topped the list.

Don't sweat it, there's no reason to get sucked up into these parlor arguements~ journalists, bloggers, whatever~ next time someone tries to tell you you cannot do something that you feel in your heart is your right to do, then stand your ground- politely, quietly, but firmly.

Remember, people at these events are just that, individuals who can be reasoned with if you are making a reasonable request, which you are.  You are entitled to access, you know that your intentions are valid and unthreatening to anyone, just go ahead and make your case :-)

You will begin to build a reputation, people may follow up on what kind of stuff you are writing, and how it is received in this blog perhaps, and in a little time you will show yourself to be trustworthy to these campaign workers, and maybe even valuable :-)

Assume that you can reason with people, go in there with an attidtue that they WANT you there, but just might not know it yet.