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20 Mar 2009 11:22

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Politics, U.S.: Analysis: Is Obama really the great presidential communicator?

  • But the discipline and strategic focus of the campaign have yet to move into the White House. The story of the day often catches the president flat-footed or on the defensive — and regularly undercut by fellow Democrats.
  • Jim Vandehei & Mike Allen • Discussing Obama’s communication skills in Politico. They note that while he’s still great in public, a different type of communication skill is required for the Oval Office. We aren’t so sure about this one, but it’s a unique argument. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Mar 2009 10:57

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Politics, U.S.: Elliot Spitzer appears to be ready for image rehab

  • He’s on CNN! The former governor of New York, forced out of office last year after a sex scandal with a prostitution ring, had an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria which will air in full on Sunday. They’ll talk about Spitzer’s AIG whistleblowing. Key quote: “Back then I said to people, ‘AIG is the center of the web.’ The financial tentacles of this company stretched to every major investment bank.”
  • He’s on CNN! The former governor of New York, forced out of office last year after a sex scandal with a prostitution ring, had an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria which will air in full on Sunday. They’ll talk about Spitzer’s AIG whistleblowing. Key quote: “Back then I said to people, ‘AIG is the center of the web.’ The financial tentacles of this company stretched to every major investment bank.”
  • He’s on Slate! Spitzer’s other sign of public life is in the form of a regular column he’s writing for Slate. In his most recent column, he discusses how the financial crisis affects governors. “Governors must deal with all the problems confronting our economy,” he says, “but they lack the federal government’s ability to run a deficit.” He may still have a political career yet.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Mar 2009 10:37

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Politics, Tech: Microsoft’s IE8 is out – is it any good? Let’s ask the Interweb!

  • And we think that, as long as we don’t have to tweak our code, we’re happy.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 6 Comments • Permalink

19 Mar 2009 21:26

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Politics, U.S.: Republican strategist: Off with Timothy Geithner’s head!

  • Geithner’s only constituent is President Obama. Mr. Obama selected Mr. Geithner because his appointment was expected to calm Wall Street. But what good does it do the president to gain Wall Street and lose the rest of America?
  • John Feehery • A Republican strategist who wrote an entire article trashing on Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. In the wake of the AIG bonus scandal on top of his apparent incompetency, Feehery and other Republicans – and heck, some Democrats – are calling for his resignation already. Obama hasn’t even made it through his first 100 days yet! • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Mar 2009 02:52

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Culture, Politics: Whiny TV execs ticked at Obama’s constant nation addresses

  • These repeated interruptions – and the rumor of even more to come – really make it difficult to build audience flow and loyalty. We will all lose one or two million dollars for this.
  • A (obviously anonymous) network executive • On the fact that Barack Obama has the gall to request another nation address on “American Idol” Tuesday! I mean, what the heck? It’s not like anyone else is struggling. (ABC, by the way, will be preempting episodes of “According to Jim,” which we’re surprised is still on the air, just like everyone else besides Jim Belushi.) • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Mar 2009 00:15

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Politics: OK, who’s the smart aleck laid-off Seattle journo who put this up?

Ah, to be jobless in Seattle and call out Thomas Jefferson on his iconic quote. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Mar 2009 23:13

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Politics: We’re late to the Clay Shirky newspapers bandwagon, but he’s right

  • He’s right, you know Shirky makes this argument that all the stuff that the newspaper industry is doing right now is essentially trying to prop up an unsustainable model ruined by the Internet. Well, yeah. It’s the nature of creative destruction, something I wrote about a couple of months ago. But despite this, the content itself is more popular than ever. We read it because we love it. Even when we bitch and moan about the bias, we secretly love it.
  • Nothing will work Shirky’s main point: Experiment like crazy. Fail. Lose your shirt. Because you might eventually come up with a new type of thread which is a lot better than the one that held together your crappy shirt. I’d like to think that I got his point without having to be told it bluntly. I think a lot of people I know didn’t really get his point until it hit them in the face so hard that they couldn’t stop staring and they felt stung. It’s creative destruction. Don’t fight it.
  • Everything might work My friends are getting laid off, event the ones outside the newspaper industry. Newspapers are getting closed. The media feels like a watchdog that’s running out of sweet, sweet kibble. And it’s not because kibble’s in short supply – it’s because it’s getting dumped into a different bowl and it has a slightly different taste. It’s not going back into the old bowl. And you’re going to starve to death eating stale kibble. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

18 Mar 2009 12:59

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Politics: NBC boss big-ups CNBC, trashes Jon Stewart

  • Everybody wants to find a scapegoat. That’s human nature. But to suggest that the business media or CNBC was responsible for what is going on now is absurd.
  • NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker • On Jon Stewart’s repeated trashing of his financial network, which he called “unfair.” Just when we were ready for this story to die, the big guy on top had to open his trap … • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Mar 2009 12:24

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Politics: It’s a Tweeterview! George Stephanopoulos chats up John McCain

  • Stephanopoulos, an ABC News anchor and political adviser during the Clinton years. Whoa. source
  • McCain, the guy who lost the presidency to Barack Obama, now a heavy Twitter user. Neat. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Mar 2009 10:29

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Biz, Politics: A rare argument in favor of letting AIG keep their bonuses

  • Tearing up contracts could set a bad precedent. Obama and large swaths of the government (and large numbers of taxpayers) don’t like having to pay $165 million in bonuses, but it may just be in their best long-term interest to bite the bullet, argues Andrew Ross Sorkin. “If you think this economy is a mess now,” Sorkin argues, “imagine what it would look like if the business community started to worry that the government would start abrogating contracts left and right.” Oh boy. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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