Excessive expression on any platform inevitably results in contradiction. Not suprisingly, U.S. politicians are familiar with this certainty and are regularly criticized for scandals and conflicting messages. The 2008 election, however, welcomes a new era of political transparency via the rapid interactive outlets of Web 2.0. Look no further than the John Edwards campaign…
Edwards recently provided an interview with Michael Arrington of TechCrunch. When asked how his technology initiatives differed from Democratic competitors Obama and Clinton, Edwards responded:
“But today, Washington is broken – too often, our laws are written by big corporations and their lobbyists, and what’s good for the rest of us gets lost completely. Where some of the other Democratic candidates use the language of compromise or are in fact taking money from and in support of the corporate interests who are blocking real change, I think the policies I’ve released and the way I’ve spoken out show that I’m more willing to fight to achieve the change we need.”
An expected answer from the Edwards campaign - an engine dedicated to the general economically struggling American public. Rage Against the Machine! Put the Power in the People’s Hand! By distancing himself from the elite supporters of his oppenents, Edwards hopes to unite “a virtuous and homogeneous people against a set of elites and dangerous ‘others’ who are together depicted as depriving (or attempting to deprive) the sovereign people of their rights, values, prosperity, identity and voice.” (Wikipedia definition of Populism).
Next, I invite you to join me on brief tour through the blogosphere to verify Edwards’ dedication to the common American. Should be simple…on the right you will see a positive story from ultra-reliable FOXnews, dismantling the $400 haircut myth. Commentator Susan B. Landau ignores the haircut as a hilarious mistake and attests to Edwards commitment to the impoverished - after all, she witnessed the candidate speak to New Hampshire citizens in 2004.
Continuing from Landau’s remarks, you will find reinforcement of the symbolic Edwards - a student of America’s economic crisis - on your left. New York Times Deal Book editor Andrew Ross Sorkin, describes his arduous education as a hedge fund manager for Fortress Investment Group. After graduating from Fortress’s Poverty 101, Edwards conceded that “making money was a good thing.” And having connections at small investment firm, like Fortress (a net income of a paltry $200 million), is also beneficial when presidential funding season opens.
At our final destination in the blogosphere, we will clarify the amount of money considered a “good thing.” Managers of the nation’s top 20 private equity and hedge funds, average over $600 million in yearly income - an amount roughly 22,000 x higher than the average American.
Don’t be offended by the convuled Edwards’ campaign. The candidate recently attacked low tax rates of hedge fund managers…those bastards are profiting from between $11 and $24 million of Edward’s personal wealth! The audacity!
(Editors Note: Barack Obama also embarked on a journey to help the impoverished by directing “Developing Communities Project” on the south side of Chicago.)
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Examples of successful crowdsourcing initiatives are abundant in today’s participatory world. 