MyDD :: Open Thread

Open Thread

by Jonathan Singer, Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 10:19:59 PM EST

Bumped - Todd

This could be really fun:

Facebook, the popular social networking site, has become a full-fledged platform for communicating, sharing and advertising. ABC News is betting that it will become a platform for political coverage, as well.

ABC News and Facebook have formally established a partnership -- the site's first with a news organization -- that allows Facebook members to electronically follow ABC reporters, view reports and video and participate in polls and debates, all within a new "U.S. Politics" category.

To underscore their collaboration, the two organizations will announce today that they are jointly sponsoring Democratic and Republican presidential debates in New Hampshire on Jan. 5, three days before the primary election there.

It looks like that first week of January is going to pretty jam packed, with not only Iowa holding its caucuses on Thursday the third and New Hampshire its primary on Tuesday the eighth but Facebook and ABC News holding both a Democratic and a Republican debate on Saturday the fifth. With the results of Iowa fresh in the minds of the political press and voters come the weekend, this debate is likely going to hold a great deal of importance, either reinforcing the results from the third or potentially helping someone hurt during the first nominating contest right their course. Additionally, the timing of these debates could further sideline Wyoming, which intends to hold a GOP caucus that day. Should be an interesting event, to say the least, and we at MyDD will hopefully have someone out there to cover it.

Anyway, consider this an open thread... What's on your mind tonight?

Tags: Open Thread, Debate, Facebook (all tags)

Permalink :: 5 Comments :: Post a Comment

MS-Sen. I'm flabbergasted how the MS-SoS (D) (none / 0)

could agree with the Gov. Barbour (R) that Barbour can appoint a replacement for Lott, when the law clearly states that he can't "unless the vacancy shall occur in a year that there shall be held a general state or congressional election."

"Shall occur ... an election" does NOT equal "has occurred" an election (future tense vs. past tense). The election in MS has ALREADY occurred, how the heck is that supposed to influence the date of a special election that hasn't yet occurred?

The relevant links are in another diary, but without the updates (found at dailykos) about the MS-SoS capitulating to the Gov. demands.

by verasoie on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 09:43:50 PM EST

Trent Lott and a Gay Escort (none / 0)

What's on my mind is that there are rumors going around the gay blogosphere that Trent Lott may have resigned due to a gay escort relationship that Larry Flynt was threatening to announce "soon." Of course, they're just rumors... I'm still very eager to see how this plays out.

While I could sit in church and pray all I want, I wouldn't be fulfilling God's will unless I went out and did the Lord's work ~ Barack Obama

by bowiegeek on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 09:56:21 PM EST

Re: Open Thread (none / 0)

ABC is the conservative network. We don't want them to get ahead of the curve. MSNBC needs to get out in front and create the same kind of access. They might want to consider teaming up with MySpace, or even, the blogosphere which caters to younger citizens.

by santamonicadem on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 11:39:11 PM EST

Re: Open Thread (none / 0)

I don't have a TV, so I'll take your word as far as ABC being conservative. I do, however, use Facebook and as such have a couple comments. First of all the "US Politics" section isn't new, it's been there since the '06 election season. The ABC stuff obviously is new. Just went and checked it out. Doesn't look ground breaking, and it was hard enough to find, but it's something. I'm mostly disappointed that FB is teaming up w/such a mainstream source, regardless of which one (though thank the stars it ain't Faux News).

I'd love to see some sort of a partnership w/FB and MyDD or Kos. Sure, they'd have to "balance" it out with wingnut content, but especially among the crowd on there the progressive arguments and content would win out. An example: a recent, ongoing "Debate Group" (i.e. informal poll in the US Politics application) on same sex marriage is at 53% supporting full equality, 14% supporting supporting civil untions but not marriage, 17% leaving it up to the states and 15% saying there should be neither civil unions or same sex marriage. I can't think of any group that's not explicitly ideological that would come up with those results.

Anyway, point being, great that FB is getting more involved in politics. Not so great that it's ABC.

Oh, and MySpace is owned by the same man that brought us Fox, so don't count on inroads there. Besides, it's growing nowhere near as fast as FB (FB recently reached par w/MySpace on Alexa's traffic rankings) and is frankly pretty crappy when you compare the two. If it's MySpace or nothing, I'd choose nothing.

"Success is dependent on effort." Sophocles

by B VT on Tue Nov 27, 2007 at 02:28:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Autism (none / 0)

While I, as a medical researcher, appreciate Sen Clinton's intelligent view of science, it is not good for her to pick a "pet disorder" to fund. This is wasteful. It is VERY unfair, since there are many other diseases which she did NOT pick.

It is better, for politicians, to provide broad targets, monies, committements, etc, instead of specific ones. Specific committements to specific diseases invite waste, fraud, and abuse.

by dataguy on Tue Nov 27, 2007 at 09:46:13 AM EST

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