Posted on 04/17/2008 8:11:48 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards and ex-Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson gave back-to-back keynotes at the CTIA Wireless conference in Las Vegas Thursday.
While opposing on many political issues, the former candidates agreed that the nation's political process, particularly how it is covered by the media, needs to change. Both said the contest is covered like a "horse race," at the expense of coverage on the issues, such as health care, social security, the economy, foreign policy, and education. "There's so much focus on the superficial," Edwards said. "The American people -- you -- deserve better than that."
Thompson said that as a democratic nation, we get the political process that we deserve. "It is our process. It is what we have concocted for better or worse as a people, and we can change it and we can improve it." he said.
Advancements in technology, such as faster and more efficient communications through the Internet, have had a huge impact over the years on running for president. Unlike the past, candidates today can go directly to voters through the Web to raise money, rather than depend on a relatively smaller number of big donors.
But while technology has democratized the fundraising process, it has also placed more pressure on candidates, in that they are under constant scrutiny and they are expected to know immediately about any important event happening around the world. "You have to be constantly ready," Edwards said. "There's never a time that you can take a break."
Thompson said a candidate could be getting off a bus, and suddenly meet a throng of reporters asking questions about something that happened on the other side of the globe. "From a candidate's standpoint, you can't get away from anything anymore," he said. "You're expected to know everything as it happens."
Also, because of today's 24-hour news cycle, the media has to find some issue to fill time, and often creates controversy, the ex-candidates said. "There's nothing more dangerous than a television personality with dead air time that he has to fill up," Thompson said. "Controversy is the name of the game, and sometimes it's generated when it's not really there."
Edwards agreed, saying that the need for continuous news "creates the imperative that there has to be controversy."
"They (the media) want a fight," he said. "They want a cat fight. They want a squabble."
Edwards added that political bloggers are having a major influence, and have become a source of information even for mainstream reporters. "Sometimes (bloggers) are out ahead of the mainstream media," he said.
During a question-and-answer session that followed, Edwards was asked whether he would consider the job of vice president, if he was asked by either Illinois Sen. Barack Obama or N.Y. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the two remaining candidates for the Democratic nomination.
"No," Edwards said. Asked earlier by CTIA president and chief executive Steve Largent whether he would be willing to announce his endorsement for either candidate at the conference, Edwards' answer was equally curt. "Never."
Edwards is a former U.S. senator from North Carolina, and pundits have said the state's May 6 primary could prove to be a pivotal showdown between Clinton and Obama.
Thompson, a former U.S. senator from Tennessee, was less direct in whether he would consider running as vice president beside the expected Republican nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Rather than give an answer, Thompson said the question doesn't matter, unless it's asked by "the only person that counts." In the meantime, "I need to go back to making a living," he said jokingly.
Both said the contest is covered like a "horse race," at the expense of coverage on the issues, such as health care, social security, the economy, foreign policy, and education.Gosh, we'd never heard that one before, ever. What a revelation.
"There's so much focus on the superficial," Edwards said. "The American people -- you -- deserve better than that."Wow, thanks Edwards, you're so deep.
Thompson said that as a democratic nation, we get the political process that we deserve. "It is our process. It is what we have concocted for better or worse as a people, and we can change it and we can improve it." he said.We get the gov't we deserve, we get the process we deserve, dang, it's like Socrates has come back to us.
Advancements in technology, such as faster and more efficient communications through the Internet, have had a huge impact over the years on running for president.Not to mention Dan Rather's career...
2 people who couldn’t use technology effectively enough to stay in the race are now give keynotes? Whats next? Howard Dean going to speak on Anger Management?
“Yes, John McCain asking Fred Thompson to be his VP would make it more palatable to vote this November, besides ? Fred can run as President again in 4 years and he would be about the same age as Reagan was in 1980.”
I agree. I would be able to go into the voting booth in November without holding my nose if Fred is on the ticket!
Ping.
Thanks for the ping jellybean. It is getting close to the date when I can write in Fred’s name. I’m gearing up to volunteer for my congressman as well.
You obviously haven’t been paying attention while the campaigning was going on. Your statement is not true.
“Is there any possibility that John McCain would ask Fred to run on his ticket ?”
I don’t know. Wish he would, and then step down and allow Fred to replace him!:) Fred on the ticket would certainly make it easier for me to vote for the ticket in November. I will vote for McCain no matter who he picks as VP only because I can’t stand the thought of Hillary or Obama in the White House.
I do wish McCain would announce his VP choice soon. If he does pick someone who is more conservative it will help bring in campaign funds and McCain is running low from what I have read.
Thompson was very effective in his use of his blog, you-tube, using the internet to get specific position papers in the hands of the voter, and internet fundraising. He was the class of the field in fact. It was the silly attacks on his style, age, and "cuteness" from the MSM that proved to be his undoing.
Are you suggesting that Hillary, BO, or McCain have done a better job using technology? I'd want examples.
Both Hillary and Obama have raised millions using the internet. Fred and Silky pony couldn't raise squat. Sorry but Thompson's log" was only effective to fans of Thompson. There was no major hit counts or spreading of the word. Thats how a sites success is judged. Obamas and Hillary's on the other had have had millions of hits and have proven successful. If Thompson was soooo effective, how come he was only really in the race for less than 2 months? He never even finished higher than 3rd.
If you want to say his campaign didn’t take off, that’s fine. If you want to say his use of technology was the reason, the facts don’t support you.
Pray tell, what should Thompson have done differently wrt technology? Again, examples would be nice. How they did in the elections overall is not the issue being discussed.
Hit counts are the judge of technology application? LOL
Uh, yeah. You think a web site with 1 hit is popular? How do you think Drudge is popular? Because he out there? No because he gets hits! Because he draws people to his site by his content! What an ignorat statement.
Tell you what, buckaroo, when you decide to discuss the topic of the thread, get back with me. Under your criteria, McCain made better use of the internet (or technology in general, which IS after all the subject) than either Ron Paul or Fred Thompson. I think McCain, Obama, and Clinton were made by the MSM, which is the only reason people went to their sites. Their site visits were caused by their mainstream media support. In Thompson's and Paul's case, their internet presence is what ultimately made the MSM pay attention to them. I'd think a smart cutting edge tekkie like you would see that.
I'm still waiting to hear what they did relative to technology that was better than Thompson. I feel confident I'll wait until hell freezes over before you come up with an answer.
By the way, before you call someone "ignorat," you really should learn to spell it. That's a heck of a word to misspell when you are trying to demonstrate your intellectual superiority.
Your assumptions are incorrect.
Thompson did a fine job on the web, and is very knowlegeable overall about technology issues. If online performance determined our candidate, Ron Paul would be the GOP nominee.
McCain is the nominee #1 so it must have been good. Paul raised more money on the Internet but sunk himself in debates (like Obama) And your boy Fred Thompson, the man who thought he could get into it any time and win it (due in part to his superior Internet technology skills I guess) was out in less than 2 months after the primaries started finishing no higher than 3rd! So why don't you tell me how Thompson's use of technology was so superior and what makes him an expert in this field when it took him nowhere but to beg for his Law and Order job back? Shouldn't he be on the board of Cisco working on wireless algorithm, or VOIP or is that Al Gores job now?
Yeah, it was his use of techology that made him the nominee. Sure.
Still no examples. Oh well. I give up. If you want to post back some other unrelated information, I will allow you the last word.
Thank you for your sterling defense of Fred Thompson and his use of technology, in the face of such over the top stupidity.
All I see is a rude little person who makes attacks instead of arguments. You especially get the govt. you deserve.
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