BlogHer - Why Barack Obama & John McCain Should Be Coming to BlogHer '08 - Comments

Thanks, Lisa

PunditMom — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:38:28 -0500

Lisa, This sounds great. I hope the people the campaigns are sending will answer lots of questions. It's just hard not to want the candidates themselves! But I know we will have great dicussions on politics this coming week and that the women of the BlogHer community will greatly benefit from the political events that the BlogHer conference has to offer.

Hi Joanne - just to clarify

Lisa Stone — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:59:52 -0500

Thanks for your post. Actually, this year we made the decision to focus very heavily on getting the candidates to address the BlogHer community's Voter Manifesto questions, rather than on coming to BlogHer '08.

Two reasons played into our decision: First, the conference is really about, by and for women who blog -- a huge discussion of what we are doing with this technology across dozens, perhaps hundreds of topics. Second, our goal for inviting the candidates to speak with BlogHer has always been so they could answer your policy questions -- and we can reach many more women via distributing those answers on BlogHer.com than we can via our our conferences, which are limited in size and reach. That's why we were so happy when Sen. Obama agreed to a ten-minute exclusive on-camera interview with Erin Kotecki Vest this spring, in which he answered questions created by the BlogHer community. And I hasten to add that Sen. McCain has agreed to answer these questions from BlogHers as well, and we are in the process of scheduling this interview.

We did indeed invite the campaigns to send surrogates to BlogHer '08, and I'm happy to report that Sen. McCain is sending Liz Mair, Communications Director for the Republican National Committee, and Sen. Obama is sending Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) I'm going to moderate a panel where these folks debate which candidate is better for women, one for which I am sure you and your community have some zingers -- bring 'em on! In addition to taking questions from the bloggers in the room at the conference, I'm happy to credit the site where I get the two or three questions with which I kick the conversation off.

I hope this helps. I have high hopes that we might be able to get Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain to post on our site as well, but that's all I'm really comfortable sharing now. :)

Thanks,
Lisa
Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

In person opportunities ...

PunditMom — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:39:46 -0500

Erin, of course it's fabulous that Obama spoke with BlogHer for the video interview that you did. My point, which perhaps I didn't make as well as I should have, was this -- wouldn't it be great if all presidential candidates looked at gatherings like BlogHer and took them seriously enough to attend them in person??

Obviously they can't be everywhere, and it will be great to have their reps there, but it would speak volumes about taking women voters seriously if they came in person. They did it for The Yearly Kos last year (including Hillary), so why not us and many other gatherings that are predominantly women?

From Ground Up Girls

Political Watcher — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:28:53 -0500

Of course, Prez candidates should be paying attention to women voters who are in the know and connected because the ripples go outward.

We have just started to blog about politics in our California Central Coast Area (Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties) and have found many new voices out there with opinions and facts to share.

Check us out at our blog, too We are: www.PoliticalWatchCentralCoast.org. We have just started and are learning about all of you out there. Any suggestions from you all would be appreciated and we will see you at the next conference.

Regards, Sue and Helen the Friends of the Environment and progressive Dems.

I must point out

Erin Kotecki Vest — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:04:00 -0500

Senator Obama has spoken directly to our community. And we are confident Senator McCain will answer our voter manifesto questions.

There will be representation from each side at the conference with many considerations -each campaigns' AND BlogHer's- taken into consideration.

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

What do you think it would take ...

PunditMom — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:42:53 -0500

.... to get them to come? The fact that they are not on the schedule says to me that they think there are other constituencies that are more important.

Again, I say -- short-sighted.

Word.

Nina Moon — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:38:06 -0500

Seriously. They need to come. How can they miss an opportunity like this?

Nina Moon

http://www.charlieandnina.com

I need to be courted

My Inner Athlete — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:20:18 -0500

As a lifelong Democrat who is currently committed to voting and NOT voting for Obama (I will likely not vote McCain) this would be an excellent chance for him to build some of the bridges he burned in the primary. I keep waiting for that one gesture for Obama to do the right thing...the surprising and ethical-in-the-face-of-politics thing that would give me some shred of evidence that he is more substantial than just effervescence and wishes...that he's not the outright mysogynist that his performance in the primary made him out to be. Instead and since becoming the presumptive nominee he has reneged on a pledge regarding campaign financing, and backtracked on a number of other issues. I've been thoroughly unimpressed. While I know there are women who fervently support Barack, there are also a number of women who are equally fervent about not supporting Barack.

Appealing to the women at BlogHer is not just an option for Barack to win the support of women like me, it's imperative. He's squandered so many opportunities already...I don't see him getting many more....

Seriously, it's kinda mind-boggling.

Liz Rizzo — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:15:45 -0500

1,000 bloggers posed to listen and immediately go home and blog about it. Can you imagine the ripples?

Personally, I'm still waiting to be excited by Obama, and it's nothing but negative after negative. This week, with Clinton voting against FISA, I just find myself so frustrated that she didn't get the nomination.

But I'm still poised to listen, and BlogHer would have been the perfect venue.

Liz Rizzo

I blog at Everyday Goddess.

Why Barack Obama & John McCain Should Be Coming to BlogHer '08

PunditMom — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:08:03 -0500

Last year, after attending my first BlogHer conference, I was a little put out when I discovered that most of the Democratic presidential candidates were making appearances at The Yearly Kos conference just one week later (now called Netroots Nation) and not BlogHer.

Having heard more times than I care to count that women voters are the key demographic to winning elections -- especially this election -- it just didn't make sense. Of course, I was thrilled that Elizabeth Edwards was hanging out with us BlogHer chicks, but it's a different message to send a spouse rather than the candidate him- or herself.

I hoped that would change this year, especially with the general election just four months away.

But I haven't heard anything about either Barack Obama or John McCain speaking to us "powerful blogger ladies" at next week's BlogHer conference. I suppose it's possible they could make a surprise appearance, but I'm guessing their calendars for next week are pretty much set and I haven't heard that either one of them will have time for the women who have been named the Number One most influential women bloggers in America.

Can you say short-sighted?

So here are a few reasons I think the candidates should consider whether they can make a quick stop in San Francisco next week -- hey, we'll be there for a few days, so we're flexible:

1. Your women's agendas. Barack, come on -- we're about a thousand women with blogs all in one place and we're not afraid to use them. Didn't you hear Katie Couric talking about how many others are out there? 36 million?? Dude, that's a lot of free publicity you're turning your back on. You're supposedly the 'new media' candidate, so come on by next week -- we'll fit you into the schedule.

John, you're a little light on women's content at your place. I know you've got Carly Fiorina out there on the stump for you -- and she was pretty straightforward about talking with insurance companies covering birth control pills as well as Viagra, but you seemed pretty uncomfortable with that one, so maybe you can just chat with us about that.

2. Women who aren't yet convinced. I'm sad to say I'm one of them. I'd love for Obama to swing by San Fran and convince those of us (and I know there will be others there who are in the same boat I am) to seal the deal with us. After all, we are "powerful blogger ladies" ... at least according to WE TV. And I know that while I'm not the kind of girl to consider voting for McCain, there are plenty of BlogHer attendees who would and McCain could probably use some shoring up of his women's support.

3. Do it for Malia and Sasha. I know you have said you regret letting your daughters have a few minutes of air time on a recent interview (for the record, I think you are mistaken and that it was a fabulous opportunity). But wouldn't it be a good thing to let them know that you think a women's conference is a good place to spend your time looking for votes? I know that PunditGirl would think it was a good use of your campaign time, and she's a shrewd one.

4. Do it for Meghan and Bridget. McCain, you've got daughters, too. and while they're older than Malia and Sasha, I'm sure they'd love to see you reaching out to women with blogs. Hey -- Meghan has one, so I know you can relate.

5. We are the majority. It's not like women voters are a special interest group. Women make up the majority of America. Really. I have this on very good authority. And in this day and age of $4.50 a gallon gas, global warming and food crises, there is no group that is more political than mothers. Just ask your wives -- they'll vouch for that.

So Barack and John, I know I'm not one of your paid consultants. But if I was, I would tell you to do some schedule juggling and make a stop at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco next Friday or Saturday and mingle with the women bloggers.

I guarantee you it will be the best investment in your campaign to date.

Politics & News Contributing Editor Joanne Bamberger blogs as PunditMom. Because there is not yet a 12-step program for political blogging addictions, you can also find her here, as well as at MOMocrats, The Huffington Post and occasionally on XM Radio Channel 130, POTUS '08.