Colbert, Backstage with Kerry
I’m still more of a Jon Stewart man, but this Josh Marshall footage of Colbert out of character with John Kerry is pretty cool.
3 Responses to “Colbert, Backstage with Kerry”
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August 28th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Somehow it’s weird hearing Kerry refer, in an un-official sort of conversational context, to the “blogosphere”. It’s… i dunno, you get this impression that even the really sharp politicians still think of the internet has this new thing the kids are into that you need to pay lip service to, but these guys aren’t stupid (mostly). I dunno, you just sort of wish they could talk more candidly and naturally more often, rather than get so scared of getting misquoted.
I loved the conversation when Obama was on the Daily Show, with Jon’s comment on how he keeps getting slammed by the media when he makes a statement that basically isn’t worded in the language of accepted, uncontroversial political platforms, when he’s really just putting forth a real opinion supported by actual study of the issue. His response, that the media is slowing figuring out when they check into things that his statements are well-supported and reasonable, is refreshing (both for that to be true, and that he believes that’s a worthwhile way to deal with the media) and encouraging (that the media can turn around a little, when their intelligence is given some respect).
Of course then I hear my mother-in-law say that she doesn’t like Obama because he’s inexperienced. I hate how those memes get started and propagate.
August 28th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Just to ramble a little, it reminds me of this bit in the Richard Feynman biography (that I’m finally getting around to reading) where Feynman talks about how people always favor explanations for things that fit with their existing beliefs because it’s simply easier to do so. It’s not a conscious choice, it’s just that people get used to ignoring things that seem wrong, so when real contraditions appear, they get ignored as well. It’s how candidates get pigeonholed, corporate groupthink takes hold, and superstitions persist.
August 28th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Mother-in-laws are like that.
Interesting comments ymatt, Kerry’s reference to blogs caught my ear too for the same reason. However, the comfortable way it was referrenced led me to think he is used to talking about it. Backroom talks re: strategy? Do you think many politicians are keenly in tune with blogoshere public opinion, yet basically ignore its existence formally? I have no idea, I just wonder what you think on that.
I wonder if there is any programs that can spider the internet and provide feedbaack on numbers of people pro- certain issues vs. anti- certain issues? Doubt it, but maybe I’m just not up-to-date. Anyone heard anything new about the subsequent generations (don’t know the new name(s)) of the old PROMIS software?