Chris Abraham » integrity

The contorversy about Yelp

Chris Abraham — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:19:53 +0000

Jonathan Trenn popped this insightful article about Yelp over on Marketing Conversation, The contorversy about Yelp (and be sure to check out David Gelles’ article on a similar topic over at the Financial Times, Yelp rejects claims of extortion):

Ah, controversy.
Now, it’s with Yelp, the mega online review site. On Wednesday, the East Bay Express, an alternative newspaper that covers Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California, published a very provocative article , “Yelp and the business of extortion 2.0″ on the sales operations and tactics of Yelp. The paper made some very pointed accusations, some of them seemingly legitimate while others sounding too nebulous. They state that Yelp is both maniupulating the placements of restaurants reviews as sales tools and then using scare tactics to then solicit advertising sales from these same restaurants.
The accusations are alarming but, because I think the article was poorly presented, it’s left me thinking that Yelp perhaps had a major sales problem in one office as opposed to a company wide sleaze factor policy.
Yelp’s initial response, written on the company blog by CEO Jeremy Stoppleman is inept and insufficient. He’s likely satisfied that his blog posts are enough…and it may appear to be just that for the time being…but controversies such as this, be they true or just speculation, have a way of undermining a company’s integrity in a hurry. Especially a site that 1) is about user generated online reviews, and 2) has trust as a hallmark of its standing.
Oddly, the Yelp blog doesn’t allow comments. That’s not a good idea…especially for a site that’s about online reviews and citizen participation.
Here’s the gist of the article. Writer Kathleen Richards talked to “dozens” of business owners over the “past several months” and found that six of them said that Yelp sales reps promised to remove or move bad reviews if the business chose to advertise. And these businesses would often get sales calls from Yelp reps soon after they mysteriously started getting a rash of negative reviews. The theory here is that Yelp employees would start to or enlist others to write negative reviews on a company, those reviews would then appear at the top of a company’s page, and the company would get a phone call from a rep looking for an advertising by so those reviews can “go away”…usually to the tune of $300 a month.
For those that declined, positive reviews seemed to begin to disappear. For those that did manage to buy, negative ones began disappearing.
This is pretty damning stuff. If true, it shows a coordinted effort between people in sales those on the back end tech team. It made some establishments feel as if Yelp was acting as if it was the “mafia” in that Yelp was threatening establishments to pay (advertise) in order to not be damaged. That’s called “protection money” in organized crime.
But as I red between the lines I ended up scratching my head. Over several months, after talking to “dozens” of businesses, Richards found six restaurants that felt that either they were being offered a quid-pro-qo for advertising to reduce or eliminate bad reviews; or some felt that this extended to manipulative threats of the placement of poor reviews and the elimination of postive reviews.
“Dozens. “What does that mean? 36? 60? 84? How did Richards find these restaurants? Did she talk to one and then ask the owner/manager if he or she knew of any others that had similar stories? Both questions are important. The first because it leads to how widespread the problem actually is in the Bay Area and the second, because if there is a lack or randomness to all this, then the sample restaurants are self selected by the reporter.
The article relies on the how some of the restaurant owners “feel”. These feelings may be completely legitimate. But it is hard to counter a “feelings”e of another is the one with the feelings remain anonymous. I fully believe in using anonymous sources, but there should be greater evidence used. That is, if one is trying to prove that this is a consistent sales tactic used by the company as a whole.
And speaking of as a whole. This article seems to be focusing soley on the East Bay restaurant seen. True, it is an East Bay pub, but the article is written as if it is a widespread problem and the issue here is “the business of extortion”. It fully damns the Yelp based on a small sample of local business’ feelings.
Stoppleman has since written a few more blog posts, but he could use a change of attitude. There’s been enough discussion on the net about this article denigrating Yelp. Hundreds of tweets on Twitter, negative mentions on Technorati, and articles in substantial online pubs.
The reason why I say that Stoppleman could use a change of attitude is because he’s treating all of this as an illegitimate attack. The accusations, regardless of their veracity, at least sound reasonable. And his defensiveness doesn’t really address the issue.
He does have on post that does work, at bit, in my opinion. “Nine Myths About Yelp” is designed to negate what he feels are falsehoods. The most important one he lists is #3 (it should be #1, but he doesn’t seem to realize it). It is stated here:
Myth #3: Yelp salespeople manipulate reviews for prospective advertisers (for example, offers to remove a negative review if a new client signs up, or a threat to remove positive reviews if the business owner does not choose to advertise with Yelp)
Reality: We have every reason to trust the smart, hard-working and ethical salespeople who work at Yelp. Beyond this, to avoid even an appearance of impropriety, we’ve taken several steps to ensure no member of our team is tempted to game the system. Specifically:
1. Yelp salespeople do not have access to the system that deletes reviews; only a few members of Yelp engineering and user support team have this access, and they literally work on different floors within the office.
2. Every Yelp salesperson signs an agreement that s/he will not write reviews of any business while employed by Yelp. We trust our teammates in sales to live up to this commitment. We also have several monitoring systems in place to ensure nobody (accidentally or otherwise) crosses this line.
3. Through our vigilance, we once did find a salesperson who encouraged a friend to write a positive review for a prospective client (that the friend had actually patronized). The salesperson’s role at Yelp ended that day.
4. When a new advertiser signs up with Yelp, the relationship is handed off to an Account Manager. The Account Manager then takes the client through a 30 minute phone training session — and confirms that reviews have nothing to do with advertising.
5. After the training call, the Account Manager sends a follow up survey that asks each client how much s/he agrees with the following statement: “I understand that Reviews are completely separate from the Yelp Ad Program, and that there is an automated filter that may suppress some of my reviews whether or not I am a client.” Any client who does not click “Completely Agree” in this case gets yet another follow-up call for clarification.
Myth #4: Yelp removes positive reviews from businesses its staff does not like, or from businesses that do not pay for advertising
Reality: A review you may have seen on Yelp previously is no longer there; this happens. The review in question may have “disappeared” for one of three reasons:
1. The review may have been suppressed by Yelp’s automated Review Filter, which is always out there looking for suspicious reviewing activity (like those anonymous rants and raves you see on other sites).
2. The writer may have removed her own review; she has the right to do that at any time
3. Another user believed the review violated Yelp’s Review Guidelines and sent it to our customer service team for review. The customer service team agreed, then manually removed the review.
Both our customer service team and the Review Filter work exactly the same way for advertisers as they do for non-advertisers.
This is how he should have addressed the issue at the very beginning. Blown opportunity and his company has suffered and will continue to suffer as a result. And he has to go beyond stating that the sales people and the tech people with access to placement of reviews work on different floors.
My guess is what happened is that a few sales reps in that particular office would scour the reviews on Yelp, and when they found some recent newly written negative ones, they then picked up the phone and made a sales call, offering the package that places a selected postive review on top – one that is visibly marked as being sponsored. Some pitches probably went far beyond this…saying that they could make the negative one “disappear”. Sales people will say sleazy things. Stoppleman should understand this and not discount this. He should then conduct some sort of internal audit that would show the public that he is trying to address the problem and root it out if it exists. Retrain. Resolve.
Now is it possible that some sales types had relationships with the tech people. Absolutely. Different floors – HA! So the problem may have been more than a poorly written article. Yelp needs to look into that because, as Yelp knows, online reputations matter.
And to Jeremy Stoppleman…you should allow people to comment on your blog posts.

Will Google Android Move To The Desktop? Maybe Yes!

Chris Abraham — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:46:40 +0000

Lots of respectable geeks have been looking into their crystal balls, foreseeing the day, sometime soon, when Google Android, the Google OS for phones — the gPhone — moves up the developmental totem, jumping to the netbook, then to the laptop, and finally to the desktop, resulting in an integrated Google world of Google Mail, Google Docs, Google Reader, Google Search, and Google Videos! Sounds like bloody heaven to me because I run my business on Google (and here’s proof) Via WiredGadget Lab:

Google’s Android operating system is not just for mobile phones. It is coming to netbooks.
Asus, which kickstarted the netbook market with its Eee PCs, has put a team of engineers to work on developing an Android-based device.
The company could have a netbook with Android OS the end of the year, says Samson Hu, head of the Asus’ Eee PC business in an interview with Bloomberg.
Asus already has some experience with Android. The company is working with GPS-based navigation devices maker Garmin to launch a line of new phones, some of which will run Android.
The Android operating system released in October through the HTC T-Mobile G1 phone has already captured the attention of cellphone makers. Handset manufacturers such as Motorola, LG and Samsung are developing cellphones that run Android operating system.
If Asus releases a netbook running Android, it won’t be long before other netbook makers such as Acer jump on the bandwagon.

BL Ochman Debunks Six Social Media Myths Over at Business Week

Chris Abraham — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:15:48 +0000

BL and I adore eachother so I was very excited to receive an email from her last night with a link to her latest article on Business Week, Using social media to market your business is a good idea. Just don’t plan on getting your whiz-kid nephew to do it for free — check it out and check BL out over on her blog, What’s Next Blog. Oh, and when BL asks “how many of them have actually created a successful campaign for clients using social media tools? I bet you’d be hard-pressed to find half a dozen with real track records,” I can proudly state that Abraham Harrison LLC has the expertise, the experience, and the track record to boot! Anyway, here’s the article:

Debunking Six Social Media Myths
For companies, resistance to social media is futile. Millions of people are creating content for the social Web. Your competitors are already there. Your customers have been there for a long time. If your business isn’t putting itself out there, it ought to be.
But before you take the plunge, bear in mind the many myths that surround social media.
1. Social media is cheap, if not free. Yes, many of the tools that can be employed in social media marketing are free to use. These include Google’s (GOOG) video-sharing site YouTube, Yahoo’s (YHOO) photo-sharing site Flickr, the social-network building tool Ning, and content aggregators such as Digg and eBay’s (EBAY) StumbleUpon. Free blogging tools abound too; among them are WordPress, Twitter, and FriendFeed.
However, integrating these tools into a corporate marketing program requires skill, time, and money. The budget for an effective social media marketing campaign begins at $50,000 for two to three months. I’m sure companies have spent less, and I know they’ve spent more.
Building a site that incorporates interactivity, allows user-generated content, and perhaps also includes e-commerce doesn’t come cheap from anyone who knows what they are doing. Even taking free software like WordPress and making it function as an effective interactive site, incorporating e-commerce, creating style sheets that integrate with the company’s branding, takes more than time. That takes skill, experience, and money.
As a rule, a $50,000 to $100,000 budget can cover the creation of a simple multimedia microsite that becomes the center of an online community. Add in some widgets to help distribute the content and form a credible group on Flickr, Twitter, or Facebook and other networking groups to enhance the community aspect of the campaign. Complex functions add to programming and design costs.
A high-yield, highly targeted blog advertising campaign to kick off and support the program will cost an additional $25,000 to $100,000 a month. Advertising through Google’s AdWords, e-mail support, co-registration, and other tools that drive traffic would be additional costs.
2. Anyone can do it. A surfeit of whiz kids and more experienced marketers are claiming to be social media experts and even social media gurus. Search the bios of Robert Scoble’s 56,838 Twitter followers using Tweepsearch (www.tweepsearch.com), an index of the bios of Twitter users, and you’ll find:
4,273 Internet marketers
1,652 social media marketers
513 social media consultants
272 social media strategists
180 social media experts
98 social media gurus
58 Internet marketing gurus
How many of them have actually created a successful campaign for clients using social media tools? I bet you’d be hard-pressed to find half a dozen with real track records.
A successful social media campaign integrates social media into the many elements of marketing, including advertising, digital, and PR. Opinion and theory are no match for experience, and the best social media marketers now have more than 10 years of experience incorporating interactivity, blogs, forums, user-generated content, and contests into online marketing.
Video contests by companies hoping for viral buzz and Google juice are as plentiful as mosquitoes on a humid summer night. But, like their insect counterparts, most video contests suck.
It’s the rare video contest that gets as many as 2,000 entries. Many, like Denny’s (DENM) recent disastrous effort, get fewer than 10 entries. Apparently, 48 Denny’s breakfasts over four years wasn’t a big motivator.
3. You can make a big splash in a short time. Sure, sometimes a social media campaign can produce substantial and measurable results quickly.
Social media is great if you’re already a star, but that doesn’t happen overnight. Amid the recent launch of my T-shirt design business, Pawfun.com, I have relied heavily on my 4,000-plus Twitter followers and 120,000 readers of my What’s Next Blog, which I’ve updated as often as five times a day since 2003. Because that network already exists, with not one dollar spent on advertising, we were able to generate more traffic in our first three days than some major companies get after years online.
ZapposChief Executive Tony Hsieh, whose company has millions of customers who are evangelists for the great service that built the brand, quickly became a Twitter star, with more than 32,000 followers. When Dell (DELL), JetBlue Airways (JBLU), the Chicago Bulls, and other love-’em-or-hate-’em brands joined Twitter, they immediately developed huge followings.
Tweets can be used to drive traffic to articles, Web sites, contests, videos, and so on—if people already care about your brand, or if you have a truly original idea that people will want to share with their followers.
One recent example of a Twitter-generated success is Savvy Auntie, a community for aunts, godmothers, and “other women who love kids” that was launched six months ago by Melanie Notkin. She has counted on Twitter to drive traffic, help her find suppliers, products, and even investors. She developed a Twitter following before launching her business, then tapped into it for help when she launched.
4. You can do it all in-house. Wrong! You need strategy, contacts, tools, and experience—a combination not generally found in in-house teams, who often reinvent the wheel or use the wrong tools.
It is rare indeed to find an in-house team that can not only conceive and execute a social media campaign but also drive traffic to it with effective e-mail segmentation, search optimization, blogger outreach, blog advertising, Google ads, and more.
5. If you do something great, people will find it. Quite simply, that never was true. Until you can drive traffic to your social media effort, you’ve got a tree falling in the forest, heard only by those standing nearby. A great number of tools can drive traffic, including StumbleUpon, Digg, and Twitter, but nothing works better than word of mouse—one friend telling another, “Hey look at this!”
6. You can’t measure social media marketing results. You can use a variety of methods, including mentions on blogs and in media; comments on the content; real-time blog advertising results, and click-throughs to your company Web site. You can get very precise statistics from a variety of sites, including Google Trends, Twitter search, Google Analytics, BackType, and Compete.
The tools are there. The gurus who know how to use and interpret them—not so much.
Ochman, president of Whatsnextonline.com, has been creating new media marketing and online brand strategy since 1995 for companies including IBM, Ford, McGraw-Hill, Budget Car Rental, Stacksandstacks.com, and American Greetings. She tracks online marketing trends and campaigns in What’s Next Blog.

Aston Martin Revives the Lagonda (Really?)

Chris Abraham — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:47:41 +0000

Back in the late 70s and 80s, Aston Martin made a terrible mistake in a modern interpretation of the Aston Martin Lagonda from 1976-1989. It was the first modern Aston Martin. It followed the unfortunate trend in the 70s and 80s when European car makers tried to become more like American muscle cars and tried to appeal to the need of the power brokers of the 80s who wanted bigger, faster, shinier, and more powerful emblems for their wealth. The Lamborghini Countach, the Lamborghini LM002, the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer, and this model of Porsche 911 are prime examples.

Well, according to Jalopnik, Aston Martin plans to revive the brand:

As rumored, Aston Martin is readying the Lagonda nameplate for an all-newGeneva Motor Show concept. The secret concept, previewing a new brand, is said to be a perfect blend of practicality and performance.
Lagonda was founded in 1906, but was purchased and integrated by Aston Martin in 1947. The Lagonda name has been affixed to Aston Martins since then, and graced the quirky 80s-era Aston Martin Lagonda, but has never been its own brand. According to Aston Martin, the Lagonda nameplate is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year (no, that makes no sense to us either) and to commemorate the occasion, an all-new concept will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
There’s no telling what this concept could be other than a competitor in the luxury car market filled with Bentleys and Rolls Royces, but Aston Martin is already talking about a production schedule for a 2012 on-sale date. We’ll keep our eyes peeled.
Aston Martin Press Release:
Aston Martin CEO confirms the revival of the Lagonda MarqueAston Martin Chief Executive Officer Dr Ulrich Bez has today confirmed his intention to revive the Lagonda marque.
In a statement today he said, “After my eight years with Aston Martin, four with profitability, and 16 months of independence, it’s time to think about a longer term future. Aston Martin is an honest, authentic brand which builds the most beautiful sportscars combining modern technology with craftsmanship. Next year we will launch the four door Rapide sportscar, and this will be followed by the project ‘one 77′, the most spectacular Aston Martin ever. Aston Martins are currently available in 32 countries but we will remain limited in our market penetration by the pure character of our cars – sportscars.
“We have now investigated and concluded that the revival of the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sportscar, and therefore offer a perfect synergy. Lagonda will use a unique design language as Aston Martin does. We will take elements of DNA from the past but will be very future orientated as we are with Aston Martin. With Lagonda offering exclusive, luxurious and truly versatile products with high quality and usability and suitable for both existing and emerging markets, I believe we can be present in more than 100 countries in the world.
“In 2009 Lagonda is about to celebrate its 100th birthday and in its centenary year we are confident that we will show the first concept of a car which could be in the market in 2012,” he confirmed.

I guess this is what another model year of the Aston Martin Lagonda looked like:

I don’t like that one either.

The State of Buzz (and Word of Mouth) in 2009

Chris Abraham — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:45:06 +0000

I spent three years working at New Media Strategies, from 2003-2006, doing buzz marketing and have spent from 2007-2009 doing some semblance of word-of-mouth and public relations.

As a result, I am fascinated by what Emanuel Rosen, dean of buzz, says 9-years after the publication of his book, The Anatomy of Buzz. Thank you, Ben McConnell, for this interview! Check it out at the Church of the Customer Blog.

1. Do you define a difference between word of mouth and buzz?
I use the word “buzz” as an umbrella term to describe all the person-to-person communication about something. I like the definition you gave in your first book: “Buzz = Word of Mouth + Word of Mouse” but I would add to this formula any other type of communication (for example: learning through observation). By the way, the first person to suggest the word buzz to me was Everett Rogers, the late diffusion scholar. I told him that I didn’t like this term, but over the years I grew to like it a lot.
I read your latest blog entry on word of mouth vs. buzz and, although we use different terms, I agree with the spirit of the things. The foundation of buzz is a great customer experience. No doubt about this. But even customers who love you sometimes forget and run out of opportunities to talk. My whole focus has been on ways to trigger and stimulate additional conversations, and there’s more than one way of doing this.
2. Network-theory scientist Duncan Watts disputes a lot of what’s in Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point,” specifically that if marketers just reach a few influential tastemakers then word of mouth should flourish. Where do you stand on Watts’s research?
My approach is practical: there are people who talk more than others. Whenever you can, cost effectively, identify these folks and work with them — go for it. Watts’s work is an important reminder that not all buzz is created by hubs or influentials, but it does not prove that connecting with these people doesn’t work. In the new edition of my book I dedicate five pages to this debate but the above is my view in a nutshell.
3. What’s your assessment of how social media affects word of mouth today?
Social media let text-based buzz explode, but perhaps more important is the effect it has on visual buzz. Buzz is not only about telling, but more and more about showing. My friend doesn’t have to tell me that he likes Lego Mindstorms. He just posts a video of the latest robot he built using these Lego bricks. My cousin doesn’t have to tell me that she supports a certain organization. I see on Facebook that she’s now a fan of that cause. A lot of the value of social media comes from this type of implicit recommendation.
4. How prevalent is fake buzz, whether its agencies creating astroturfing campaigns for clients or companies comment-stuffing review sites like Yelp?
I didn’t investigate how prevalent it is but I’m sure that undercover marketing is out there and that’s such a shame. Anyone who cares about word of mouth should fight this type of manipulation. I like the approach of Zagat and Angie’s List, that see it as part of their job to ensure the integrity of their sites. On a related issue, I think we should encourage everyone to generate more experience-based buzz (“I read this book and I liked it because…) as opposed to secondhand buzz (“my friend says that his cousin read this book and it’s cool.”) With too much secondhand buzz, we’ll end up with what can be best described as a buzz bubble as illustrated by a review posted on Amazon: “I haven’t read this book, but judging from the online reviews below, I don’t think it’s a very good book.”
5. In the big picture, what do you think is more helpful in understanding buzz and word of mouth: marketing or psychology?
Psychology. I think that the first step is always to understand what motivates people to do certain things. Marketing techniques come and go, but if you understand why people talk about products, you can find new ways to motivate them to talk about your brand.

What You Can Learn from Twitter’s Success

Chris Abraham — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:08:45 +0000

Rohit Bhargava from the Influential Marketing Blog just posted a very insightful article about how we entrepreneurs can learn from Twitter, 7 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Twitter’s Success — basically, make things easier, better, more open (as in API), and more insidious (all of Twitter’s competitors feel compelled to integrate with Twitter — how insidious is that — open API wins again):

By any measure, the growth and popularity of Twitter has been phenomenal. To say that Twitter has hit mainstream isn’t really the right metric to use. It’s more powerful to note that for a large group of Twitter enthusiasts, to spend even a day without using it would be as bad (or perhaps even worse) than not having email. It has become just that necessary. How did the site get to this point? And what are the lessons that any entrepreneur might be able to learn from how it got there? Here are a few thoughts on the real secrets behind Twitter’s success:
Focus on real time. For the socially connected online, there is little use for yet another place to talk to your friends. If anything, we all have too many of those to start with. But a site dedicated to RIGHT NOW stands out. It’s useful in a way that none of the other sites we use are.
Skip the extra step. Approving every friend request can be a lot of work – even if you’re not the most popular of people. It does make sense on most social networks, but when it comes to posting updates on Twitter, if you do it publicly, anyone can follow you without approval. The result is that any user’s audience on Twitter can grow exponentially without barriers.

Force your customers to do less. If you have ever heard the saying that “less is more” – Twitter is the ultimate proof of that. The forced 140 character messages have made us all refocus on brevity, and as a result of this volume decrease, those of us that are constantly overcommunicated look to the site as the one place where we can still feel that we are on top of the flood of communication that rules our lives.
Build enough evangelists to compensate when things go wrong. One of the most well known facts about Twitter is that the service has been notoriously unreliable and crashed frequently. Though it is much improved from those days, the site still goes down or loses functionality relatively regularly. Yet it has managed to build up enough power users and evangelists, that people forgive their down times and keep coming back.
Integrate with the most popular competition. The single most useful feature I personally uncovered from Twitter was the ability to integrate it into my Facebook page so that may Twitter updates also become my status on Facebook. This demonstrates a fact that many entrepreneurs already know – by integrating with your competition where your “customers” currently are, you make it easier for them to migrate over to your site.
Launch where your influencers are. A big reason for the early success of Twitter was their launch at the SXSW Interactive festival two years ago. It was a place where all the influencers that matters for Twitter were already going to be and putting the site in front of them there allowed them to become word of mouth ambassadors for the site following the event.
Offer a public ranking or authority. The final element that has helped Twitter to succeed is that it has a built in authority ranking with the number of followers you have. This is located right beneath your username on the site and it’s high visibility means that it is easily the ultimate metric for anyone using the site. And you can’t help but want that number to go higher.

McKinney is a Website You Can Talk To

Chris Abraham — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:44:11 +0000

Othersource in Poland partnered with McKinney ad agency to build a Flash 3D engine with artificial intelligence for the McKinney website that’s launching this week.

Compared to other sites in the Semantics category, this one has an unusual level of interactivity. Users can ask the site questions, via the keyboard, using everyday language and expressions, and the proprietary “conversation engine” will decipher them and then fetch relevant results.

This means the user becomes liberated from the navigation. You no longer need background information to search the site – you just ask it a question.

Also, the site is completely index-able, bookmark-able, etc… from every page – even the video thumbnails have a unique URL. And every single page is a printable PDF, laid out for A4 or newsletter.I also found a nice blog post about it over at AdLab, Agency Site With a Chat Bot:

McKinney has built a Pandorabot-based chat bot (aka “conversation engine”) into its brand new site with a somewhat trippy interface. See if you can catch answers that were pre-scripted to make the machine sound particularly intelligent as opposed to the generic chat bot cop-outs like “Say what?” or “Come again”. – thank you, Michelle

Here’s the proper press release from McKinney.com:

McKinney.com – A Website You Can Talk To

Warsaw, Poland (February 10th, 2009) — Warsaw-based interactive agency Othersource announced today the launch of McKinney.com, a groundbreaking website created in partnership with the awardwinning advertising agency, in Durham, N.C.
Conversations with a website
Using cutting edge technologies, the new McKinney.com is reinventing the conversation had between the ad agency and its audience. Compared to other sites in the Semantics category, the site possesses an unusual level of interactivity. Visitors are able to ask the site questions, via the keyboard, using everyday language and expressions, and the proprietary “conversation engine” will decipher them and then fetch relevant results.
The functionality is groundbreaking. The back-end employs a 3D Flash engine with artificial intelligence, and the interface design is cutting-edge, making it one of the most experiential and unconstrained agency sites on the Web.
Unique tech mix
Othersource worked with linguists who understood, on a high-level, the structure of language. They also enlisted programmers familiar with semantics to help develop the sophisticated algorithm. “Creating the conversation engine’s ‘brain’ was quite labor intensive,” said Othersource Managing Partner Thomas Krotkiewski. “We enlisted two linguists (one a PhD from the University of Oxford), to analyze questions provided by McKinney, and to supply us with all possible ways the questions could be posed. If this search method fails, a backup proprietary tag search function will launch and search matching content. And finally, if the answer is still thought to be inadequate, the question is forwarded to McKinney for human processing. To be sure the conversation engine learns from its mistakes, there is a conversation history log on the proprietary Content Management System. This level of integration between conversation engine and website is completely unique,”
“We were looking for a production partner who would not only bring our vision to life, but enhance it,” added Keith Ciampa, who served as McKinney’s interactive creative director on the project. “Most true innovation happens on the fringes of the industry, by people who are passionate about what they do and willing to take risks. When we explained our vision for a conversational site, based on a completely open architecture, which could grow and become smarter the more it was used, Othersource knew we were asking for something that had never been done, and they couldn’t have been more excited to help us figure it out.”
Conversation-driven search
A proprietary tag search was built into the back end of the new site so search results can be presented dynamically, and not just direct visitors to a static page. For example, a visitor can ask a question like, “show me TV campaigns for client X from November last year” and an animated 3D tunnel will appear, with search results as moving thumbnail images, that the visitor can fly through. “As far as we can tell, this functionality is unique,” said Krotkiewski.
Like gas molecules
The site has an advanced 3D graphical interface. “The key to the 3D interface is the ‘cloud view,’ which shows a cloud of graphical thumbnails, moving like molecules in a gas, bouncing randomly off each other while also reacting to mouse input. The cloud can be filtered by the visitor to only show thumbnails representing certain types of content,” said Martin Ignaczak, Account Director at Othersource.
Flash without drawbacks
The site has overcome the limitations of Flash: “The site is fully searchable by Google, each page can bookmarked and linked to, and each view can be downloaded as a printable PDF,” continued Ignaczak. Working in the virtual
New technologies were key to organizing the project. Othersource used video-conferencing, VoIP, instant messaging, e-mails, and other electronic means of communication to coordinate the work with McKinney. “We only met face-to-face after the launch, which proves we are able to run even very complex projects completely in the virtual,” added Krotkiewski.
“We are honored by McKinney’s decision to partner with Othersource for the production — we were competing with some quite well-known US interactive agencies in the pitch. Being chosen in spite of being based overseas is quite a feat. We hope this project is the beginning of a long relationship with McKinney. We also expect it will generate more opportunities for us in the US overall,” said Krotkiewski.
“Partnering with Othersource on this project was both a rewarding and challenging experience,” said McKinney Interactive Technology Director Trevor O’Brien. “The biggest hurdle was taking existing technologies and customizing them to work together in ways they were not initially intended to. Othersource helped deliver a site that is an experiential and innovative place to interact online. It’s exciting to see what two like-minded teams can create together.”
About Othersource
Othersource provides interactive services from strategy to production to companies around the world. In 2008, the agency participated in projects for companies such as MetLife, The National Constitution Center in Boston, Accenture Poland, Puma, Imation Europe and others, in Poland, Sweden, Holland, the UK and the USA. The majority of its clients are Advertising and Interactive agencies that need support in creating campaign strategies, creative concepts and interactive production for their clients. About McKinney McKinney is an independent advertising agency that’s focused on reinventing the conversation between people and brands. Our goal is to lead the convergence of offline and online (today, 35% of our revenue is interactive and 88% of our frontline staff is actively engaged in the digital space), to identify relevant applications for new technologies and to deliver game-changing ideas that deliver extraordinary results for our clients, their customers and our people.
Founded in 1969, the Durham, NC-based agency’s clients include Coldwell Banker, Gold’s Gym, Major League Gaming, The NASDAQ Stock Market, Partnership for a Drug-Free America, ProShares, Qwest Communications, Sherwin-Williams, Travelocity, Virgin Mobile USA, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and Brown- Forman Corporation brands Bonterra, Chambord, Sonoma-Cutrer, Southern Comfort and Tuaca.
Most recently, Virgin Atlantic Airways and McKinney took top honors at the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s MIXX Awards that celebrate the “mixx” of creativity and effectiveness in digital marketing. Virgin Atlantic’s experiential launch, “Love from Above,” won a Gold MIXX in the Mobile Platforms category for the company’s first-ever WAP site.
For more information, visit our website at www.mckinney.com or the McKinney Newsroom by contacting Janet Northen at janet.northen@mckinney.com.
Additional information:
Thomas Krotkiewski
Managing Partner
Othersource
+48-601-145398
thomas@othersource.com
Timezone: GMT+1
Janet Northen
Partner & EVP, Director of Agency Communications
Janet Northen
Partner & EVP, Director of Agency Communications
McKinney
+1 919.313.4062
janet.northen@mckinney.com

Social Media Reputation Management

Chris Abraham — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:32:53 +0000

My buddy David Gelles writes for the Tech section of the FT, my favorite paper. Check out his latest article, New corporate firefighters. Sadly for me, he can’t shamelessly promote my company, Abraham Harrison LLC, because he has ‘journalistic integrity;’ however, it is awesome he works there because he writes awesomely-accessible articles about my space, including social media marketing, social media PR, blogger engagement, Twitter, and also the world of online and social media crisis-response. It is amazing! I beat up Pepsi Max over on AdAge and a couple weeks later, Gelles writes an article about the space. I am both amazingly proud and a little paranoid!

New corporate firefighters By David Gelles

When advertisers launched a campaign last September for the pain reliever Motrin, they hoped to attract the attention of mothers whose backs might be sore from wearing baby-carriers. The advertisements implied that while baby-carriers might be fashionable, hauling a child around could be painful.
Mothers were not amused. Soon after the ads were released, anti-Motrin campaigns appeared on Facebook and blogs. Outraged mums, furious at the suggestion that their babies were a hassle, posted rebuttal videos on YouTube. Through Twitter, the micro-blogging service, thousands of people attacked the company.
Motrin was caught off-guard. For days, no company representative replied. Critics accused the company of being not only insensitive but also unresponsive.
Eventually a marketing executive at McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson that markets Motrin, e-mailed individual bloggers to apologise for the campaign. But the damage was done.
Jeanette Gibson of CiscoThe “Motrin moms” episode illustrates the power of social media — the expanding network of websites that allow users to interact with each other and, increasingly, with companies. It also demonstrates the perils for enterprises that are unprepared to interact with social media.
But now a growing number of companies, including Ford Motor, PepsiCo, Wells Fargo and Dell, are creating new high-level jobs to ready themselves for engagement with social media, with titles such as director of social media, head of communities and conversation, vice-president of experiential marketing and digital communications manager. The role of these new executives is to monitor and influence what is being said about their companies on the internet.
Johnson & Johnson made its own appointment in the wake of the Motrin debacle. Having already dabbled in social media, in December the company promoted Marc Monseau, a 10-year company veteran and former director of media relations, to director of social media. “My responsibility is to work with the corporate office and the individual companies to better interact online,” Mr Monseau says. “It underscores the fact that we realise this is an important audience and one that we need to develop relationships with.”
These new jobs represent a broad shift in media relations strategy at large companies. “Corporate communications has radically changed,” says Andy Sernovitz, chief executive of the Blog Council, an organisation for heads of social media at big companies. “It’s no longer just companies talking to the press, and customer service talking to customers. All these other people showed up in the middle. They may not be press and they may not be customers, but suddenly their collective voice is bigger than the traditional channels.”
The essence of social media is conversation. Rather than a one-way stream of information, where companies make announcements to the press and customers, social media enables a great deal of interaction, where companies are in constant dialogue with the public. “We’ve seen a shift from doing things the old way to now having conversations with our customers,” says Jeanette Gibson, director of new media for Cisco Systems (pictured).
Ms Gibson, who began her job in 2007, says there is now a mandate at Cisco that all staff be attuned to what is being said about Cisco online. “It has definitely shifted how we’ve done communications,” she says. “Our executives are video blogging every day. Everybody’s job is now social media.”
Dell, the computer maker, has one of the most robust corporate social media programmes. Bob Pearson, former senior vice-president of corporate communications, became vice-president of communities and conversation for Dell in 2007.
He now has 45 people working for him. The core team works on “blog resolution” — trawling the web for dissatisfied customers, then attempting to contact them to make amends. Others on Dell’s social media team manage the company’s 80 Twitter accounts and 20 Facebook pages. Still others manage IdeaStorm, Dell’s forum for customer feedback.
Dell is taking its customer feedback seriously. When the company launched the Latitude laptop last summer, six of the features, including backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader, were ideas that came from IdeaStorm. “It’s always worth talking directly with your customers. It’s always worth listening to them,” says Mr Pearson. “It’s the wisdom of crowds.”
Peter Shankman, a social media expert and founder of Help a Reporter Out, a service that broadcasts reporters’ requests to a network of experts, says many companies are still reluctant to get involved: “Companies are slow to adapt because they’re still not 100 per cent sure they can make money with social media,” he says.
Yet Dell, for one, has made a business of it. By broadcasting discount alerts on Twitter, it says, it has generated more than $1m in sales. And in the US, 59 of the 100 leading retailers, including Best Buy and Wal-Mart, now have a fan page on Facebook, according to Rosetta, an interactive marketing agency.
Other savings can be realised through the Web’s ability to reach many people at once. “If you solve someone’s problem on the phone, nobody knows,” says Mr Sernovitz. “If you solve that same problem in writing on a blog, it costs you no more, but thousands of people are satisfied. And then, if 100 people never call because they found the answer, you very, very quickly get to multimillion-dollar savings.”
Other companies are using Twitter to douse public relations fires before they erupt. Scott Monty, head of social media for Ford Motors, used Twitter to appease users who were angry after the carmaker sued an enthusiast website that was selling unauthorised Ford merchandise. When fans of the enthusiast site posted angry messages, Mr Monty “tweeted back” to explain the company’s position.
Bonin Bough, who was appointed director of social media for PepsiCo last year, also used Twitter to defuse a brewing crisis after the company released a series of advertisements depicting a cartoon calorie character committing suicide.
“Social media is much more than getting out there and having conversations,” says Mr Pearson of Dell. “It transforms a business if you use it correctly.”

Abraham Harrison Featured as Central Desktop Case Study

Chris Abraham — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:17:04 +0000

We have been using Central Desktop now for a while and really love it. It allows Abraham Harrison’s entire distributed team to collaborate and work together. We love it. Well, Abraham Harrison is being featured as one of Central Desktop’s case studies, Successful Global Task Management Across 3 Continents

Successful Global Task Management Across 3 Continents: Case Study: Abraham & Harrison

Abraham & Harrison’s Biggest wins using Central Desktop:

Ability to manage a global team across 10 time zones and 4 continents
Found it to be an unbeatable value and unbeatable workspace system after an extensive 4 month comparison of over 60 tools
Easy customization for business critical campaign management needs
50% faster at finding documents
“We spent 4 months looking and tested 60 different tools before choosing Central Desktop.”- Sara Wilson
What Abraham & Harrison does:
Online Public Relations
Online Reputation Management
Social Media Consulting
It is an internet based virtual company – everyone works remotely from home
The Problem:
Could not assign tasks to different groups of users with Basecamp
Finding documents proved to be nearly impossible before Central Desktop
How Central Desktop Helped:
Project Workspaces are created for each project
Wiki Workspaces are created to share information with other team members internally
Central Desktop – Benefits:
The ability to assign tasks streamlined daily business processes
Crucial campaign organization can now be done inside the Central Desktop workspace
Customization options allowed Abraham & Harrison to associate tasks w/milestones
Task-management tools increased productivity
Easier search functions and simple email integration saved precious time

links for 2008-11-06

Chris Abraham — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:27:19 +0000

Landmine survivor shares personal journey
(tags: ping.fm neigh_north)
Landmine survivor shares personal journey
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brightkite.com
Discover the hidden communities behind the places that you visit. Brightkite lets you make the connection and start a conversation.
(tags: ping.fm place location mobile iphone sms photos social lbs placestream placestreaming placecast placecasting)
Survivor Corps – Survivor Corps Blog
(tags: ping.fm)
The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia
CSPAN Junkie
“luntz” video results – YouTube – Broadcast Yourself.
No description available.
(tags: ping.fm)
NEW WACOM BAMBOO Graphic Tablet Drawing Writing MTE450 – eBay (item 110297106967 end time Nov-06-08 00:02:38 PST)
Integrate your website with Google Checkout
(tags: webdev web shopping services programming google finance development api checkout ecommerce)
Official Google Docs Blog: Embed your forms
Incompatible Browser | Facebook
Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.
(tags: ping.fm)

Sarah Palin Comment Thread Par Excellence

Chris Abraham — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:52:16 +0000

If you have not been keeping on top of all of the great comments streaming in to the AH Poll entitled “If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Palin be competent to be President?” you are really missing out! Some of them are the most insightful, thoughtful, and brilliant collection of thoughts representing the best and the worst of the right and the left! Roll up your sleeves and batten your hatches because you’re going to have one hell of a ride. Oh, also, these comments are in reverse-chronological order so the most recent are at the top. If you want to keep track of them live, please go visit them where they love and breathe. Read below for the most amazing Sarah Palin comment thread of the Internets!

Palin = MORON

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/10/2008 – 12:58.

Only a complete moron would vote for a Republican after the past 8 years of idiocy. McCain is a Bush croney and Palin is just an idiot.

reply to KB in IA

Submitted by ab (not verified) on Fri, 10/10/2008 – 08:52.

KB,
Sorry, I don’t usually reply to these remarks, but I couldn’t resist……..
What message of “hate” are you talking about?
If someone doesn’t agree with your worldview, that doesn’t
mean they hate. Where is your tolerance?
AB

Palin

Submitted by Walter Arndt (not verified) on Thu, 10/09/2008 – 22:23.

Only a person with his head in the sand would vote for a democrat.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by KB in IA (not verified) on Thu, 10/09/2008 – 21:54.

Things might get interesting soon, since the Alaska Supreme Court said today that the investigation known as Troopergate could proceed, dashing the hopes of the McCain/Palin campaign to stonewall it until after the election (article at www.adn.com). Amazing that someone CURRENTLY under investigation for misuse of public office, could be stirring up crowds with a message of hate. Mind-boggling that someone who had to attend 5 or 6 different colleges before getting a degree in journalism, can try to make a bogeyman out of someone who graduated with honors from Harvard Law. I hope Alaska gets their Governor back soon…if they even want her back.

Re: Palin

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/09/2008 – 18:06.

Are you as crazy as she is? It IS the republican party that has messed up this Country over the last 8 yrs. We may not get out of this mess we are in. Take your head out of the sand. Obama IS the best selection this election.

Qualified?

Submitted by Leo (not verified) on Thu, 10/09/2008 – 17:17.

Mrs. Palin is much more qualified to be President than Obama who has done absolutely nothing but organize thugs in ACORN! She could save this Country from Socialism and all the corruption the Democrats are up to. He is not capable of telling the truth and Hollywood and the Media are doing their best to cover for him. He is not qualified to be a Senator and should be on trial for treason.

Pailin

Submitted by GE Mayer (not verified) on Thu, 10/09/2008 – 16:53.

Not only is Palin not qualified to be Vice President much less President, I am incensed, that John McCain would insult my intellegence by picking such a “newby” above several well qualified, experienced women who have served the country and the Republican party.
I expect my Comander in Chief to Carefully sellect an individual more qualified than him/herself to take over. It shows John’s thinking.

Palin? Presidential material? No, doggone it!

Submitted by Krissi (not verified) on Wed, 10/08/2008 – 21:35.

While I admire Sarah Palin’s spunk and determination, I think that she is completely out of her league as not only a vice president but also a president. If people would take a good look at her record, they’d see that she doesn’t even have a good grasp of the issues.

In addition, she’s been caught in numerous lies and distortions. For example, she did not sell a jet on eBay — she tried but failed; the jet was sold later to a private buyer. She did not leave the town of Wasilla financially sound; she left it in debt. She says she;ll be a strong supporter of kids with needs. In truth, Palin actually slashed funding for schools for special needs kids by 62%.

And her famous, “I told the Congress “thanks, but no thanks,” for that Bridge to Nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, we’d build it ourselves” line? More spin. Congress’ requirement that funds be spent on that bridge (aka the ‘earmark’) were removed before Sarah Palin became governor. She was, therefore, in no position to tell Congress anything about the bridge, one way or the other. During her campaign, she said she supported funding for the bridge.

There are more examples, of the fibs and many examples of her poor insight into our nation’s problems. I could list them all, but I encourage you to do your own homework (forwarded emails DO NO COUNT)!

If MCCain and Palin win this election, I’ll probably be hoping for a lengthy, overseas assignment — maybe four years or more!

Palin is Failin

Submitted by GA for Brains in the White House (not verified) on Wed, 10/08/2008 – 21:02.

W – below C student
McCain – at the bottom of his class
Are we really electing the best? Shouldn’t we elect someone better than we are? And someone not ready for the assisted living home? Someone who can remember the name of his opponent instead of calling him “that one”. McCain left right away after the debate – seniors do go to bed early, probably past his bedtime. As for integrity, check out McCain’s involvement in the S&L bailout, he was right there along side W’s brother Neil. All working to steal investors’ money. Just like King Henry is doing now, rewarding his Wall St. buddies.

And we wonder why this happens to us???

Palin

Submitted by Ed Sherrill (not verified) on Wed, 10/08/2008 – 10:49.

Not only is Sarah Palin competent to become President, she is idealogically and tempermentally better suited to be President than John McCain. Republicans are going to be very sorry thet chose McCain over Mitt Romney. I only pray the Democrates don’t screw up the country so bad over the next four years that it can’t be fixed.

Is she for real?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/07/2008 – 22:13.

If Joe Biden winked at the camera 5-6 times during the debate, wouldn’t we be calling him a pervert? Come on people, get serious. Sarah Palin is a joke — an embarrassment to Americans who take our politics — and the plight of our country — seriously.

Is Sarah Palin Qualified to be President?

Submitted by Joi (not verified) on Tue, 10/07/2008 – 13:34.

To be sure, Sarah Palin doesn’t deserve the crucifixion the media and entertainment world are giving her (and her family). McCain might deserve some of it, after all – he picked her. Why? She’s female. I admire the man completely – he is an American hero and I can’t even begin to imagine the hell this brave man endured.

However, when it came to choose running mates, I belive Obama chose one that was best for the country and McCain chose one (he thought) was best for the campaign.

I THINK that he lost the race with his choice. I KNOW he lost my vote.

Surprising VP choice

Submitted by olivier blanchard (not verified) on Tue, 10/07/2008 – 13:30.

Hindsight is always 20/20. Perhaps Gov. Palin’s weaknesses weren’t 100% obvious to Sen. McCain when he picked her. (So much for due diligence, I guess.) Did he want a dynamic, charismatic, family-friendly VP running-mate? Of course. And she fit the bill… on the surface, at least. But honestly, weren’t there better choices (male or female) for the job? Competent, charismatic, appealing, worldly Republican governors or senators? People he actually knows and trusts? 30 years in politics, and he can’t think of a single person he has worked with who would be a better choice for a running mate? He goes with a complete stranger? I find that bizarre. Irresponsible, even. I just don’t get it. There are plenty of smart, competent, experienced women in the Republican Party who would have made a great running mate.

Don’t confuse appeal with competence

Submitted by DBStevens (not verified) on Tue, 10/07/2008 – 12:21.

Too many people in this country confuse personal appeal with competence, and make decisions based on who’s the most charming or even who’s sexiest. Or they make decisions based on generalities such as “we need a woman in the White House.” A COMPETENT woman in the White House would be a great asset to this country. There is no doubt of that.

But we can’t decide the leaders of our country based on a visceral reaction to her charm and folksy demeanor (there is a lot of doubt as to the sincerity of that demeanor anyway…she shows signs of being rather ruthless). During these times of uncertainty and fear, it’s natural to want some comfort, to feel that the person leading our country is down-to-earth and “real.’ We felt good about Bush and people like Rudy Guiliani for a short time right after 9/11. They appealed to our emotions and need for reassurance. But that demeanor means nothing. It’s the actions that matter, and in the time following 9/11, both Bush and Guiliani’s true nature was revealed… incompetence and self-serving.

Sarah Palin acts cute and has a pretty face. That’s perfect for president of the PTA. But has not gained enough experience to be president of a country. The job of Vice-President or President is NOT an “on-the-job-training” type of job. Being Mayor of a tiny town in a remote state, then Governer of that remote, sparsely populated state (670,000, way smaller than a city like El Paso, TX) is not enough experience to lead a country whose every move has global implications. Palin treated the job of Governer like a telecommuting job, she worked form her hown home for 86% of the year.

No matter how intelligent she may seem to be, no matter how ambitious or driven she may seem, and ESPECIALLY no matter how pretty or charming she is, she is not ready for the responsibilities of a job like President. Without experience, without having the time to really begin to understand the nature of national and global dealings on every level, no matter how much coaching or guidance she would receive, Palin would either crumble under pressure or make very bad decisions with repercussions that could shake this country and its international stature to the core. Or she wouldn’t act quickly enough at all…stalling and deflecting decisions (as she does with many questions, or with such events as the investigation dubbeed “Troopergate”).

I also worry about the demands of her family. During times of her family’s need, do we want someone faced with the dilemma of either neglecting her family’s needs because of her duties as Vice-President, or neglecting the VP duties because of her family’s needs? Neither of those are good choices….Sarah Palin has too many personal responsibilities.

Palin also shows all the signs of behavior very similar to Bush’s…including a tendency toward cronyism, abuse of power, and self-serving decisions that flout the law.

She even mispronounces the word “nuclear” just like Bush. Certainly that’s a small point, and that pronunciation is commonly recognized as a sub-standard metathesis of the word, but it’s very annoying to listen to.

So wake up American. Move your responses from your gut to your brains, and make sure you understand the repercussions of your vote.

I’m moving…

Submitted by Andy Osier (not verified) on Tue, 10/07/2008 – 10:15.

John McCain himself isn’t capable of running the country; I shudder to think of the train wreck a Palin administration would be. If they win, I’m seriously considering a moving. How’s the January weather in Berlin, Chris?

Big State……little experience!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/06/2008 – 18:11.

Granted, we’ve got plenty to worry about at home!
But we’re talking about a Governor of a state bordered by 2 foreign countries, Palin is the proud NEW owner of a passport! (barely 1 year)
The world is smaller than ever and so is our standing in it. We don’t need “a little Wasilla in Washington”. We already have a narrow minded view of the world with our current administration.

Palin for presidnet?

Submitted by Joyce (not verified) on Mon, 10/06/2008 – 16:49.

She would call on the brightest brains in the Republican party, put them in positions of power and support, and do her best to do the best she could for her country. She’s an acheiver and would never accept failure for herself. She has Condeleesa, Romneys, Huckabees and several others who want to serve and members to help and advise her. Her history shows that she uses support and advise to guide her towards her goals and accomplishments. She would take the credit for it too.

Re: If McCain dies is America Screwed?

Submitted by Allison (not verified) on Mon, 10/06/2008 – 15:10.

Palin is the only person that does not have someone dictating what she says about policy and does not try to appear to have all of the answers. She certainly knows how to find the answers. She has integrity, and knows truth when she sees it and definitely has mankind’s best interests as her priority. These are some of the things that make her the best candidate for the job. I am sick and tired of politicians with agendas! She is a real person that is capable of any good, or decent task put before her. She will also employ the same type of people to work beside and under her. The point that she is not capable of selling us down stream for a special interest group, or her own pocket, or fame makes her my choice in a leader – regardless of the presence of McCain. Allison

Re: If McCain dies is America Screwed?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/06/2008 – 15:08.

Re: Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/06/2008 – 12:47.

She didn’t ride in on her “own merits” She rode in on her SEX. PERIOD.

If McCain dies is America Screwed?

Submitted by RisingFromDecadence (not verified) on Mon, 10/06/2008 – 12:17.

It’s the most frightening and compelling reason to not elect McCain to date. It’ clear that the choice was to win vs. what’s right for the country. And it saddens me that with so many strong female candidates out there McCain has landed on this choice. It speaks volumes of his lack of sound judgement and doesn’t do justice to the feminist movement.

I couldn’t agree more with “Double Standard’s” comments about education, and intelligence vs. the “experience” of a low-population governor. Has it somehow become a negative trait for our president to be articulate well educated and even published?

I think its safe to now say, like every great civilization, America has grown from it’s indestructible, can-do “adolescence,” and has entered it’s “decadent” period of greed, fear, fat and a lack of clear vision. America needs a president who will bring intelligence, a new vision, and optimism so that we don’t lose the real values we’ve grown up to believe are American such as truth, innovation, compassion, charity and vision.

Our values as a nation should not be confused with same sex marriages or religious agendas. I seem to remember from my grade school social studies classes that America was born as a nation with the purpose and promise of many freedoms. Personal choice values are not to be mixed with National values. Growing up, this difference has been why I’ve been so proud to be an American. In the last 8 years much has changed. I believe that only with the leadership of Obama will we be able to regain our credibility and our course as a nation. Most importantly, America could be “Proud Again.”

Answer the question

Submitted by Jaz-Michael King (not verified) on Mon, 10/06/2008 – 10:40.

As an unbiased, unable-to-vote immigrant, can I point out that as usual, from either of your minimalist two sides, when the question is simply If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Palin be competent to be President?”, the arguments spin off to why the opponent isn’t. Maybe that will be the next question, but like I wanted to yell at Palin while watching the debate… answer the question posed to you.

Everyone has their weak points, and in some respects, Obama, who has considerably more than two years in the US Senate as his experience (he was a state senator, you know) has plenty. However, I think there’s a good reason hockey moms and joe sixpacks don’t run. No-one wants regular folk in charge. You all want a ruling elite no matter how much you profess to the contrary.

There are plenty of strong, competent women on both sides of the aisle in the USA. Gov. Palin is not one of them.

She is not qualified because she is not qualified. Being as unqualified as anyone you wish to compare her to does not make her qualified. Her inabilty to answer a straight question makes her unqualified. I personally believe the fact she is the kind of person who can compete in a beauty contest makes her unqualified. And as of today, her assertion that Obama’s political career started off in the living room of a terrorist (all of a sudden, he’s been a politician a lot longer than two years according to the Republicans) has pulled her from the absurd to the surreal.

Don’t get me wrong, Obama seems to pander to some vaporous “change” mentality, but that wasn’t the question.

Palin Unqualified

Submitted by Anonymous jones (not verified) on Mon, 10/06/2008 – 09:16.

The difference between Obama and Palin is that Obama thinks. He’s smart enough to go to Harvard, graduate high enough in his class to be president of the Harvard Law Review there. He’s a thinker who doesn’t shoot from the hip. He knows the Constitution inside and out and knows if something is just a whim to increase his own power compared to a great idea which would help millions of people (think fairer taxes, health insurance coverage). Palin bankrupted Wasilla which is now 23.5 MILLION dollars in debt. She has no idea of what real issues are out there—she doesn’t have any idea of what to do in a financial situation, a diplomatic situation or anything beyond her own home. She shows no compassion for others who are not in her situation (religious, financial, educational, political) and has no international experience. We do not need another DOPE in the White House. McCain has shown very poor judgment in choosing an under-educated (a BA is like a high school degree these days) fool rather than a smart, intellectually sophisticated worthy VP candidate. This is a sellout of the Democratic process. Such a shame. But then again, McCain graduated at the bottom of his class (894 out of 899), so what does he want with a smart second?

Just because she could, does not mean she should.

Submitted by Bjshazam (not verified) on Sun, 10/05/2008 – 22:34.

Does it not trouble anyone who has been posting here that we have reached this point at all? I’ve been writing draft after draft of posts here, trying to find the right balance that won’t come across as too ideological, or that won’t be automatically dismissed by the true sycophants because it contains some Left or Right code word that justifies their turning off of the brain. Can’t do it. She’s too dangerous, and it angers me so much that we as a country have been put in the position of having to opine about the staggering impropriety of her selection as McCain’s running mate.

Consider:

My brother is a great guy. Smart as a whip, with what I think is decent judgment (except for his love of the Yankees). I trust him implicitly. So, should I be in a position to name him to, say, the Supreme Court, I would expect no questions from anyone about his qualifications. According to the Constitution, he is legally qualified to be a Justice, even the Chief Justice. I already told you he is smart and has good judgment. What else do you need to know? How dare you question my choice or his desire to serve?

The President of the United States has a mind bogglingly huge amount of discretion in executing the job. The president can, without obstruction by court or Congress, lay waste to our financial system, impede entirely the execution of justice, or unleash Armageddon. The office of the president can disband virtually unilaterally the entirety of the intelligence gathering power of the U.S., or focus it all on the least secure among us — with no recourse by anyone.

Most of the time, this isn’t an issue. Regardless of your political persuasion, we have been blessed mostly with chief executives that took the burdens of job dead seriously. A president of the entire country, not just those who cast the votes.

Now the bar has been set so low that we cannot figure out the right words to describe how wrong it is for a candidate to relish the fact that she really doesn’t understand the job the Constitution has laid out. That this is somehow an asset to a campaign makes me ashamed for my country.

That John McCain affirmatively foisted this train wreck upon his own party, and possibly upon the country, is a sin for which he should never be forgiven.

That she is considered by some to be the next face of the GOP, and a real contender for the nomination next time around, should make my GOP colleagues shudder and the nation weep.

I don’t want a hockey mom or joe six-pack running the country. Hell, I don’t want anyone like me running the country. I want a president. And she is not it.

make that Palin UNQUALIFIED PERIOD

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/05/2008 – 22:25.

Darn, brain outrunning my fingers.

Palin qualified period

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/05/2008 – 22:22.

And the mental midgets who are using that as a ruse to comment on Obama miss the entire point. Biden IS qualified to fill in shoudl something happen to Obama (go to smoking gun to see why that IS an issue).

Palin is a bimbo and if you do not think so, Palin supporters, then take this simple acid test: were it Obama who made those brain dead comments instead of Palin, what would you be saying about him? Gotcha!

jim

Palin Not Qualified

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/05/2008 – 22:01.

Anyone that believes that Sarah Palin is qualified to be President is kidding themselves. It has nothing to do with the fact that she is a woman. The fact that she is SO unqualified is what made her pick an insult to every hard-working, intelligent woman out there. She was picked for her good looks and her folksy charm. There were MANY more qualified women in the ranks of the Republican party that could have been chosen.
Palin attended five different colleges before she was finally able to stick out a degree program. She majored in journalism and communications and couldn’t name ONE newspaper or magazine that she reads on a regular basis. She minored in political science and doesn’t know what the Vice President’s role and duties are in our government. She has abused her power in every political post she has been elected to, has lied about her record both as mayor and governor and her short political career has been marked by scandal. She says that she fought the energy interests in Alaska, but her campaigns have all been heavily funded by energy companies.
In short, she’s not smart, she’s lacks integrity, she has gotten most of what she has attained on her looks and charm and these things don’t add up to someone who is qualified for Vice President, nevermind the Presidency. If you want her to be your leader, move to Alaska. This country and the world cannot afford another incompetent leader at the helm. One more bumbling idiot at the helm will spell doom for the future of all of the citizens of this country.

qualifications.

Submitted by Crazy Politico (not verified) on Sun, 10/05/2008 – 20:10.

If Gov. Palin isn’t qualified to “POSSIBLY” become president, then what of Barack Obama?

What exactly is his qualification for the job? A couple of non-descript years in the Senate with no major legislation to show for that time? A history of voting “Here” on controversial issues so as to keep a rather neutral record when running for the next higher office?

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/05/2008 – 14:49.

Does she have enough political experience for the position of president? I would say not….. but then again, there’s nothing like a long run of a president that can’t even string a sentence together in English to remind you that you don’t really need much skill for the job. It’s whose behind the president that counts no?

Is Palin Qualified to be President?

Submitted by Thoughtful_Independent (not verified) on Sun, 10/05/2008 – 11:49.

I’m a registered independent. I was waiting for the VP picks to be made before making my mind up. VP’s Gore and Cheney have both illustrated the growing importance of the VP position in the Executive Branch. The magnitude of the nations and worlds problems highlight the fact that the top two elected officials in the US need to have a wide range of capabilities., strong intellect, and global perspective. At minimum, the President needs a knowledgeable confidant and advisor he/she can trust.

For all of her folksy charm, Governor Palin displays very little of these qualities or qualifications. If you take the time to investigate the educational and professional accomplishments of our sitting VP’s over the past 50 years, even the most biased observer would conclude that Governor Palin would be the least educated and least experienced. If you don’t have the time to look at all of them, just compare her against Dan Quayle who was arguably the weakest of the sitting VP’s. Quayle’s accomplishments at the time he was selected as Bush’s running mate dwarf Palin’s.

Upon inspection, the rabid and exaggerated claims about her energy expertise and executive experience vaporize (the claims of foreign policy experience are not even a valid topic). Living in an oil rich state, shuffling petrodollars from the oil companies to the citizens in the form of dividends, “negotiating” potential terms of a yet unplanned and unfunded natural gas pipeline, and a college degree in journalism do not qualify one as an energy expert.

Furthermore, the role of Governor of Alaska is diminished in complexity compared to the Governors of the lower 48 due to factors such as: 1) very small population (the whole state has a population smaller than typical medium sized US cities), 2) the largest Alaskan cities are smaller than many small ciities or large towns in the lower 48 (Anchorage = ~280K, Fairbanks = ~35K, Juneau = ~35K), 3) low industrial output (Alaska is ranked near the bottom compared to the other 50 states), and 4) a budget which is majority funded by revenues from oil and gas companies. The hardest problem of the Alaskan governor appears to be deciding how much money to send from the Permanent Fund to the citizens versus how much to stash away for a future time when oil revenues begin declining.

I find the argument that Palin has more “executive experience” than McCain, Obama or Biden to be disingenuous. If executive experience is really so important, Mitt Romney should be the Republican candidate for President or, at minimum, the VP candidate. While I was not a huge fan of Mr. Romney, his skillset is so superior to Palin’s that comparisons are impossible. The same can be said with respect to experience in matters of the economy. Ironically, Mr. Romney’s biggest shortcoming appeared to be that he was a Washington outsider. Now being from our most remote state is a strength for Palin?

My perspective is that the most successful Presidents of the last 50 years (for arguments sake Eisenhower, Reagan and Clinton) were able to balance their core idealogical positions with advocacy for programs and policies that improved the situation for the majority of US citizens and improved our stature in the global community. Each of these Presidents had well educated and highly skilled running mates. As an Independent who holds a blend of conservative and liberal positions, this mix is what I am weighing the most. My assessment is that Obama/Biden have a better overall leadership/intelligence/world view profile than McCain/Palin. McCain could have selected a male or female running mate who would have tilted my assessment in his favor. Unfortunately, for reasons only he and his advisors can comprehend, he went with a female ideologue with weak academic, intellectual and professional skills.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/05/2008 – 06:15.

@ CanIGet2NewZealand

What does it take to satisfy people like you?
or… is this a display of jealousy ? Ms Palin does make a rather impressive appearance on a simple ‘ride in from the Wilds of Alaska’.
Instead of complimenting a person on a job well done you prefer to show the “cat fight” attitude.
What has Obama more than Palin?

If Obama had been a white boy from Illinois, would he have received the nomination of the Dem Party? If your answer is NO _ then you must vote for Palin for she rode in on her own merits not on her skin color!

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by REB 84 (not verified) on Sun, 10/05/2008 – 00:35.

Would John McCain be a competent president? This is a question you should be asking.
QuestionItNow – Will America lead?

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by CanIGet2NewZealand (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 – 19:28.

Palin has been governor of a state with the population of Poughkeepsie, New York .

The State of Alaska, despite its conservative appearance has been giving out money to its citizens from its oil dividens (Alaska Permanent Fund) (http://www.newamerica.net/publications/articles/2003/sharing_alaska_style) since the 1970′s. The money Palin boasts about giving her citizens is money of this sort, the citizens of Alaska have been receiving these payments for almost 40 years. How can she use these payments as part of a discussion of her fiscal capabilities as Governor?

Governor Palin impresses me as being a cross between a Barbie Doll and that really annoying head cheerleader that the intelligent girls all could not stand in highschool.

Palin was a mistake for McCain in the 1st Place

Submitted by FranklinB (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 – 16:52.

I have been publishing my thoughts on this matter for awhile now regarding the selection of Sarah Palin for VP. I gave my views on her initial selection here:

Did John McCain have good judgement?
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-72657

Sarah Palin is not my Vice President
http://digitalseller.tblog.com/post/1970016179

Sarah Palin is just another pretty face
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-86323

McCain will have to pick a new VP
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-94699

VP Debate was great, for Biden and Obama
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-102625

Overall I agree that McCain is kind of a maverick, but also he is a big gambler. Instead of picking one of the most qualified in the arena, he went outside to a relatively unknown woman who he knew could energize the base. That has happened, but with such obvious liabilities that only a pure conservative will think she is qualified, because pure conservatives don’t care who is in that position as long as that person is republican, conservative and can walk & talk. Hannity has said publicly that he believes she would be qualified to fill the top job, and so did Limbaugh as well. I got yelled at the other day by one of my very oldest and best friends who couldn’t believe I didn’t think she was for real. That was before the Couric interview. Now after the debate I know I have made the right choice with Obama and Biden. The financial collapse is bad enough, but if there was a President Palin someday, it could be an even worse disaster for our country.

Obama and Biden are consistant in their positions on the Iraq war and other matters regarding the need to help the middle class. I believe McCain has no interest in the working class folks in this country, and even if Palin does have that interest, she is not knowledgeable enough to make any difference. JMHO

You’re Kidding, right?

Submitted by Shelly Roberts (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 – 14:04.

Sarah Pallin is an embarrassment to the Republican Party, who may well be qualified to run for PTA vice president, but hardly for the heart-beat-away position of Vice President of the United States.

In the debate with Sen. Bieden Palin spoke repeatedly an d stiltedly from obviousy drilled-in talking points rather than from any appropriate knowledge. With a wooden, albeit cheerful presentation worthy of earning her the title of Best Stepford Candidate.

Palin’s presentation was a constant one-note, praise-singing golly/gee campaign advertiisement for John McCain, and did litttle if anything to present any viable credentials as a candidate for the high office into which she has been so thoughtlessly thrust.

I’d pity her for the position for which she has been recruited if the holder of that position didn’t stand such a strong chance of becoming the leader of the free world with a 79 year old unhealthy running mate –shudder– a horrifying thought.

It shouldn’t be enough merely that she didn’t panic, screw up or cry to qualify her as even a contender in the so-called debate. I have some issues with Mr. Bidden as well, but at least he came across as someone who has done more than simply look west and north in the direction of the former Soviet Union, and self-pronounce a competency in foreign affairs. That’s way too much like watching Animal Planet and proclaiming veterinary competence with elephants.

Did Sarah win the debate? She wasn’t ever even qualified to enter the race.

Is she qualified to be President regardless of the state of John McCain’s health? You’re kidding, right?!

Dummy be gone! THINK!

Submitted by Skillet Marimba (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 – 11:27.

The G.O.P. targets DUMMYS but DUMMYS are finally starting to wake up. Dummy be gone.

If McCain Died, Is Sarah Palin Qualified To Lead This Nation?

Submitted by Patrick Pearce (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 – 09:33.

Let me first establish that I am not hopping on any band waggon here to vilify or demonize Sarah Palin because she is a woman. My argument is limited to choice. Based on both Vice Presidential Candidates, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden of the Republican and Democratic Party respectively, should one of these men (Whether Obama or McCain) died or become incapacitated as President of the United States, and constitutionally the Vice President is next in line to assume the presidency, I unequivocally would trust the experience of Joe Biden to lead this great Nation over Sarah Palin. I am sure I share the same views as most sensible Americans. I used to hear that John McCain was a stubborn man, I am now convinced. There are so many more experience and viable Republicans out there to be VP, why did he chose Sarah Palin? If only some of these potentially great men would listen to somebody instead of arrogating to themselves because of ego, they would be such great leaders. Obama-Biden victory in November, hands down! See my recent post at: http://legalconsulting.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/obama-biden-a-winning-ti…

Palin Better than Most

Submitted by thescoundrel (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 – 09:21.

I tend to disbelieve anything that comes out of any politicians mouth. Politicians are liars& cheats. While they are kissing your baby they are picking your pocket at the same time. The President’s Job is limited. The Congress is where most of the power in this country lies. They make legislation, they pass legislation and even if the President vetoes that legislation, they have the power to override it. A relative rookie politician, Palin, actually has more executive experience than McCain, Biden or Obama. Now that is scary since she is merely a VP nominee. I would vote for her over Obama or Biden. She has a limited track track record of what Obama/Biden pretends to have without any track record to prove their claims: Palin has shown the grit to fight her own party as governor of Alaska. Obama has shown me nothing for the time he was in my state of Illinois government or once he was elected Senator. He was no more than a puppet to Emile Jones that is the strong arm thug of DEmocrat Gov. Governor Blagodabitch, the soon to be cell mate of ex Republican Gov. George Ryan. So yeah I would trust Palin much further than I would Obama leading this nation. Obama only understands Chicago and Springfield style corruption which he was a part of.

If John McCain died…

Submitted by Pat Baker (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 – 08:21.

To Anonymous:
I have been hollering “Double Standard” all summer”. You hit the nail on the spot. When Obama was trained by the late great Saul Alinsky & his staff to learn how to be a better community activist, take surveys, housing problems, school problems in the poor Chicago districts, Palin sneered at the his outcomings, stating all those programs arenow defunct. Her ignorance is bliss. Reason: Viet Nam war, & the 60′s riots cost us plenty At least Obama was vetted. Some pundits t laughed him. I too, was trained by Alinsky, this great Jewish community consultant for the poor back in the late 60′s. If Palin was crossed examined by a Judge/Atty she would simply say I will only answer the questions I wish to reply to. My people call it “double standard”. Thanks, Anonymous for reminding me that I don’t need on the job training vp by McCain/Palin ticket.

my vote

Submitted by joe (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 – 07:35.

Ihave no faith or trust in any politition, democrat or republican, they all end up shafting the middle class in the end,She will be no better or worse than the rest of the lot.

This Election is More Irritating than Usual

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 – 07:26.

Why do people feel someone who has been a Senator for 2 years is more qualified to be President than in the unlikely event McCain has to be replaced by Govenor Palin??? The other thing that keeps being over looked is Nancy Pelosi has been two heartbeats away from President?? She is qualified?? Unfortunately, people are being too influenced by the media and not doing there own research. Quit using the medias opinions and form your own. Do some real research. Somethinf fun to do is go to http://abcnews.go.com/politics scroll down to the Match-o-Matic II game. It is ver interesting.

Does Being Governor Make Governor Palin Qalified?

Submitted by artbcpa (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 – 01:54.

In “Third Out of Four” the commentator points out that Clinton and Reagan were both Governors before becoming President. We shouldn’t forget that Jimmy Carter was also a Governor before becoming the most incompetent president in the history of the United Staetes. He also may have been among the academically brightest of all recent Presidents. What does all that tell us?. …NOTHING.

Whether Sarah Palin was a Governor or Barack Obama was at the top of his academic class does not ensure that either will or will not do a good job in their respective positions.

We need to make our decision based on factors more likely to lead to a successful Presidency. After eight years of the most secretive, nontransparent Presidency in history, we need someone who will instill trust in the institution of the Presidency and restore confidence in the people of the country.

We had several such Presidents in the prior century – Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. Each had a vision for the country which was clearly articulated and embraced by the people. In a choice between the idealistic Barack Obama and the wily curmudgeon, John McCain, Barack Obama is clearly the choice of what this country needs at this time in history.

Palin is not our woman.

Submitted by Pam (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 23:59.

I know that I do not want Palin. I know that I don’t want her anywhere near our foreign policy. I know that I don’t like what she said in the debate about ‘expanding’ the role of vice president. I know that I don’t like her far right, religious views that can impact the world in a bunch of ways that I don’t like.

There are other things I don’t like about her, though, I can’t say I am completely sure about my reasoning. I don’t like her winks and her nods. I don’t like how she talks to us like children.

I question my own opinion about these things, as I am not sure if I know what I want or expect in a female politician. It’s a very important thing. This first woman. This example of all of us. This person in whom I place so much of my future and that of my daughters. Hmmm, too much pressure?!?

Do I want her to be more of a man than any of the men at the table? Competing in the same way as men, but climbing the ladder in stilettos? Or do I want her to be the nurturing female that gets things done without men being any the wiser? With charm and feminine wiles that could will men to do what they might not have done, otherwise?

I thought, when considering Hillary, that I didn’t want a woman President who had a husband that is a former President. My sister then pointed out that we might not consider too many women that did not have such a sense of the White House.

It’s difficult. These women, up for consideration, don’t have military backgrounds. Yet, she would be responsible for ‘pushing the button’ and/or ending a war.

I guess, even if I did not have a problem with her foreign presence, her religious intent or her understanding of the role she was about to take on, I would still have an issue to deal with.

So, I don’t like Sarah, but, who do I like? And, the bigger question for me, why?

Re: Poll

Submitted by FD (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 23:24.

To King of Chatalot: I’m an independant, but I voted once and the poll will not allow me to vote again.
The only way someone could vote twice is through a proxy, but I tested that idea fater reading your comment.
It didn’t work.
I tried several different proxies, I reset my ip, and nope, it would not allow me to vote again.

Take off the tin foil hat.

Poll

Submitted by King of Chatalot (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 22:11.

I find it amazing that Democrats would stoop so low as to make multiple votes in this silly poll just to bend the outcome towards their way of thinking………..so to make it appear as if they are the winners……….

…but then………considering that they will ultimately lose in November I’m not totally surprised……..

…..merely amazed………

Palin’s hand on the “Nukular” button?

Submitted by Media Concepts (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 21:39.

I can’t decide whether that’s hilarious, or horrifyingly frightening. I think it’s both. Based on McCain’s age alone, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin says that there’s almost a one in three chance that McCain would die in office were he to be elected. Factor in his FOUR bouts of Melanoma, which is often fatal regardless of the victim’s age, and those odds increase markedly.

Something to think about.

It’s about leadership

Submitted by Shane from PV (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 20:30.

The presidency is about leadership, and if we can survive eight years being led by an Arkansas governor who would rather molest the hired help than pay attention to what Osama Bin Laden is doing, then America will do just fine with a President Sarah Palin. She certainly has more leadership experience than her opponents. Does that mean I would have made her my choice for VP? I would have loved to see Mitt Romney as VP, but she’s smart, focused, and knows how to lead. The important question, if she should ever end up in the Oval Office, would be who she surrounds herself with. That’s another reason why Obama would be very scary as president. He has terrible judgment, and considering the people he has surrounded himself with throughout his life, and the fact that as president he will have to decide what advice to act on when it comes to important issues – I don’t trust him to be able to distinguish from among a bevy of poor advisers the advice least damaging.

Obama supporters, like so many on this comment board, have no idea who Obama really is – frankly, no one does. Obama has locked up his records, is protected by a compliant press, and says only what he thinks Americans want to hear. He’s a charlatan, but his supporters don’t care. That’s why this question is so ironic. They hate Bush/Republicans/conservatives more than they fear the inexperience of their presidential candidate and manchild Barack Obama. The derangement of the left has led them to support and oppose issues not because they want to protect their country or improve the lives of Americans, but because they hate their adversaries and will do or say anything to beat them (the “this war is lost” quote by Harry Reid comes to mind – how incredibly telling). I think this frothing derangement will cause them to self-destruct again as they did in 2000 and 2004, where Americans got a good look at the mindless bitterness and spite that inspires the left. McCain will win in a squeaker.

Palin is more qualified than most…

Submitted by Greg (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 20:24.

I’m not a big political kind of guy nor do I follow many campaigns. I voted for a democrat and a republican for president; the best person for the job always gets my vote. But this is the first time in a long time that I’ve seen an honest person make it this far in politics. Usually they get creamed by the media – Palin is still holding her own. What you see is what you get – nice change of pace especially since I’m originally from Delaware. No doubt this isn’t true for Biden – he’s all over the place telling you whatever it is you want to hear whenever you want to hear it.. I don’t dislike Biden and yes, he is qualified to continue the same old Washington politics; not what I’m looking for this year at least.

I’m still wondering why Obama thinks Biden represents change? Not even close.

Sarah Palin’s much sharper than Obama or Biden

Submitted by Al Barger (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 20:08.

Not to put too fine a point on it, Sarah Palin’s the sharpest person of the four here. People I think get that when they get a good look at her as in her famous nomination speech or last night’s vice presidential debate.

Of course, this ain’t from lack of media attempts to Quayle-ize her. Look at the double, triple, quadruple standards. It’s supposedly some proof that she’s a moron that she didn’t choose to spit up a list of newspapers she reads for Katie Couric.

But Joe Biden says the most ignorant nonsense day after day, and it doesn’t make the news. When the current financial meltdown started a few weeks ago, Biden was out criticizing Bush reaction. See, when the 1929 market crash happened, FDR when on television to show people that he was involved and doing something. FDR wasn’t president, and there was no television then. This nonsense didn’t make the news. Imagine if Palin said something that stupid.
=====================================
Little known Palin fact:
FACT: Having run out of ammunition during a hunting trip, Sarah Palin once took down a moose using a beauty pageant tiara as a boomerang.

More Palin fun facts I just made up, and a couple hundred pictures of our girl
http://www.morethings.com/images/sarah_palin/sarah_palin-photo_gallery00…

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Robert (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 20:00.

Joe Biden, VP (Vice and Plagiarist)

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Ethel W (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:50.

Obama has done much good thru working for ACORN. Remember, from tiny acorns, might oak trees grow.

Barack’s leadership skills in government?

Submitted by Mike Lanza (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:43.

Please folks – give us an example. And please, make it a good one.

If this were an election for Student Body President, I might vote for the dude, but he’s applying to be the Leader of the United States of America. Is there anything in his governmental experience that indicates that he can be a great leader? Anything?

This ain’t no popularity contest…

Palin as Prez? No Way

Submitted by Janet Johnson (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:41.

I’m tired of Sarah Palin. I’m tired of kicking her around, of waiting for her to have a public brain freeze, of hearing her droppin’ g’s and bringing nuc-u-lur back into the lexicon (I hope we’re almost finished with that coming out of the White House).

At the same time, I’m proud that she’s the second legitimate woman who’s a running mate on a presidential ticket, the first to “electrify” a country. I’m mortified as I write that, but I’m proud of that big ol’ crack in the glass ceilin’ she’s added to Hilary’s 18 million others. (sigh)

As most of your poll-takers agree, no way is she qualified to be president. God help us all if she’s a heartbeat away.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Stevie (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:35.

Do I feel that a citizen of this country who has not kept abreast of the foreign policy situations, and the current administration doctrines is qualified to step in as head of state in an emergency? No….
Do I feel that someone who will terminate people who disagree with her is worthy to be in the White House? No…….
Do I feel that someone who feels that because she is a woman she should be treated with deference in a television interview should be leading a country? No…..
Does a cram session with various political pundits counteract her inacurate knowledge of what life is like for the rest of us in the lower 48? No……
Does this woman have the ability to gain respect of various world leaders particularly those from countries where women are considered to be less than equal? no.
what we really need is a Margaret Thatcher type.. the closest we have is Hilary Clinton.
Anita Palin is no Hilary Clinton
And being a POW and being in the Vietnam War does not make you the right person to be president either. There are plenty of Vietnam Vets and others who were POW’s .. and they aren’t running for President– though John Kerry did.. and he wasn’t a POW.. he served his country. Don’t bank on that one being the ACE..

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Ken S (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:29.

Or maybe Obama would want his friend Tony Rezko to advise him on ethics in government.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Ken S (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:28.

Or maybe Obama would like William Ayers for his Secretary of Defense, since he knows how to blow things up.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Ken S (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:25.

Maybe Obama can install Rev. Wright as Secretary of State. All the other nations of the world will love his philosophy: God damn America!

Re: amazing 75% believe Palin cant be President

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:23.

I think where the logic breaks down is that you’re assuming all Governor’s are created equally. An American Governor’s principal job is running the state, and to be honest, I’m not sure how good a governor she is, but thats for the people of Alaska to decide. But as an American, I feel that she’s dangerously ignorant of world affairs and issues around a global economy.

And frankly, I think we’ve had enough of that already.

On the other hand, Obama and Biden are far more savvy. If you watched the debate, you’ll have noticed how rarely Palin answers a direct question. She’s not dumb, but she’s not worldly either. And worse, she revels in her inexperience.

If she ever gets into the Presidential office, you might just wish for the good ol days when GW was in charge. And if that doesn’t scare you, it should.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Ken S (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:21.

Don’t you love it when a public relations man calls people degrading, hateful names?

That is just dumb

Submitted by Dan Keeney, APR (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:16.

You and your swill slinging dopes really should stop. Aside from Billy Bobs missing teeth with Confederate Flags in their pickups, Americans understand that Senator Obama is as American as you or I.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Ken S (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:15.

Someone commented on here that we live in a Global society and therefore need Obama. Folks, this world is getting so screwy and dangerous, that is exactly why we do NOT need a post-modern green horn such as Obama as POTUS. All the pie in the sky he professes is absolutely meaningless without solid, tough, and REAL national security. Somehow, grandiose social programs lose their luster when you have a nuclear missile up your ass.

double standard

Submitted by Jason Preston (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:12.

Palin took five tries and five years to get a journalism degree at undistinguished schools, and managed to be an undistinguished student at all four schools involved in her quest for a chance to be a TV reporter. Obama was at the top of his class at every step of his collegiate journey. When pressed three times to answer, Palin cannot name a single existing newspaper or news magazine that she reads. If you can’t see the difference here, perhaps you’re not an ideal student or intellect either, but only through pride does a person lacking in a certain virtue seek to exalt that lack. Just because I’m not tall enough to slam dunk doesn’t mean I push for the NBA to hire more short people! The Presidency’s the hardest job in the world, or one of them. Stellar intellect, stellar ethics, and stellar success in life should all be ironclad prerequisites to the job. If Palin is qualified to be President, I am twice as qualified and will expect Palin fans’ votes when I make my run for high office.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Cowboy X (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:10.

Who is qualified to be the President? There is no class to take to become certified. We have to put our trust in a person. I wish that person were Ron Paul!

amazing 75% believe Palin cant be President

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 19:00.

So 75% believe Palin cant be president in case something happens to McCain. So I guess its OK to be an inexperienced presidential candidate, but if your a vice presidential candidate who has actually run a state, you don’t qualify. The logic here escapes me completely.

Sarah Palin: Unfiltered

Submitted by John Schuller (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 18:50.

CLICK ON MY NAME TO SIGN THIS PETITION

To: CBS News

Sarah Palin herself has requested to speak to America without the Media Filter in the Vice Presidential debate. ?I like being able to answer tough questions without the filter of the mainstream media telling the American people what they just heard,? she said in her closing.

The people of the United States of America deserve to see the CBS Katie Couric interviews with Sarah Palin in their entirety.

This should be acceptable by Republicans and Democrats as it will let Sarah Palin talk to America without the filter created by editing and leaving important information on the cutting room floor.

Let us see an edition of “Sarah Palin: Unfiltered”.

This will allow Americans to see the real Sarah Palin.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Seriously…

Submitted by newyorkmoments (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 18:49.

regardless of the VP candidates…are we really going to vote in a Hussein???? Seriously?? I’m saddened that I’m not going to be able to vote Democrat this election.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 18:43.

I sent John McCain a $1000 in September 2007…when his campaign was flailing. I believed his voice needed to be in the debate. Until Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech I did not send a penny to any other candidate.

I was so outraged by the poor judgment demonstrated by McCain — there were thousands, if not tens of thousands, of more capable, competent men and women who could serve as his VP. I promptly sent a large contribution to Obama. And with every solicitation letter I receive from John McCain (they arrive daily), I write to ask for my money back.

Whether “Joe six-pack” likes it or not…we live in a Global Society, not an igloo nation. We already had Joe-six pack from President for the last 8 years. Doesn’t any one remember – “George W. Bush is the guy I want to have at my BBQ”???…Well – we got him– only we got bbq’d.

Re: Would it be so much to ask…

Submitted by Eric (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 18:35.

Would it be so much to ask for a Presidential nominee who actually had some experience?

Would it be so much to ask…

Submitted by Ian Thomas (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 18:32.

…for a VP nominee who actually had some experience *before* she takes office?

Third out of four

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 18:30.

Stack rank all four candidates — Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin — in terms of experience, and she comes out 3rd out of 4. Obama is last.

Stack rank all four candidates in terms of executive experience — meaning, ‘has the candidate ever managed a budget before, had headcount before, and had to make decisions as opposed to provide advice’ — and she incredibly comes out first amongst the four, as she’s been both governor and mayor.

Being the governor of a state was good enough for Clinton, good enough for Romney, and good enough for Reagan.

Those who attack her experience must feel terrible that Obama is the leading candidate for the Dem’s, given his extraordinarily thin resume.

If Barack Doesn’t Die, Is He Qualified?

Submitted by Mike Lanza (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 18:29.

Be honest, folks. In his career in *government*, not running a campaign, has he ever demonstrated outstanding leadership or executive skills? Sarah certainly has, but her experience may nonetheless be too light.

Barack Obama has the least leadership or executive skills of *any* of the major candidates for president or vice president.

Not a fan, but c’mon

Submitted by Dan Keeney, APR (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 18:21.

I’m not a Sarah fan, but she has a solid foundation — an ability to connect with men and women, powerfully deliver her messages and ramp up quickly on complex subjects. The actuaries estimate that there is a 75% chance that Mr. McCain would survive a first term. Presumably, the chances of him passing in the first YEAR would be very small. So the real question would be — If Sarah Palin had at least a year as Vice President under her belt, would she be competent to be President if John McCain were to be incapacitated? I don’t have any doubt that she would. I will not be voting for the GOP ticket, but the fear mongering about Ms. Palin’s ability is baseless and perhaps sexist.

To Pat Baker, Actually, she

Submitted by The Sensible J. (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 18:01.

To Pat Baker,
Actually, she has NOT been governor for a few years. She has been a governor since 2007, she won the election at the END of 2006. So, not even 2 years yet.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by The Sensible J. (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:58.

When a lot of people say she was put in the VP nominee ticket because she would shake things up for the Republican party, that’s scary. Why was that the first and foremost reason why she was picked?!

We are not running a popularity contest here for god’s sake. We need a leader, a WORLD LEADER that will get American back into the respectful country it is amongst other nations in this world. Not a PTA mom who claims she can juggle 5 kids when in fact her nanny, chef, driver/pilot, gardener and 20 other staffers take care of the Mom role for her. I’m all for the “women can do the same if not better job than men” ideal, but come on, she isn’t even up to par on her events and history. When you can only make punch points and be a talking head, that is NOT a leader. She can’t even name ONE supreme court decision other than Row vs. Wade. And being able to see Russia from Alaska does not qualify as foreign experience. We do not need and DO NOT want an average Joe or Jane to be our president or vice president.

It is scary when our (by that I mean the republicans) expectations have sunk so low.

And it’s even more scary when people are voting for republican SIMPLY because she’s pro-life, even for those women who were victims of rape or incest would NOT get a choice. That alone, to me, is hugely undermining the equality so many women have worked so hard for so many years.

Sarah Palin Qualified

Submitted by Don S (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:54.

Maybe the most appropriate question is . . . if Barack Obama is elected president, whether or not John McCain dies, is he qualified to lead the country?

Being a governor is a proven road to the White House. Alaska is a strategic state. Let’s see: Clinton was from Arkansas — even less strategic, Carter from Georgia and Reagan from California . . . Bush from Texas . . . oh, sure, I saw a post on the Huffington Post this week that said “Bush is intellectually challenged.” Of course, there was no evidence to support the claim.

Obama is currently more likely to become president than Sarah Palin and that’s something that should concern all clear-thinking Americans.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Jerome Schindler (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:53.

How could she possibly be any worse that what we have been subjected to recently. I am sure Harry Truman’s skills woudl also have been panned. McCain ought to be a good choice as nobody has been sure what party he belongs to for many years.

Re: Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah

Submitted by Bill Platt (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:45.

Deluded? Although she has as much or more experience than Obama, you are willing to suggest that my delusion is that she could not be President, but Obama can be?

The only delusion is that Obama’s experience is greater than hers.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:31.

Palin is absolutely not qualified – anyone who thinks so is deluded.

Re: pailin would shove her heels up putin’s a…

Submitted by Chemosapien = Idiot (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:29.

The point was she won’t take no crap.

Re: Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah

Submitted by Chemosapien = Idiot (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:27.

Too bad they don’t have a minimum test for people to take in order to qualify for the job.

Then James they should do the same before becoming parents. Maybe then we won’t have so many libetards. Bunch of whiners don’t know a good thing when it slaps them upside the head.

Re: Re: Palin is a Disgrace Which Makes McCain a Fool

Submitted by Gerald (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:26.

As a Vietnam veteran I can assure you that sad fact by itself (yeah, we lost a war we had no business being in) does not qualify anyone to be President. While I respect McCain’s service to his country McCain himself has admitted that he collaborated with the enemy and signed documents condemning America’s.bombing of Hanoi as being war crimes.

As at the time we were carpet bombing a densely populated Hanoi with low level B-52 bombing runs, the North Vietnamese perhaps had a point that a stressed out and in terrible pain McCain decided to agree with.

Not that I blame him. Fortunately, my POW camp experience was limited to a combat training exercise at Camp Lejeune, N.C. It was only for a very long day but that was enough to make brave grown men trained for combat by battle hardened US Marines cry out in pain. McCain’s experience had to be horrible and I’m sure that the scars, mental and physical, must still be with him.

However, I wasn’t referring to McCain other than his grandstanding poor judgement in selecting Governor Palin as his running mate. Sarah may be a swell gal, certainly her down home nature appeals to a lot of down home people across America, but please, qualified to perhaps have to step into the President’s role?

She is a little league player suddenly thrown into the major leagues. I admire her spunk but fear her aggressive claim that she is ready to serve when she can’t even handle soft ball interviews. Who wants a President just like an average Joe? In case you haven’t noticed there are very complicated problems that America faces that will require outstanding leadership to solve.

I’m not a big Obama fan either but at least the man has first class intelligence and a first class temperament. He doesn’t tend to shoot from the hip or fire, ready, aim like old fighter pilots are apt to do. Palin was a choice designed to fire up the Republican Party’s conservative base and in that the move was successful. But at what risk to the country if McCain and Palin are elected?

With the odds being about one in four that a 72 year old cancer survivor would not make it another four years a President Palin is a frightening possibility.

That’s putting country first? Please! Give me a break.

ldaught2 AHEM ! ! !

Submitted by Chemosapien = Idiot (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:24.

ldaught2

AHEM ! ! !

Re: Competent?

Submitted by ldaught2 (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:16.

//Until then, keep reading all the world’s magazines and Newspapers. They actually can teach you a lot.//

Are you kidding?? what can a bias newspaper and magazine teach?? (and that would be all of them)That is the most idiot statement I have read!

To answer the question…Could Palin be President?…yes yes and yes….The other 3 on the ticket was in the senate and HELPED drive America where we are today! I dont care if Palin comes from a goat farm, she could do better than this stinkin government!!

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Ken S (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:15.

Lady Coveted….another woman that feels threatened by good looking successful women.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Ken S (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:14.

James flew in from that alternate universe that Joe Biden lives in. Maybe the Missouri Truth Squad can help him.

pailin would shove her heels up putin’s a…

Submitted by lady coveted (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:14.

being as putin’s no longer president of russia.

dmitri medvedev succeeded putin back in march, she’s so out of touch she’d probably miss that point too.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by James (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 17:08.

She’s competent all right. Competent enough to ban books at the public library, books she has never even read. Competent enough to try to fire a librarian who was just doing her job, Competent enough to veto sex education for minors, (surprise there huh?), competent enough to fire the head of the troopers who refused to fire her ex-brother in law for unjustifiable reasons.

No wonder repugs love her so much, she’ll fit right in..*L*

At least Obama went through a process and garnered enough votes to earn the right to be where he is today. Palin was handed the position because McCain needed a quick fix and liked the way she looked and talked.

Was she the most qualified and best suited republican for the job? Of course not and people are not being genuine if they say yes. For that reason McCain should and will lose this election.

Too bad they don’t have a minimum test for people to take in order to qualify for the job.

Re: Re: Pansies? then what…

Submitted by Chemosapien = Idiot (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:54.

Palin would shove her pretty heels up Putin’s ass. Then make him beg for more.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Ken S (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:52.

Yes. She would do a great job, because she has intelligence coupled with common sense, grit, and good solid values. Would to God that this country had had dozens of Presidents like her instead of some of the buffoons we’ve suffered through.

Re: People around you

Submitted by Chemosapien = Idiot (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:52.

No he’ll bring them in from the hood.

Shooting wolves from a Copter

Submitted by chemosapien (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:50.

is not the kind of Hunter i respect…..and margaret Thatcher is on her way over their to whoop your ass for comparing her to Palin….Thatcher was one of the most intelligent and tough politicians in modern times….Palin doesn’t have a college education and she can’t even stand up to KATIE M*^#ATHERF%*#KING COURIC….stop comparing her to Thatcher

People Around You

Submitted by Matt Sanchez (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:49.

Obama will have the flag stomper and terrorist, Dick Ayres and the God D@*$ America Reverend Wright. Both these gentlemen have doctorates!

People around you

Submitted by chemosapien (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:46.

it is very important who the president brings into their admin…..I’m certain Obama isn’t going to fill his cabinet from his high school yearbook like little miss Palin

Obama Qualified

Submitted by Matt Sanchez (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:46.

A one-term governor who is the most popular governor in the country.

Of course, that’s one more term than former “community organizer” and one-term senator.

Re: Pansies? then what…

Submitted by Robert (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:46.

Obviously you haven’t seen Sarah Palin in the real world, she hunts guts and eats things that get in her way, I would imagine you are the type of idiot that thought Margaret Thatcher was a bad choice too….Russia would beg for forgiveness from Palin and Putin would be licking Sarah’s boots in red square….

Moron.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Chris Meirose (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:45.

More competent than Al Gore. More competent than Dick Cheney. More competent than Dan Quayle. Palin would do just fine. Being president is as much or more about who you have around you than anything else. You must be able to make tough decisions, and know what you believe in, but at the end of the day the experts you surround yourself with as President will make or break your term in the modern context.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Scott Pullins (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:43.

She’s clearly not competent.

http://pullinsreport.com/2008/10/03/scott-pullins–online-poll–do-you-h…

Pansies? then what…

Submitted by chemosapien (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:43.

russia calls us a bunch of homos, and Putin slams his shoe on the desk? ……if Palin were president Putin would literally rape her mouth on live telivision then claim he thought she was the “entertainment”

Re: Re: Palin isn’t competent to wipe my ass

Submitted by Robert (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:42.

The answer is YES, she has run something, SHE has more experience RUNNING a government than ANY of the candidates… So yes she is Qualified.

Obama isn’t qualified to be elected dog catcher, McCain at least has the experience in dealing with hostile forces, and for you libtards there still are hostile forces at work oh and they are hoping for Obama too…

Re: Margaret, its me God

Submitted by Margaret (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:41.

I didn’t say NO degree. I said not an “Ivy League Degree”. I was just giving my opinion – “If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Palin be competent to be President?” My answer is yes.

Palin

Submitted by Matt Jones (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:40.

Clinton’s budget experience was a budget of Arkansas which was smaller than cuyahoga county. Obama has ZERO budget experience. She can manage a budget. She communicates and articulates the GOP positions more effectively than McCain, Bush, Cheney and Dole to name some powerful people.

go to Canada you commie bastages!

Re: Palin is a Disgrace Which Makes McCain a Fool

Submitted by Robert (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:39.

and an Obama/Biden victory will make us look like a bunch of pansies…I would love for you to explain how a war veteran that went through what McCain did would cause the world to look at us as a laughing stock? Mrs Thatcher was looked at a little off by the owrkd but she did fine? is it you are scared of women or hunting women?

Palin is the only candidate in the race I would vote for president and be happy about it. I will vote McCain just to get Sarah Palin closer to the Big Job.

Re: Palin isn’t competent to wipe my ass

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:35.

The US is going to hell because McCain’s buddy George Bush set us on that course. 4 more years of that?

BTW, the question was if McCain kicks, is Palin qualified? And the answer is no.

Instead of attacking Obama, how about telling why you think Palin is qualified? Is it because even you know she isn’t? Typical Republican.

“College Education”

Submitted by Matt Sanchez (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:35.

All those “economic experts” have great post-grad degrees from high end schools. Hopefully, that will help them as they look for a new job.

Palin is a Disgrace Which Makes McCain a Fool

Submitted by Gerald (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:34.

Palin makes a big deal about her “six pack joe” ways and seems to be proud of her ignorance. We have had almost eight years of a largely disinterested in the world at large President and see where that has taken us. American is on a slippery downward slope and it will be difficult to avoid a hard crash and burn landing.

I for one don’t want someone as VP, who may well end up being President, who is just another six pack Joe yahoo. America is the laughing stock of the world just to have such a yahoo candidate.

If McCain and Palin are somehow elected American’s standing in the world as a world leader, much less a super power, will be further reduced to the vanishing point. We would be looked upon as a nation of village idiots.

It’s not that I love Obama. Come to think of it with the choice down to Obama or McCain perhaps we American have found the perfect means to self destruct. The support given by McCain and Obama for the $700 billion bailout bill (before another $100 billion or so in pure pork was added) is another giant step in that direction.

Re: Re: Palin isn’t competent to walk my dog

Submitted by Robert (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:33.

“You idiots care more about a donkey and an elephant than you do about the stars and stripes. You get what you deserve.” The truest statement since Reagan stated the most scary thing ever was “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”

I wouldnt be so dead set against OBAMA if he were more Country first, rather than Blame everyone else… HIS party has led congress for the last 2 years and we have gone from solvency to bankruptcy and BOTH parties are to blame, ONLY one party is used to responsibility, the other is used to “Tolerance” and forgiveness of their own….

Re: Margaret, its me God

Submitted by chemosapien (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:31.

you mean like the modern day general who doesn’t have a college degree? are we suddenly recruiting presidents from third world countries? because EVERY American General has a college degree……lets not pretend we live in the world of 2 centuries ago

Re: Palin isn’t competent to walk my dog

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:28.

Nothing like partisanship. That’s right put the party before the country. No wonder the US is going to hell in a rocketship. You idiots care more about a donkey and an elephant than you do about the stars and stripes. You get what you deserve.

Re: Palin isn’t competent to walk my dog

Submitted by Robert (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:28.

Oh and I’m qualified because I am a black community organizer.. Don’t look at the communities I organized or anything, just trust me for CHANGE… BS, it is highway strong arm robbery, ACORN? Rev Wright? Ayers? Phlegar? Farakhan? Ok Palin has what? A couple of LIES perpetrated by the elitist media that have been debunked. Yeah Obama in 08 and the end of our nation in 09….good plan.

Re: Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah

Submitted by Karl (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:27.

It’s ironic that if you guys had listened to Carter in the 70′s you would not be as f**cked as you are now and you would probably have energy independence.

Palin isn’t competent to walk my dog

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:24.

Say what you want about Obama, he’ll make a much better President than either “I’m qualified because I can see Russia from my pooper, yah, you betcha” or “I’m qualified because I was a POW a million years ago, wait, what was the question again?”

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Matt Sanchez (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:19.

Palin Derangement Syndrome is alive and well as the media blitzkrieg is desperate to discredit the Palin/McCain presidential ticket.

Palin handily beat Biden down last night, and that causes severe swelling in the liberal frontal lobe.

Competent…OBama?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:19.

So you say go back home hockey mom… Wow… your complete lack of what a hockey mom is.. basically a communtity leader…hmmm Let’s see Omaa is just that, he has not been a Governer, worked a state budger.. .his short political careeer shows less tenure that Palin. Fair is Fair , your last paragraph shows your compete ignorance,,, go read a bit yourself!

Re: Margaret, its me God

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:19.

You mean like George Washington?

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Incognito (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:14.

and how about looking at it this way… with all Biden’s asinine gaffes would people be thrilled to have him as president, if Obama were to die? I’d be much happier with a Palin presidency than either an Obama or Biden presidency.

She’s done very well for Alaska…thank you very much.

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by GolfBlogger (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:10.

It’s not saying much, but I think Palin’s more qualified than Obama. The problem is that if you vote Republican, an unqualified person MIGHT become president. If you vote Democrat, an unqualified person WILL become president.

The only logical ticket is Biden-McCain — one which, during the primaries, Joe Biden said he wouldn’t mind.

Margaret, its me God

Submitted by chemosapien (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:09.

you would not make a good president nor would anyone who doesn’t have an University Degree…..watch that sassy little Katie Couric if you want to know why Sara Palin is completely incompetent

What the…?

Submitted by CJ Grisham (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:07.

If Palin isn’t competent enough to be President, then Obama is even LESS competent to hold the position!!

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Margaret (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 16:03.

Why won’t Sara Palin be a competent President? Is there anything about Obama that makes him more intelligent than Palin? It offends me as a person to think differently. I believe she would do as well, if not better, than any other of the men or women who have made a run during this election.

I didn’t go to an ivy league college. I haven’t served as a PTO chairperson or any other office but I think I would make a darn good president. I’m excited to think that maybe we might have something fresh in the office. From Hillary to McCain it is the same old same old.

Margaret

experience or education ?

Submitted by James (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 15:57.

While one could argue all day long about the experience factor between Obama and Palin, one can’t argue much about the difference in education. I would rather have someone educated in the highest office of the land.

Thanks, but no thanks for that sweet talkin’, well read gal from Alaska.

Don’t YA know?

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Robert (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 15:55.

I am voting for McCain/Palin for precisely that reason, I would be WAY more happy with Palin as President than I will be with McCain.
If Obama wins we ALL lose….Oh and a preemptive dismiss to those that say it’s because he is black…Its not because he is black its because he is a communist/socialist libtard baby killing gun taking no leadership other than “ACORN” type skills…. but vote how you want, I cant wait till you liberal idiots get what you want, just like after Carter, you came crying to the Conservatives to save you, Obama is a black Carter maybe worse.

NFW

Submitted by rebaaron (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 15:54.

Sarah Palin is a poser. She’s so enamored with Ronald Reagan I believe, in part, because she’s just like him – an actor. Reagan wasn’t a president as much as he was able to act like a president. The VP debates last night showed this – Palin is all show and no substance. What’s really scary is she believes that she’s capable. I think she really has no idea and is not capable of getting it. I think some call this sociopathic tendencies?!

Palin Did Better Than Expected

Submitted by The Atheist Jew (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 15:53.

She proved to me that she doesn’t have an IQ of 75. It is more like 90 or 95.

National Level Experience (NLE)

Submitted by chemosapien (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 15:53.

Palin is an order of magnitude more Podunk than any national political figure in modern times. Case in point, 6 months ago, Palin said, flat out, she is not INTERESTED in national policy, as in she doesn’t have the time or will to keep up with what is going on in this country…when you use NLE as the measure Obama is far ahead of Palin, exemplified by the fact that the very first thing he did in the Senate was get a law passed to help secure “loose nukes” in the former USSR….compare that to Palin who apparently could not even pass a seventh grade civics test (doesn’t know any supreme court cases besides Roe v. Wade?)

All the PAlin supporters are the same , pardon my french, IDIOTS who supported GW because he’s a guy they can drink a beer with…..Palin sure is a regular joe…Joe Retard that is

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by brad (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 15:53.

If something happened to McCain on day one would Palin be ready? No, BUT what makes you think Obama is? Lets talk about the TOP of the ticket. Give me a break!!!

And Barack is Qualified?

Submitted by J (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 14:33.

I love how people point out how Palin’s not qualified SHOULD something happen to McCain. And what makes Barack qualified? He’s been in the Senate for 2 years? And if he is elected, he’s it. At least with McCain, we’re electing a very seasoned and proven person who has a pretty good track record for change. Obama can talk about change but he hasn’t walked it at all.

Re: Re: McCain’s “Cancer”

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 13:32.

Source please. Media previously said superficial Basal cell.

Re: McCain’s “Cancer”

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 13:15.

He has had MELANOMA. The deadliest form of skin cancer

Competent?

Submitted by rusmayse on Fri, 10/03/2008 – 00:48.

Poor Palin. I commend her on the acceptance of such a difficult position in such a tough time. It takes a really strong person to take on the role she has. And I do agree with the fact that she may “catch on quickly”. I’m just particularly concerned and unsure she has any idea what she is doing. Period.
Go back home hockey mom. Gain experience over the next 8 years. Become more involved on a national level. Listen to the cries of us people. And then please, come back again :) Until then, keep reading all the world’s magazines and Newspapers. They actually can teach you a lot.

Not as a woman, or a man

Submitted by TomCollins2100 on Thu, 10/02/2008 – 23:33.

Are you kidding? The notion that she’s being unfairly judged as unqualified because she’s a woman is absurd. If she were a man, McCain would have been laughed out of the country for picking a first-term governor with no other applicable experience and zero national – let alone foreign policy – qualifications.

Women with any brains at all should be insulted that McCain and the Republicans think that they will vote for any woman they offer, or belive this particular woman is remotely qualified to run any country, forget about the United States.

RELEASE THE MEDICAL RECORDS

Submitted by chemosapien (not verified) on Wed, 10/01/2008 – 16:02.

what you say is partially true, superficial skin cancers are not fatal, especially with decent healthcare, but WE DON’T KNOW THE EXTENT OF MCCAIN”S CANCER because he won’t release ALL of his medical records……don’t sit here and defend him against this criticism, when his campaign could put this completely to bed with a single phone call to his doctor.

Palin needs to read a American History Booko

Submitted by pat baker (not verified) on Wed, 10/01/2008 – 15:41.

I’m sick of McCain calling Obama a on the job learner, community action worker. Palin is is a affrimative action herself. Mrs Bush said she was a “quick learner” Do I need a vp who is a quick learner? She’s just a Gov for a few years, no national experience. She can’t answer straight question. These photo opts with people from the MiddleEast aren’t getting on my nerves, they are making me sick Who cares if she’s cute while my 401 K might go down the tubes!. Hillary Clinton would run rings around her. I don’t need a ” on the job VP during these troubled times..

McCain’s “Cancer”

Submitted by Omar Hamada (not verified) on Wed, 10/01/2008 – 15:33.

Enough of the cancer stuff!!! Talk about spin and/or ignorance! When’s the last time someone actually died from superficial squamous or basal cell skin cancer? Answer: NEVER. Now if it were actually melanoma or other types of invasive squamous cell cancer, then it would be a different story – BUT IT’S NOT!!!!!!

but seriously, she reads ALL the newspapers

Submitted by Dave (not verified) on Wed, 10/01/2008 – 00:55.

Check out her interview with Katie Couric. She shares that she reads ALL the newspapers in the world. She must be really freakin smart. She also graduated from the University of Idaho. I mean it doesnt get much more prestigious than that. And besides, who is Biden to talk.

Don’t Fret

Submitted by Chris A (not verified) on Wed, 10/01/2008 – 00:48.

Don’t worry about Palin. If you saw her interviews, you would know that the… War in Iraq and reforms to our economy and importance in the field of green energy under the umbrella of job creation and then health care.
She knows what everyone needs…

Re: If John McCain died or became incapacitated, would Sarah Pal

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/01/2008 – 00:45.

uh hu …..uh hu !!!

come on, hes only had cancer

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/30/2008 – 22:59.

come on, hes only had cancer 3 times. plus, its not like hes old or anything

And, here’s an embed of the poll, if I’ve piqued your interest by now:

Central Desktop Is My Choice for Project Collaboration and Task Management

Chris Abraham — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:01:20 +0000

I have been very happy with Central Desktop as part of the Abraham Harrison business and client services platform.

We had previously used Basecamp HQ. I didn’t mind it but my team hated it so I had Sara Wilson and Saul Wainwright go out to explore all of the project management, task management, business management, and process management tools out there — a collaboration tool that my team and I could use every day to help synchronize our daily work.

We needed all the help we can get since Abraham Harrison is a virtual and distributed company, spread across 7 countries and 16 times zones. When Saul and Sara finally made their recommendation, they recommended Central Desktop.

Back in April, Saul wrote an article on Marketing Conversation, Central Desktop Does it for us!!, and we received the associated buzz from Central Desktop.

Central Desktop offers a lot of different things, including group shared calendars, collaborative wikis, intranet tools, project collaboration, task management, web conferencing, audio conferencing, extranets tools, project management, forums, group discussions, salesforce.com, global search, online spreadsheets, and iCal compatibility.

We have limited our Central Desktop usage so far to project collaboration, task management, group wikis, asset and file management and storage, group discussions, and the iCal feature. We use Google Apps (Google Docs, Google Mail, Google Calendar) religiously so there are certain things we don’t need from Central Desktop. We’re also slowly drinking the Salesforce.com kool-aid, so I am sure we’ll start making that work for us soon.

Anyway, I am posting Saul’s review of Central Desktop below because I think it is very interesting and I think you’ll learn a lot and maybe check Central Destop out.

Central Desktop Does it for us!!
So, I don’t know if I have mentioned this on our blog. But, we spent months, and I mean literally months looking around for a web based project management tool that met the needs of Abraham Harrison. You would think that this would be an easy mission. Hell no!!
We wanted to dump Basecamp so badly, yet we didn’t wanna go to something else that was kind of….well…ho hum!!! Just when I was at the end of my tether in the search a bit of synchronicity came along and a potential client mentioned Central Desktop to us.
So, off I ran and checked out this software – it was on my list but I hadn’t really give it much of a go. After a week of digging around, having my Executive Assistant dig around in CD – we both agreed that this was the one for us.
It is simple, clean, fast and does what it needs to do. There are elements missing, for sure, but that is a given. My biggest gripe is their need to integrate more time tracking/management capabilities. However, after a phone call with the CEO, Isaac Garcia (heck how often do you get to talk to the CEO of a company as a small time client) he assured me that they are working on many improvements.
What I found so cool about this company (besides their awesome platform) was that they had built this tool up without any major funding, with paying customers – no, “come use us for free” approach in the hope that it would make them popular. No, they did it while having to please paying customers.
So, last week I got an email from Isaac, following up on the phone call we had had a week earlier and he informed me that Central Desktop had just got its first round of major funding – $7 million from Openview Venture Partners. Not bad, not bad at all….especially when you realize that Openview is one of Central Desktops paying customers (well, maybe they will give them a free account).
I like seeing companies do it the old fashion way. Create a good product, get people to buy it and watch it grow. Hell, getting popular off “free giveaways” is always easier, but certainaly doesn’t guarantee a good product.
Congrats Isaac and the CD gang!! We over at AH look forward to more and more slick features and are stoked that you guys are around.

LinkedIn Testimonials are a Great Reminder

Chris Abraham — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:44:47 +0000

One reason why I love LinkedIn is because you can recommend folks in your network — testimonials. I am grateful and amazed whenever I get one. I just received one from a happy EggDisk user.

Recommendations For Chris

Co-Owner and CMO at EggDisk

“Chris has been an innovative service provider at eggdisk.com – working tirelessly to promote and develop the service, yet making time to support and interact with his users. I am a client/user who can only recommend his service most highly. Regards Lloyd De Jongh??? November 2, 2006

Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity

Lloyd De Jongh hired Chris as a IT Consultant in 2006

Independent Contractor at imwave

“Chris is very smart and quick thinking. It has been a pleasure having him work on special projects for my company.” September 6, 2006

Adam Viener, President & Founder, IMWave, Inc. (www.imwave.com) managed Chris at imwave

Blogger (Self-employed)

“I’ve known Chris through a series of professional outings over the past few years, and Chris is an exceptional friend and colleague. His blogs in particular demonstrate his prolific and thoughtful outputs. He’s also sociable and outgoing and a pleasure to work with and interact with. I recommend him highly.??? May 23, 2006

Dmitri Mehlhorn, Director, Gerson Lehrman Group was with another company when working with Chris at Self-employed

“Chris seems to have his finger on the pulse of the online world–he enthusiastically embraces every communications technology and looks for interesting and innovative ways to utilize them for education and entertainment and commerce. He’s also an excellent writer and a born “von vivant.”??? May 15, 2006

Chauncey Canfield was Chris’s client

“Chris is an inspirational and engaging writer and communicator. He’s pretty much the only person you’d need to know to get a grip on what’s happening online in PR and technology.??? December 11, 2005

James Farmer was with another company when working with Chris at Self-employed

Technology Strategist at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris is a persuasive advocate for new media and has a wonderful ability to explain to people not familiar with the technology how it can help them achieve their business goals. I’ve known Chris a long time and he’s also a delightful story teller and a wonderful addition to any gathering.??? October 10, 2006

Lisa King, Branch Manager, Randstad worked with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris’s ability to translate rather esoteric marketing concepts to a series of concrete steps was nothing short of amazing, He makes viral marketing a straight forward and “doable” process.??? September 19, 2006

Andy Forbes, Owner, The Andy Forbes Files was with another company when working with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris is one of the most enthusiastic, outgoing individuals I know. Easy to work with, easy to get along with, and a joy to be around. Well-rounded, driven and dynamic are only a few of the words that come to mind, but Chris is a risk-taker who is always ready to accept new challenges.??? June 22, 2006

Kerry Halferty Hardy, Director of Development, AICGS was with another company when working with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“(5/2006) I have known Chris for approximately five years. I am a recruiter for the creative/editorial/technical services industries, so I meet many people who are technology-savvy. Chris stands out among them. His knowledge runs broad and deep, and he’s a nice guy who strives to make the most of relationships.??? May 30, 2006

Adam Sidel, President, Brainstorm Creative Resources Inc. was with another company when working with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris is an essential resource for creative technology solutions to client challenges and marketing campaigns. He brings a passion for online communication and strategy combined with the knowlege and experience to get it done.??? May 22, 2006

Peter Greenberger, Business Development, New Media Strategies worked with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris is one of the most insightful and talented people I’ve worked with in many years. He has a gut feel for emerging technologies, products & services, and standards that’s dead-on — not only does he “get it”; Chris instinctively discards the chatter and fluff, and zeroes in on the 5% that’s actually going to make it. Dependable and a pleasure to work with. I recommend him 110%.??? May 20, 2006

Andrew Corradini, Principal, BlueSky was with another company when working with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“You’re not likely to find anyone as savvy as Chris when it comes to the strategic use of new communications technologies. Communications decision-makers are overwhelmed by new technologies and platforms including blogs, message boards, social networks, etc. He demonstrates a deep knowledge of these and as important, what they mean to communicators struggling to cut through the media clutter.??? May 19, 2006

Adam Dubitsky, Marketing Agency Partnerships and Business Development, New Media Strategies worked directly with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris Abraham has an outstanding knowledge of the interactive space – whether focusing on standard, new, or emerging technologies, he has an innate understanding of not only what’s possible, but what’s truly effective. Chris has a true passion for technology, and is among the leading DC ambassadors for the power of the blog.??? May 19, 2006

Stephanie Wasilik, Interactive and IT Agent, Randstad was with another company when working with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris is imaginative, bright, creative, well-rounded, and he clearly groks the future of media. If you want to understand all this “new media” stuff, and how it will impact your business and your life, Chris is exactly the sort of guy you should be talking to.??? May 19, 2006

Anthony Citrano, founding partner, fama PR was with another company when working with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Working with Chris at NMS was a very positive experience. Never before have I had the opportunity to work alongside someone possessing not only superb technical skill, but also the ability to directly apply that skill to client needs. Chris has the very rare and valuable ability to view things from both a technical and relationship building angle, which will be greatly missed here at NMS.??? May 19, 2006

Nick Iauco, Online Marketing Manager, New Media Strategies, Inc. worked with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris is a very intelligent and driven person, always seeking ways to improve any and all projects that we worked on together.??? May 19, 2006

Phillip Rhoades, Computing Support Technician, Kalamazoo Valley Community College was a consultant or contractor to Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris is smart, funny, and knows the landscape of new media and Web 2.0 trends and technologies. He’s also good company.??? May 19, 2006

Peter Suber, Open Access Project Director, Public Knowledge was with another company when working with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris defines “knowing the vibe of the online world.” He not only carried an enmorous amount of responsibility with him at New Media, but he also delivered far above what could have ever been expected. I learned a great deal from Chris, and anyone who comes in contact with him (professionally or socially) will be sure to learn a great deal as well.??? May 14, 2006

Sean Carroll, Project Manager, New Media Strategies worked with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris is an immensely perceptive, technologically savvy networker. If I were launching a business or offering a new product, Chris is first person I’d consult about how to get the new offering out there. His enthusiasm for good products is enhanced by his great love for engaging other people.??? February 8, 2006

Mike Godwin was with another company when working with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“Chris has an excellent sense of how to create excitement about people and events. He has been instrumental in creating the momentum behind my film festival in Washington, DC and I cannot thank him enough for this.??? November 30, 2005

John Hanshaw was with another company when working with Chris at New Media Strategies, Inc.

“When it comes to getting a “buzz storm” going on the Net, Chris is the man to talk to. He’s one of the rare folks who both understands the technology behind the internet AND the pyschology as well. If you want to build a movement, want to stoke a grassroots fire, want to make something truly go viral — Chris is “da man.”??? November 23, 2005

John Hlinko was Chris’s client

Guest Lecturer at Columbia University

“Chris provided a comprehensive and useful overview of blogging and viral marketing for my students. He provided real life examples, showing strategy conception and implementation. My students all enjoyed and got a lot out of the lecture, and it remained one of the lectures about which we most spoke as the course continued.??? February 9, 2006

Daedre Levine was with another company when working with Chris at Columbia University

Senior Web Developer at National Legal Aid & Defender Association

“Chris is one of the smartest blog technologists I know. We are currently working on a joint venture blog project together and I can definitely see a long term business relationship forming. Chris is one of those people who just “get it??? and can “implement it???, that is a rare find in this day and age.??? May 21, 2006

Adam Viener, President & Founder, IMWave, Inc. (www.imwave.com) was with another company when working with Chris at National Legal Aid & Defender Association

Technical Customer Support at Picture Network International

“I worked with Chris at PNI. He is extremely proficient with technology. I have followed his work since PNI and have been consistently impressed with his innovation and mastery of new technology.??? February 16, 2006

Miles Fawcett, Product Manager, Picture Network International managed Chris indirectly at Picture Network International