Meet Hillary 2.0

Lagorio: Sen. Clinton's Presidential E-Campaign Kicks Off At The Speed Of Broadband

(CBS)  By CBSNews.com's Christine Lagorio.

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When Hillary Clinton began her run for U.S. Senate in 1999, she embarked on a "a statewide listening tour," for which she trudged through every county of New York State, visiting with small groups and paying particular attention to conservative upstate regions.

It worked.

Seven years later, Clinton is trying her old routine, but with a cyber twist. In the era of Web 2.0, meet Hillary 2.0.

Instead of rural town hall campaigning, Clinton is meeting voters in online video chats, from the comfort of a living room — or at least a pretty convincing staged couch-and-computer setup — for "conversations," in which viewers can type out and submit questions.

Through video streamed on her Web site, for a half-hour Clinton answered about a dozen queries on each of three evenings this week. Questions ranged from "What is your favorite movie?" (from Jean in New Jersey) to "Do you plan on ending our dependence on foreign oil?" (Linda in Pensacola, Fla.).

"Well, Linda, I do!" Clinton said into the camera, explaining she thinks the United States will be better able to deal with threats of terrorists once it is not funding them. She talked about alternative energy ("I like to call it 'smart' energy") and stressed ethanol. But really, the answer was "probably longer and more wonkish than I can explain in one little Web chat," she said.

Despite the Web's limitations, Clinton's staff is banking that in an era of MySpace and YouTube, voters feel comfortable watching streaming video, receiving campaign e-mail updates and reading blogs to learn candidates' positions on issues.

Clinton entered the presidential race by posting a Web video. And to run its Web operation, her campaign scooped up at least four political bloggers, including Peter Daou, who worked on Sen. John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign and blogs for Salon and the Huffington Post.

"Internet and technology has become an integral part of politics, and it is a great way for Sen. Clinton to have a conversation with people," Daou, the campaign's Internet director, told CBSNews.com producer Christine Lagorio. "It is a wonderful democratic medium that allows people to connect with each other and with the campaign."

The Hillary for President blog is still getting up and running, pending the end of a contest to "write the very first guest post." According to Daou, thousands of submissions have been received.

The Numbers Game

Thousands of responses to an online query is just the beginning. Ask political bloggers or staffers of previous "wired" campaigns, and they predict a much broader e-campaign horizon.

Howard Dean's campaign for the Democratic nomination in 2004, run by Joe Trippi, is cited as the prototypical Web-savvy campaign. The Internet — remember Meetup.com and the coining of "netroots?" — fueled that initial surge of support for Dean. In the end, all the net hype was deflated by the Dean scream and a flurry of mainstream media (MSM in Web lingo) commentary.

"I think this is going to be the campaign where the Internet actually affects the outcome," Trippi said. "It is going to be amazing."

Trippi cites numbers. If in 2000 Sen. John McCain raised a couple million dollars with an Internet campaign, and Dean raised $59 million four years later, he predicts the top Internet candidates will pull in half a billion before the election.

"Whatever records we set in terms of people involved and money and those things, they will just be shattered by multiple candidates in 2008," Trippi said.

Cross-pollination

Bloggers are playing an increasingly significant role in presidential campaigns. Clinton has plucked Daou, along with Crystal Patterson (from DailyKos), Jesse Berney (who ran DNC blog operations in 2004) and Judd Legum (of Think Progress).

The other candidates have also "staked out their turf already," according to Taegan Goddard, publisher of PoliticalWire, an online politics news site.

The campaigns of Sen. Barack Obama and John Edwards divided most of the Dean Internet team, and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani nabbed President Bush's 2004 chief campaign blogger.

Amid such hiring, Daou said there is a lot of discussion about bloggers — some formerly independent news sources — becoming part of the establishment.

"There are more and more campaigns and organizations reaching out to people who have blogged before, and I think you're going to see some cross-pollination," he said.

[longlegs36]

Ye of Narrow minds need to look at the bigger Problems we are Facing!!! There are things that she can't talk about right now involving National Security. I tried to inform you of what, but I can't get it published in here. It is involving Al Qeida, I repeatedly tried to inform People but it wasn't until I got a letter to Hillary that the FBI was finally sent and the Problem is being taken care of. Someday you will find out and realize why we Need Hillary as President.

[longlegs36]

Ye of Narrow Minds, need to learn more about her before you can pass such a Judgement. I can tell you some things that would make you realize how much we NEED HILLARY AFTER SEPTEMBER 11th, 2001! I cannot give too many details but I will tell you this---I tried to inform the Government, Law Enforcement and the Sun-Sentinel about the Al Qeida Safe House in my Neighborhood, TO NO AVAIL!
In Febuary of 2006 when I found out that there was now a Shipping Company involved I knew that if I notified Senator Clinton she would be as alarmed as I was. I will tell you this American Airlines Flight 11 and the Anthrax went through the same house. When the time is right you will find out about how incompetent Bush was!!!

[karettop-2009]

I like the phrase "God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece!" I believe that Hillary's support of Bill Clinton made him a stronger and more brilliant president. And likewise, his support of her will make her presidency even better. They are a formidable team!

[gdmoore2]

never2late4j: That is the kind of passion that gets Presidents elected: hope and commitment.

If the Republicans keep ignoring the results of the November, 2006 election, then Hillary will do just fine.

[never2late4j]

A VERY WISE INDIVIDUAL ONCE SAID.... WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO MEN, "BEHIND EVERY GREAT MAN THERE IS A GREAT WOMAN." I AGREE, NOT JUST BECAUSE I AM A WOMAN. AS MOST OF THE WORLD KNOWS FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINOTN WAS OUR PRESIDENT AND HE HAD HILARY CLINTON BEHIND HIM---THUS NOW SENATOR HILARY CLINTON IS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, AND HEY WHOSE BEHIND HER? NOW ITS TIME FOR YOU TO BE BEHIND THEM---SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT 2008!!!! LET US NOT JUST MAKE HISTORY-LET US MAKE HER SERVICE AS OUR PRESIDENT COUNT FOR ALL AMERICANS, REGARDLESS OF GENDER, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, ECONOMIC STATUS.......

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON WAS NOT PERFECT, NEITHER AM I, AND NEITHER ARE YOU, BUT THEN WHO IS? HE SERVED AMERICA VERY WELL. LET US CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND CONTRIBUTE TO ELECT "THE CLINTON'S" FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

I HAVE NEVER FELT AS EXCITED AND HOPEFUL ABOUT AN UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AS I FEEL RIGHT NOW. BEFORE SENATOR CLINTON OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED HER RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, I HAD BEEN HOPING THAT SHE WOULD BE COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO TAKE THE GREAT CHALLENGE. NOT THAT I WAS SURPRISED. I MAY NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF SENATOR CLINTON'S POLICIES BUT I STAND BEHIND HER. I PLAN TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING HER CAMPAIGN AND WILL SOON VOLUNTEER MY TIME TO CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT I BELIEVE WILL BE A PRESIDENT TO GO DOWN.... NOT JUST IN HISTORY BUT IN OUR HEARTS AS WELL. SHALOM!!

AWILDA RODRIGUEZ, 39

[lwilli201]

Aristocracy. All politicians think they are better than everyone else. They believe that no one should question there actions. Everything they do is to make sure they can maintain there lofty position, regardles whether it is good for the country or not. They will do anything, say anything to maintain there power.

[gunownerdan]

What I can't figure out is if we should call America an aristocracy, an oligarchy, a plutocracy, or a just plain idiocracy.

[random_radar]

"The Clintons and Bushes are best friends. The sheep will follow!!!
Posted by GunOwnerDan at 12:01 PM : Jan 26, 2007"

Its worse than you can imagine. The ruling elites of all political stripes send their kids to the same private schools, educate them at the same Ivy League universities, hobnob at the same exclusive clubs, and intermarry until their gene pool is stagnant.

They just divide up on different sides of the aisle like a game of Red Rover to make Americans naively believe their is two sides to the story. Kennedies and Rockefellers? They are all rich and believe they were born to be your masters. America is being led with a ring in its nose.

[gunownerdan]

The Clintons and Bushes are best friends. The sheep will follow!!!

[kpbkpb]

Good grief! Was anyone paying attention to life in the US and around the world when Clinton was in office? He did MORE for the American people than anyother President! He WAS NOT A GOOD HUSBAND, and that was the Clinton's business. But he was the only President able to pay down our huge and growing US deposit we had accumulated since the Nixon and Regan years. He brought peace to the cold war and had a good relationship with China and Korea. China and Korea as well as other world leaders think Bush is a pompous, power-hungry little man, who is a loose canon (not my words but theirs). I'm not saying Mrs. Clinton would be a good President, I'm just saying that I vote on qualifications-not party. My party may not have the best person running and I want what's best for all of us. That's why I read everything I can, ask questions, listen and attend debates. Don't judge someone because they made decisions about THEIR personal lives. He was a slime of a husband, but a great President that brought our economy and wold peace to an all-time high. Mrs. Clinton obviously made her peace with them--so why can't everyone else? Guess she knows that God is the only one to judge and if he deserves to be punished, it will be his will.....

[gramto7]

Besides, Hillary should have divorced him years ago.
Posted by skeeter_7164

So you are saying that they should not have gone to the marriage counselor, should not have tried to get the hurtful things out of their marriage, and should not have tried to save their marriage. The purpose for not doing any of these things would be...?

[skeeter_7164]

Good Grief!! I think that 8 yrs of Bill Clinton was 8 yrs too much! Even if I did vote for him the first time around. Besides, Hillary should have divorced him years ago.

[gunownerdan]

America needs to move ahead for a change.
NO MORE BUSHES AND CLINTONS!!

[stevex47]

Now c'mon one-american..."groupthink", you're giving us too much ammunition. Remember "Stay the Course"....that's groupthink. You groupthink, I mean Stay the Course. Even your own republicans are cutting and running away from their own administration.

[gdmoore2]

So, what about Hillary Clinton versus Bill Richardson on the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. Anybody else here see some differences between these candidates?

I like Bill Richardson's position on the Second Amendment. He is going to draw some support.

[pandoraboxed]

One_dumb_american2.0 is known to have a major malfunction: The software will randomly morph itself onto any platform, and seize control over the entire operating system, upon any shifting in the prevailing winds...



One _dumb_american & dan_with_a_gun need to go hunting with tricky Dicky

[gdmoore2]

One_American, I think you are pointing at the 'calculating' part of Hillary's approach to politics, and with that I concur. There is a quality there that deserves watching. That will be part of the primary campaign process. These candidates are fascinating mixtures of aspiration, power, and genuine concern. Hard to sort through, sometimes.

[gdmoore2]

You noticed John McCain slamming *** Cheney about handing Bush bad advice. McCain is distancing himself from the neocons, as well. McCain understands what the neocons have done, and is attempting to communicate that he will not have any more of it.

[scouser691]

One_american, you're truly the funniest when you're not trying to be.

Have a good evening

[one_american]

"She needs to say more, but I think she is going to be on target."
Posted by gdmoore2 at 08:05 PM : Jan 25, 2007

I'm sure she will be on target. She will say whatever you want her to say.

The very sign of a non-leader.