New Media And The RPV
By Jason Kenney | Friday, November 21st, 2008 | UncategorizedA handful of individuals have taken it upon themselves to hijack new media from the Republican Party, allowing them to misrepresent the Virginia blogosphere, and now are positioning themselves as the heralds that will guide Virginia’s Republican activists through the wilds of the Internet and to the great beyond.
New Media is all the rage these days, especially in political circles. For years Democrats have had an advantage over Republicans in netroots activism, turning their efforts in blogging and fundraising into electoral victories. Yet the Republicans continue to lag, even after seeing where the Democrats have succeeded. This has not come from a lack of effort on the part of Republican activists online.
Here in Virginia we have two Republican blog circles: The Old Dominion Blog Alliance and The Jeffersoniad. Each of these groups are full of people of varying degrees of experience in politics and beyond. All of them care about the party and its direction, have fought for years online and off for its success and future. These bloggers represent the New Media contingent of the Republican Party in Virginia, yet efforts on the part of the Republican Party to reach out to these activists have been less than impressive.
At this December’s Advance the RPV will be holding a seminar entitled “New Media: Blogging, E Campaigns, Websites”. RPV is still organizing this panel as well as many other events for the Advance, pieces that will be falling into place as December 5th draws closer. But, as Brian Kirwin pointed out last week, there is a big question as to who will be leading this seminar. Lynn Mitchell had concerns as well.
These concerns are grounded in a lack of new media outreach coming out of the Republican Party of Virginia and leadership throughout the state. If the RPV and others are not interacting with the core Republican new media activists in Virginia how can they hope to hold a seminar that will teach party activists anything about what the new media is and what it can do?
In his post, Brian cited one example of Republican “huge new media successes” that is involved in the panel: HamptonRoadsGOP.com. While a critique can be made of the site’s structure and how it is lacking as a “blog” or any example of how to use “new media”, the biggest issue behind HRGOP is in its organizers and how it has gone about promoting itself online.
When people think of and look to new media, especially within the Republican Party, they are looking for new blood, new thoughts, new leaders.
HRGOP was organized by Bruce Meyer, former 2nd District Chairman.
HRGOP premiered on October 20th, starting right off the bat with a swipe against the already established Republican blogosphere:
HamptonRoadsGOP.com is a project of the Republican Professionals Network. HamptonRoadsGOP.com will contain a calendar of all political events going on in Hampton Roads as well as the ONLY major Republican blog in all of Virginia. Stay tuned!
Since then, another member of HRGOP had used multiple names under the same IP address to not only harass multiple blogs within the blogosphere but demand links to posts that contain an email sent to many people at once, something that is hardly exclusive and a move that does little to endear the blogger or the site to the blogosphere at large.
HRGOP has abused its position in the process of helping organize the Advance to provide “exclusive” details about its organization, becoming a de facto site for information on the Advance. This despite the RPV denying that the HRGOP represents the RPV.
A handful of individuals have taken it upon themselves to hijack new media from the Republican Party, allowing them to misrepresent the Virginia blogosphere, and now are positioning themselves as the heralds that will guide Virginia’s Republican activists through the wilds of the Internet and to the great beyond.
By organizing around the old guard, by being openly hostile to Republican bloggers, by failing to understand that you are not truly anonymous on the internet, by failing to grasp a basic understanding of new media, by having access to RPV dealings, these individuals are representing themselves as mouth pieces of the Republican Party Of Virginia and threatening the message and direction that the party so desperately needs if it is going to organize and pull itself out of the downward trend of the last few elections.
All of this shows a lack of understanding of the New Media on the part of the current Republican Party of Virginia leadership. Efforts by bloggers to reach out to the RPV and help were met with invitations to blog for the RPV but no real avenue for input in how the RPV conducts its online outreach. Serious questions are raised about the organization of the current leadership and the state of the future of this party, whether it belongs to new voices and new ideas or the same, old, bitter trends that have gotten the party to where it is today.
Republicans don’t retreat, we advance. In two weeks Republicans will gather at the Homestead Advance to try and find the best way forward. But will that advance be led by the old guard trying to show off how to mis-use new toys or will new voices and new ideas be given the floor?
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About the author
Jason Kenney has blogged at J’s Notes since 2001, is the director of RedStormPAC providing online fundraising for Republican candidates in Virginia, and co-founder of K6 Consulting. He is a graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University and resides in Richmond, Virginia.
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42 Responses to "New Media And The RPV"
Oh Noes! HRGOP haz unleashed theyre army of Sock Puppets!!!!!!
More seriously, it is sad to see a persistent state of clue-resistance in some Virginia GOP quarters…
[...] The New Media Posted on November 21, 2008 by Riley Jason Kenney has up a critique over on Bearing Drift of how the GOP is trying to fumble the new media, in particular the Virginia [...]
[...] to Watch Posted on November 21, 2008, 1:05 pm by agulbransen In a story listed in the Washington Post, Bob McDonnell was mentioned as one of the top 10 Republicans to [...]
As you may know, I rarely read blogs. Nothing personal, just a time management thing. But occasionally, people forward me links and I read. Thus, I landed here.
Before I address the critique of my leadership on new media in this post (I’m not going to get into the turf battle among bloggers), let me just say that I am surprised that a group of people who spend so much time communicating have failed to communicate with me directly regarding these concerns on the Party’s efforts with new media. I’m easy to get ahold of. Email me. Call me. As the many people that write me everyday will tell you, I respond.
So, let me formally issue the invitation: if you have a problem, concern, question, whatever about me or RPV, ask me. Let’s stop the gossip and misinformation — especially when you can go straight to the source.
Now, regarding RPV’s efforts with New Media. As you may have noticed, RPV is rolling out a completely new online presence — some of it will be public, some will be less public (in terms of access). The new website you see at RPV.org is just the beginning — much is in the works.
Further, we welcome good ideas on how to do more. One great idea that has been suggested to us by Senator Ken Cuccinelli and SCC Member Keith Damon is to create a Virginia Internet Republican Committee (VIRC). We’re very busy at structuring outreach efforts at the Party, bringing in people that may not always look or sound like Republicans. Well, we recognize that the online community is another group we need to reach out to, and this is the idea behind the VIRC, and so we are moving that idea to reality.
Regarding the Advance, yes, we are planning a workshop on new media. And yes, we have some very able and smart people in the online community right here in Virginia. But we must also recognize that there might be some other very talented people that might be able to teach all of us something — both regular Virginia bloggers and online novices alike. So, the new media workshop at the Advance will be led by Cyrus Krohn, the RNC eCampaign Director. Cyrus previously held senior positions at Yahoo and MSN (read more about him here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/28/AR2007082801714.html).
In addition, we are working on structuring the Attorney General debate at the Advance to be led by bloggers. The idea (subject to changes) is to have each candidate select a blogger. These three bloggers will then begin soliciting questions from their blogs until the Advance. Then at the Advance, the three will gather and select a total of 6 questions for the candidates, and then they will ask those questions during the debate. We will also provide credentials and connectivity for other bloggers wishing to “live blog” at the event.
I hope that clears things up with regard to the Advance and RPV’s efforts online in the short term. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do, online or otherwise. We can all complain to one another or we can work together to make things happen. I hope your readers will chose the latter.
Well, and looky here! HRGOP has also sent a trackback to this post, *without* a link in their post, AND without referencing this post in any way.
So, not only are they stepping on toes, they’re also blogosphere incompetents. [rolls eyes]
Old guard doesn’t understand that the can’t dictate the blogs.
More importantly – they shouldn’t TRY – they should work within the Bloggers with making their case like everyone else.
Jason and Bearing Drift Blog Community,
As those who know me are aware, I am not a huge blogger. I rarely comment on blogs and have actually only ever posted one blog of my own before (a few weeks ago on Hampton Roads GOP). However, as a member of the Republican Party State Central Committee I find it necessary to respond to your post.
This is ridiculous. Is there not enough cyberspace available for you guys to get along? I posted an article on Hampton Roads GOP because I was asked to write one. I’ll put one on Bearing Drift, I really don’t care. However, just to let you know, one of you tech guys will have to post if for me because it’s not my thing–I just don’t know how. The first campaign I ever workde on, I had a pager and had to stop at a pay phone.
I am unaware that RPV or anybody has ever declared any one of you guys (all bloggers) to represent the Party. I have heard that there will be a panel of bloggers at the Advance and if Hampton Roads GOP has somebody on it, good for them. If you guys are on it, great.
I know the guys that manage Hampton Roads GOP and I know most of you all with Bearing Drift, specifically Jim Hoeft and Brian Kirwin. I respect you all for what you do. You are all good guys and dedicated Republicans, so all I ask is that you grow up. This is getting ridiculous.
(Now I’ll hit Submit and hope this works, because I still don’t have the hang of this blog stuff)
The point you seem to be missing Jeff, is that RNC and RPV (with our without your leadership) has thus far been woefully ineffective with new media. There are a few dozen conservative/Republican bloggers in Virginia and we’ve been around a good while. And while yes, getting new and fresh ideas is one thing the GOP desperately needs ignoring those of us who have been fighting this battle in the trenches for a few years now is a mistake.
If you read the blogs, you’d know that. It’s worth your time.
For RPV to be up on communications, I am surprised at how they have yet to respond to my inquiry about allowing bloggers to attend the Advance under press/media credentials. Bloggers or “citizen journalists” should be included under this umbrella.
Just sharing my two cents worth. It would be great if we could be included in the Advance as valued members of the press community.
New Media? We have to understand that the platfrom may be “new” but in reality we can trace the roots of the political blogs and their intent to the little pamphlets that the likes of Jefferson and Hamilton would use to get there message, however negative in the case against against Adams, out the the masses. The online medium of course has provided a means by which the masses can create their own “little pamphlets” or create a “soapbox” no different that at the roots of our country.
That said, the issue that gets missed here is that the Party, as in the RPV and their Democrat brethern need and in fact want to remain at arms length from the medium for the purposes of deniability. Of course they should have sanctioned blogging, maybe on the site, but in reality the want these blogs out there to do bidding independently and without endorsement. The rationale is simple. The insiders can use the blogoshere as a means to put out whatever information they wish to get out without there hands tied to it. In other words, build the story and contribute to making it viral.
This is the role of of sites, called communties like Raising Kaine. The contributors at this site leverage information provided by campaigns and the Party elite and dissimilate what details they wish to the community in order to envoke action. This information enters the viral rhelm where truth and validity may be void. The contributors of such blogs like Raising Kaine are granted access to the campaigns and the candidates and work alongside as a means of getting the information that the campaigns want to get out without costing the campaign very much. Campaigns provide the basis for the line of attack by providing information that in fact they wish not to be linked to for the purposes of the public. Not all blogs of course function in this capacity but in there are those that operate at an enitrely different level and standard in my opinion than the rest.
This is the dilemma facing the Party. The ability to control the message throughout the blogosphere, which is what the Democrats have been successful in leveraging since the Webb/Allen race. The have established an integral network of activists through the blogosphere to shape the message let alone raise money through having links or sponsoring PACS on the site. Many of these bloggers work for campaigns as consultants which further calls into question the legitimacy of the content as nothing more than shilling for an agenda.
I am looking for the leaders who will go on record and call out these “communties” and demonstrate to the people just how factually challenged and unethical they are at the very foundation. These are the blogs and bloggers the Party should stay away from. I think if Wapo actually published what RK and Daily Kos actually said about people like Palin or in the case of Jerry Connolly or even Clinton during 2008 many mnay people would reject the candidates those folks endorse simply through linking the community to the candidate. You also have to consider how many times major news organizations use blogs as “sources” which is another dangerous element.
New media is vital to be sure, but above all the Party must endeavor to control the message. The blogosphere can complement the message if tackled properly, but I would hate to see happen to conservative leaning blogs what has happened to the progressive blogs in the last few years. I am confident those blogs are proud of the record and their achievement, but their are lessons to be learned as well with netroots.
“Well, we recognize that the online community is another group we need to reach out to…” Not exactly… think about it this way. How many pieces per day do you see in Virginia’s (or D.C.’s) daily newspapers that are favorable in tone to Republicans?
Right.
But you are on the phone with their reporters a lot, trying to get your point of view out there, aren’t you… And how’s that workin’ for ya?
Now how many such stories do you see in Virginia’s right-leaning blogosphere? A lot. You can start to read them by looking to the right, over at the blogroll.
Do you think it might be a good idea to “reach out” to people who
1. think
2. write daily (or weekly, at the minimum)
3. are positively disposed to Republican ideas?
I think it would be a very good idea. (Do you need to have a committee to make that recommendation? Why?)
[...] Jason Kenney at Bearing Drift has an article up criticizing (rightfully) the RPV’s stance on new media. Jason was very critical (rightfully). [...]
Once again … here is the mistake:
“This is the dilemma facing the Party. The ability to control the message throughout the blogosphere,..”
If you think “the party” can control the “message” throuhghout the blogospere then you really don’t understand that true nature of bloggers.
[...] has an excellent article up at Bearing Drift today regarding the RPV’s efforts, so to speak, with new [...]
[...] Kenney has a great post up at Bearing Drift detailing the problems with the Republican Party of Virginia’s new media strategy: A handful of individuals have taken it upon themselves to hijack new media from the Republican [...]
To the good folks at Bearing Drift and the Blogger Community,
I would like to respond to Jason’s attack on HamptonRoadsGOP.com.
First of all, I am not a routine blogger; however, I do like to read the blogs in order to keep up with the latest news and information. I agree strongly that the internet is the future and the Republican Party must do more in cyberspace. This is why a group of Party activists got together and started HamptonRoadsGOP.com. Our Web site will serve as a Master Calendar for the Republican Party in Hampton Roads as well as the Eastern Shore. We will also serve as an electronic resource for the Republican Party. The Blog will serve as a way for fellow cyberspace Republicans to interact to other Republicans.
Second, nowhere on HamptonRoadsGOP.com’s “Welcome” article does it attack Bearing Drift. We simply stated that we will be proudly partisan. If Bearing Drift feels it is necessary to state that they are pro Republican while posting ads for Democrat Jody Wagner who is planning to run against our own Republican Lt.Governor Bill Bolling, then so be it. It is a free country for now. You will never see an ad for any Democrat on HamptonRoadsGOP.com.
Third, your article is exactly why the Republican Party is losing elections. We are too busy fighting with each other instead of the Democrats. Why are you so threatened by HamptonRoadsGOP.com that you have to take swipes at us? This is not the first time Bearing Drift has mentioned our website. We have never written a negative article about anybody’s web site, especially Bearing Drift.
Fourth, Thank you for all of the free publicity you have given us from your negative articles. Our readership has been at all time highs and growing by the hour.
Fifth, we would be honored to belong to one of these Republican Blog circles; however, no one has ever invited us to join.
I hope this will be the last negative article about our HamptonRoadsGOP.com by Bearing Drift. Let’s focus our energies together to restore the Republican Party to its Conservative roots. Lets work together to defeat the Democrats and elect principled Conservatives like Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling.
Jim lets bury the hatchet for the sake of the Republican Party. The Ball is in your court.
Bruce, Bearing Drift didn’t troll hamptonroadsgop.com leaving attacking comments and insults. Contrarily, your writers have done that here.
Bearing Drift didn’t presumptively announce itself as the “ONLY Republican Blog in Virginia.” What response did you expect? That assertion is silly on its face.
When your writers use fake names from the same IP address to attack Republicans on this blog, it’s easy enough to notice.
Bruce, you do a lot of good work. I’ve been impressed with how many years (or is it decades) you’ve worked with the Republican Professionals Network. As JR can tell you, when your name is on a blog, you frequently catch flack for what other people write.
But don’t for a second play high and mighty about Republicans attacking each other. Your own keyboard and those of your cohorts belie your assertions.
JR,
So if these guys are going to try and “shape” the blogishere with their message, does that mean I can’t play anymore?
Because if they’re going to “control” content then what they’re envisioning is a new media for putting out their “message” (ie, talking points) and I’d imagine dissenting points of view wouldn’t be welcome.
Doesn’t sound very fun and more importantly, very informative.
Most you guys know I’m not a Republican (nor a Dem), but I like this site because we can have a free flow of differing views (and I get to poke fun at BK) and while sometimes heated, there are actually some good debates here.
Please don’t change a thing.
Reid, thank you for making my point. The Party has a problem shaping and molding a defined message and objective independent of any anything related to the blogging world.
That said, I find it very hard to dispute that Raising Kaine for example has not led the charge of shaping the progressive message in NOVA and is on the front lines of contributing to the liberal dynamics of that region as opposed to the rest of the State.
But what do I know, I am a “downstater” and don’t get to Maryland (oopps NOVA) much anymore!!!
[...] RPV And New <edia Jump to Comments From Jason Kenney at Bearing Drift: [...]
Jason, I think you would be a good addition to any panel on blogging for the GOP
Oh man! This is rich! I’ve been telling you guys for a couple of years now that nothing Republican can exist unless it is issued down from the Hillbilly Hideaway. All I’ve gotten in return is bombastic responses that we should never attack the party.
When the GOBs joined the Dems to pass the largest tax increase in history, the citizens were amazed. Then the GOBs bypassed a legally held referendum and tried to force unconstitutional transportation agency taxes and abusive driver fees down our throats. The voters had enough. The rejection of the referendum was the people’s choice, while your legislative slight of hand had all the elitist trademarks of a party out of control. Yet we who lean Republican are supposed to hold the party line, absent dissent or critique. Well boys, the party’s over and has been for some time. The proof is in the previous posts.
I don’t have a dog in this fight….but I just happen to be one who finds alot of the spats on blogs a nice source of entertainment.
Sometimes I’m not sure if situations like these are just another one of those Junior High dust-ups among the inside blog-ballplayers, or just some weird fake fight you have conjured up among yourselves at “Blogger happy hour” to get more attention.
Either way….keep up the good work. It makes me laugh….and I think it actually drives up traffic. My only suggestion is to throw in some insightful, constructive political thought somewhere in the middle of all your little slap fights.
We’re just pretending we’re “The View”
This is sooo much better than the view…..
Sounds like typical Bruce Meyer to me, Shaun, as he has a long history of dishonesty. He has likewise mastered the Democrat tactic of attacking others who stand up for their own principles (rather than surrendering to his) by declaring them responsible for the fact that we are “too busy fighting with each other” (see, e.g., Republicans engaged in “partisanship,” defined as not surrendering to Democrats) or guilty of the belitting charge of “bickering.” It’s SOOO much better if we were to stop “fighting with each other,” fall in under Bruce’s banner, and follow him like lemmings over the cliff of so-called “moderation.” He picked a fight, and now claims that some are “fighting with each other” merely because they dare to point out the dishonesty of the claims he has made.
He’s also just like the crow who believes that the sun rises because of his importunings. Hence, the arrogance of that initial post.
And Jim, make no mistake about it: if history is any guide, where Bruce would prefer to bury the hatchet is in your back.
Bruce,
Let me just say up front that I’m not a party insider. So I’ve never heard of you and can’t speak to your prior involvement. But I am an active conservative blogger and activist. When I saw what you’d done at HamptonRoadsGOP.com, I had two thoughts. 1) this guy doesn’t know what he’s doing, and 2) he’s mighty arrogant about it.
On the one hand, it’s great that you want to make a difference. But the way to do it is not to walk onto the scene and trash talk those who have been in the trenches for several years now.
Brian, can I be Joy Behar? I don’t like to have to think.
[...] Jason Kenney wrote about how the RPV has not been so receptive of the bloggers community on Bearing Drift. Throughout the article, he made some great points, especially with this comment: By organizing [...]
Jim Young –
Shaun hasn’t jumped in yet… there’s four of us Kenney brothers running around Virginia, you know.
…but I’m thinking about chiming in.
[...] Bearing Drift, Virginia Virtucon, Mike, Red Virginia, Tertium Quids, and other members of The Jeffersoniad, what do you say? Can we meet face to face and work together? It would be preferable for all our ships to sail in the same direction as we work to fix the Republican Party together rather than to work against each other as the Democrats move beyond us. [...]
I’m controversial? Neat!
They want to decide who’s a Republican and who isn’t, and I’M controversial?
Mike, absolutely you can be Joy. Gonna match her hair??
Mike, how can you say that RPV is ignoring bloggers when J-Fred in his post here mentioned two tangible things he is doing to reach out to bloggers?
One can spend all day and night reading blogs, so J-Fred’s reluctance to read them may be well reasoned. But does that necessarily mean that he does not stay active via other forms of “new media”, like on the web; on e-mail; or on Facebook (for which he has an account and seems to keep up with it)?
Well, “Whatever,” since you seem to want to say this here as well as at Leslie’s place, I’ll repost my comment here as well:
[...] squabbles about new media, Chairman Jeff, and the Hampton Roads GOP blog that was kicked off by a post at Bearing [...]
JFred promised raising huge sums of money. JFred promised a world-class RPV website which presumably would include a ‘new media’ aspect, JFred promised in writing he’d step down as delegate if he was elected chairman of RPV. jFred promised he’d lead us to victory and pick up seats (albeit hard for any one person to do)… promises kept?
I couldn’t get RPV to promote a 1,500 person Palin debate watching party, but JFred showed up unannounced and demanded microphone time in place of John Warner and 5 other speakers!
I can’t get RPV to remove me from their fundraising mailing list or robo calls.
No one knows how much this new website is costing or who’s making it, or when it will be done.
No one will tell me how much we’ve raised at RPV for the war chest.
No one will tell me if the rumors are true that Amy Frederick is on the RPV payroll.
No one will tell me if the rumors are true that this mysterious web site costs $50,000. Can I have that contract please? I make web sites!!
I voted for Jeff Frederick for chairman, and I don’t mind saying that I have a case of buyers’ remorse.
I feel like I bought a used Saturn sedan without a warranty!
Maybe the Obama camp folks can give me some answers– they have leaders who DO read blogs and keep up with the media- both traditional and new media.
Grass roots leadership my ass; it’s more like a field of dreams.
[...] recently went on a friendly conservative blog, Bearing Drift, and said in a long statement essentially “I don’t read blogs [...]
[...] Virtucon, Below the Beltway, and The Write Side of My Brain, Leslie Carbone, and Jason Kenney at BD). I tend to agree with the above bloggers on this narrow issue, but outside of Jason, I’m [...]
[...] Virtucon, Below the Beltway, and The Write Side of My Brain, Leslie Carbone, and Jason Kenney at BD). I tend to agree with the above bloggers on this narrow issue, but outside of Jason, I’m not [...]
This is just amazing. Speaking as someone outside of Virginia, it becomes more and more obvious certain individuals are more concerned about promoting themselves than actually getting conservatism advanced within the Republican Party.
I don’t want to sound too harsh, as I would like to see many of you involved in the true grassroots where I’ll be lying for the next few years, but it may be easier to deal with people like described in the main article by ignoring the (r) behind your name and worry more about the philosophy that made you decide to put that (r) there.
That’s how MoveOn.org did it, and how you guys lost in Virginia when you should not have.
[...] I found, via Leslie Carbone, another prime example of the GOP establishment’s complete failure to understand new media. For the record, I believe that it can be seen as innocent to misunderstand something such as new [...]
[...] week’s post on New Media and the RPV generated quite a response and served to show a disconnect between the Republican Party of Virginia [...]
Chiming in late but the only time I write about disagreeing with RPV is when I disagree with them….otherwise I pretty much in agreement since I am a Republican(but more importantly a conservative…if the RPV wants only people that always agree with there “official” position then their numbers and fund raising will continue to dwindle……isn’t that what the blogoshere is about ?
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