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March 15, 2004
Open Thread
Take it away!March 15, 2004 | Permalink
Comments
Just saw this in the Athens Weekly News...Any comments, Doug?
Political blogs
I am sorry my campaign did not get your e-mail question [“Haines, Barrow blogging for dollars,” Mar. 4]. I personally read and answer all e-mails and correspondence. For whatever reason, your e-mail did not reach my site. I apologize.
We looked into purchasing ads on blogs. While they work in very special circumstances (i.e., a special election where nothing else is on the ballot and no other races are being held nationwide, or when attached to a Howard Dean e-mail when there is no contested primary), our questions to industry experts determined that blogs are not as financially productive as the vendors promote. We decided it was not worth the investment.
I will be in Athens March 24 at 6:00 p.m. at the UGA Chapel near the law school. Hopefully all of your readers who did not see a blog for my campaign will come meet me personally. I will try to be more interesting than any blog.
Thank you.
Tony Center
Savannah
Tony Center is a Democratic candidate in Georgia’s 12th Congressional District.
Posted by: Disgruntled Athens Blogger at Mar 15, 2004 5:10:36 PM
Two points here:
First, I think its worth noting that while Mr. Center was consulting with "industry experts", Doug Haines was consulting with voters, answering questions, etc.
Second, I can't imagine that any candidate would voluntarily avoid any method of voter contact.
As a final thought, I want to thank all of you who make this blog and our campaign possible. Despite the "industry experts" predictions, blog ads, and more importantly, our blog, are working out very well indeed for this campaign. Our goals were simple, get our message out, encourage participation from everyone, and start having a dialogue with voters across the country about our nation's future. Thanks for making it possible.
Martin Matheny
Posted by: Martin Matheny at Mar 15, 2004 5:55:29 PM
Best Political Quote I've Heard in Awhile!
"For Saxby Chambliss, who got out of going to Vietnam because of a trick knee, to attack John Kerry as weak on the defense of our nation is like a mackerel in the moonlight that both shines and stinks."
- former U.S. Senator Max Cleland, commenting on Republican Saxby Chambliss' recent attacks on Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry
Posted by: Jen at Mar 15, 2004 6:45:09 PM
If Doug is elected, will he continue answering questions in this way and will he keep a blog site?
Posted by: Sam at Mar 15, 2004 11:25:46 PM
Absolutely. I'll keep communicating with my constituents, and everyone else who needs a progressive voice in Congress in every way I can. To me, that means responding to letters and emails, taking your phone calls, keeping the blog up, and everything else an elected representative should do.
Doug
Posted by: Doug Haines at Mar 16, 2004 10:03:23 AM
Hey Doug!! Go Doug go!!!
I got the notice of the Doug Haines meetup. I posted it to a listserve that I am on where I am well known. One of the guys there emailed me and says he plans to go to the meetup. Well, it looks like I have a schedule conflict on that day. Should I cancel the other meeting and go to the meetup? It is a monthly nonprofit board meeting. We are going to pick the dinner menu for our annual banquet. I already emailed my recommendations for the menu! Ha ha! We are also going to discuss a lawsuit, but I always just vote to go along with whatever everyone else says about that. So my views on the lawsuit would not be missed. The meetup would be fun. I am inclined to phone ahead about the board meeting and go to the meetup.
Love ya.
Gareth
Posted by: Gareth Fenley at Mar 16, 2004 6:25:15 PM
It's me again. On the night of the Meetup don't let it run too long because there is a Drag Kings show at Boneshaker's starting at 10PM and that is a CAN'T MISS.
Gareth
Posted by: Gareth again at Mar 16, 2004 6:28:50 PM
Is the www.hainesforcongress.com site failing to load for other people? I try to access it often and it seldom seems to load. I'm referring not to this site but the actual hainesforcongress.com website. Thanks!
Posted by: Reader at Mar 17, 2004 3:18:57 PM
Got the updated agenda for the board meeting... there is some stuff I really do have to show up for so I'm going to have to miss the meetup! Darn! Have fun everybody! See you at Boneshaker's afterwards.
Posted by: Gareth at Mar 21, 2004 6:04:07 PM
This really belongs in the "ELECION 2004' thread, but I can't seem to create a new thread, there. I'd like to recommend an article out of this week's New Yorker (April 12) on the Senate Race in Pennsylvania, where Arlen Specter is being challenged by the current congressman from Penn, named Pat Toomey. Lots of posturing by the likes of the Heritage Foundation about the opportunity this race presents to bring moderate Republicans "back in line" with a far-right agenda.
Posted by: Duncan Elkins at Apr 11, 2004 12:21:40 PM