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http://cache.search.yahoo-ht2.akadns.net/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p;=blogging+credentials&fr;=slv8-&u;=demconvention.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/dncc-blogger-credentialing-final-111307.pdf&w;=blogging+credentials+credential&d;=DIXZnDWxQ1HS&icp;=1&.intl=us
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This morning from Thomas Sowell:
For people on the left... blacks are trophies or mascots, and must therefore be put on display. Nowhere is that more true than in politics.
The problem with being a mascot is that you are a symbol of someone else's significance or virtue. The actual well-being of a mascot is not the point.
Liberals all across the country have not hesitated to destroy black neighborhoods in the name of "urban renewal," often replacing working-class neighborhoods with upscale homes and pricey businesses-- neither of which the former residents can afford.
In academia, lower admissions standards for black students is about having them as a visible presence, even if mismatching them with the particular college or university produces high dropout rates.
The point is to have black faces on campus, as mascots symbolizing what great people there are running the college or university.
Various empirical studies have indicated that blacks succeed best at institutions where there is little or no difference between their qualifications and the qualifications of the other students around them.
This is not rocket science but it is amazing how much effort and cleverness have gone into denying the obvious.
Leaping to the defense of black criminals is another common practice among liberals who need black mascots. Most of the crimes committed by black criminals are committed against other blacks. But, again, the actual well-being of mascots is not the point.
Politicians who use blacks as mascots do not hesitate to throw blacks to the wolves for the benefit of the teachers' unions, the green zealots whose restrictions make housing unaffordable, or people who keep low-price stores like Wal-Mart out of their cities.
Using human beings as mascots is not idealism. It is self-aggrandizement that is ugly in both its concept and its consequences.
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What other perks are there??
I am quite pissed that the deadline has past.
You are right... that bar just keeps moving.
What was that infamous Dem slogan – something about “it’s the economy”? I forget now, but suspect that the word “Internet” would make a great substitute for “economy”, in this case. Unbelievable…
Pam Spaulding has the best post I've seen on this on PHB (including a conversation with Aaron Meyers, the guy in charge): My call from the DNCC on blogger credentials for the Denver convention.
Are there numbers we can call to voice our opinion about the issue?
They haven't announced the bloggers who will receive general press credentials yet, but my understanding is that they plan to be very generous with those credentials and with access to the hall.
Keep in mind that the state bloggers were chosen based on the focus of their blogs being state-focused as opposed to a larger, more general political focus.
I really don't think there was an intent to discriminate at all...stay tuned for the listing of bloggers receiving press credentials for the convention to see a more diverse group.
In 2008, the DNCC has made the commitment to significantly expand Convention access for bloggers interested in covering the Convention. In line with the DNCC’s goal to engage more people in the 2008 Convention experience than ever before as well as Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean’s 50-State Strategy, the DNCC will both expand the size of the credentialed blogger pool and also offer for the first time a state blogger credentialing program in 2008. Under this program, the DNCC will offer the opportunity for one blog to be credentialed from each of the 56 states and territories. The DNCC will also credential national bloggers for the 2008 Convention, to include both political and niche bloggers as well as video bloggers from across the country. Bloggers selected for both the DemConvention State Blogger Corps and the General Blogger Pool will be notified in May.
Basically, it's a way to guarantee that at least one blog from every state gets credentials to the Convention. You needed to have a blog, in existence for at least 6 months, with some minimum number or "political" posts (whatever that means) and you needed to apply by April 15th. Meeting those criteria were not enough to ensure a credential, however.
Personally, I suspect the best way to get one of the credentials was to figure out who in your state had influence on the selection and suck up to that person. Speaking as the publisher of a state blog that is not run by white men, one with a large number of female contributors, and yes, at least one prominent Black contributor who is not shy about raising uncomfortable issues, just having a good state-focussed blog was not enough to get selected.
Politics is still politics, I guess.
Check it out
http://www.politicalparlor.net/
But please do not think that there is some kind of conspiracy to prevent black bloggers to go to the convention. It goes against the sentiments of every blogger I have talked to -- that we need more diversity AND that the emergence of black bloggers that came with the Obama candidacy has been a wonderful thing. I hope you will consider going to Netroots Nation, as well, because we need your voice. The Dem party is more diverse than the blogger conventions show, and that just needs to change. As to the DNC, I have zero insight on how they do things, other than the fact that they seem pretty clueless about the netroots, even today in 2008.
I appreciate your comments; however, here's why I'm skeptical about dealing with Kos:
Last year, our own Jack Turner was in attendance at Yearly Kos. While I am not presuming to speak for Jack, I do remember him posting a diary asking for Kos to consider including a Bloggers of Color panel or workshop to meet.
I'd have to ask Jack himself, but I remember DEAD SILENCE about this issue. Plus, my own experience posting diaries on Kos regarding issues of race and/or gender, always got flamed and troll-rated for no reason at all, except Kos commenters don't want to discuss issues of race or gender unless KOS initiates it.
I'm open to Kos giving us a seat at the table, but he'd best not promise that seat and hand out scraps when we get there. If we can't sit at the table, we don't want scraps.
It seems to me that it would be a downright travesty if there is not a panel on bloggers of color, or something about the rise of black bloggers because of the Obama campaign. Of course, a lot of people were already out there; it's just that I am assuming your traffic has risen dramatically (I actually found this blog via Andrew Sullivan, of all people), and the voices have been heard like never before.
Please read this diary, which had a big impression on me back in Sept. 2006 by Kid Oakland:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/16/223758/524
It was on the fact that 20 bloggers got to meet with President Clinton in Sept. '06 (before we lost all respect for Bill), and there was not one person of color there. He quotes several black bloggers who ask pointed questions as to why they were not invited, and then said:
Let me put it in no uncertain terms, if the progressive blogosphere can't come up with real answers to these questions and a plan to make sure this never happens again, then the blogosphere isn't worth a damn. This isn't a minor blip or an ego thing as some have portrayed it; this is a wake up call.
The irony of a soul food lunch at Clinton's Harlem offices served to a group of future leaders of the Democratic Party that did not include African Americans and Latinos is too rich and too bitter not to note. To be frank, it echoes in some ways the experience at Yearlykos in Las Vegas where the dailykos community learned just how racially diverse we in attendence...weren't. For myself, I can't write a post titled "time to get real" one day, and then play "let's pretend the invisibility of bloggers of color at the Clinton event was okay" the next.
Friends, we are better than this. This is 2006, not 1953.
What I am trying to say is the best and the brightest at DailyKos want black voices heard and seen at blogger gatherings. I mean, can you imagine another non-diverse blogger gathering as we come together to celebrate the first African American presidential nominee? Just nuts. So, well, if I see a diary or discussion on this, I will chime in. There should be black bloggers at Netroots Nation AND there should be a panel on you guys. You're the story this year in the blogosphere.
I remember that meeting and was wondering how the Clinton camp ignored the late, but always prolific Steve Gilliard (one of the first Black Bloggers who actually made a living from his blog)and excluded him from that meeting.
I've long been a fan of Kid Oakland (probably because I'm from Oakland), and he's one of the few people of color that headlines at Daily Kos.
Kos is Latino, but sometimes, that gets subverted for the sake of the blog...and yeah, politics do go on over there - and the irony is, one of the reasons Kos started that blog was to highlight political hypocrasy at all levels. I just hope he doesn't become what he most despises.
Plus, Harold Ford said he'd attend YearlyKos (after Kos dusted his ass on Meet The Press earlier this year), and I would love a ringside seat to see how Harold would be received at such a progressive forum, cause I don't think he'd dare to debate Kos again, ever.