From the Press Release:
"Western North Carolina News Network (WNCNN), created by local political organizer, Gordon D. Smith, is political satire presented as a cable news program in the vein of Steven Colbert's The Colbert Report and Jon Stewart's The Daily Show. WNCNN will air weekly on Mondays on numerous internet sites including YouTube.com beginning on September 18, 2006. The series intends to highlight the shortcomings of Republican incumbent Congressman Charles H. Taylor through the use of satire, sarcasm, and visual humor.
More at his blog, Scrutiny Hooligans.
Here is a taste of one one his clickable sidebar graphics, released for people to use on their websites to link to his anti-Taylor Video Campaign.
See the video yourself below:
What can Taylor supporters do in response?
Well, first off, watch the ad, and pay attention. This is the shape of things to come, due, in part to The McCain-Feingold Act, and in part to the increasing availability of technical means to the average citizen in America. The first reason is bad, the second is neutral, it is what you make of it.
I expect some of us to be inspired to respond to this in our own way.
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9 comments :
McCain Feingold doesn't address the individual free speech via the internet at all. What do you mean about the relationship between the rise of internet speech and campaign finance reform?
I reckon this will be the last election cycle that won't regulate internet speech by individuals. I don't know how the FEC will try to enforce anything, and I hope that, like the rest of the internets, campaign information remains a populist forum.
Thanks for linking to WNCNN!
I agree with you, we might as well enjoy it while we can!
There will be an effort to connect internet speech as a type of broadcasting medium, especially the bigger blogs, and the blogs that accept advertising..and there are bloggers on both sides getting paid to blog.
This is an area that ALL BLOGGERS need to pay close attention to over the next few years, until it matures, and loses some of its frontier flavor. I think somethiong like less than one person out of fifty even reads blogs. I don't count email groups, message boards, email lists, or usenet group things as blogs.
All McCain-Feingold did was cause the 527 Groups to gain power, scare most of the media outlets, and greatly undermine the 1st Amendment... something which leads to very Dark Thoughts...
Anyhow, my critique on WNCCNN #1:
I thought it was funny, although I didn't agree with the message.
Maybe I can blackmail some friends, or use the threat of a shotgun, artfully concealed off-camera, to participate in a Counter-Strike.
I'd love to see a right-wing response to WNCNN - personally, I can't wait for the local, DIY version of the Olbermann/O'Really ratings war!
Two questions, though:
1) Just how motivated are you all to defend the honor of a man who in the grand scheme of things truly doesn't care about his supporters, someone whose corruption is undeniable and who has acted against the interests of the 11th District for almost eight terms?
2) Can you do it without calling Heath Shuler a carpetbagger? I bet you can't!
The incumbent happens to support the right policies that are dearest to my heart.
The challenger did leave, and was very successful at the University of Tennessee. I don't hold that against him. He was drafted into the NFL, where his career was not successful, but very lucrative. I don't hold that against him.
He then ended up back in Tennessee and became very successful in Real Estate. I am prejudiced against the Real Estate business something fierce. Real Estate and Tourism have destroyed the mountains I grew up in, the rising property taxes have forced locals to sell their land to outsiders with money, who have developed the land, built houses, and sold them to other outsiders who come in and sneer at us as if we were second class citizens, try to tell us what we can and can't do with our own property!
But, he was in the Real Estate Business over the mountains, for years. I hold his profession as a stain against his honor, as long as he leaves me alone, I leave him alone.
He has spent most of his life apolitical...then, various members of the Democratic Leadership (it varies, according to tells the tale) approach him about running for Congress, over here. Sorta like Hillary Clinton, Liddy Dole, Alan Keyes, now comes Heath Shuler.
He moves here circa 2003, tests the waters throughout '04, and in '05 makes it official.
I hate gerrymandered politicos as much as I hate gerrymandered districts.
The whole thing stinks. He should have started at the state level in politics, chose a Republican House Seat District to live, serve a couple of terms, move to the State Senate side for a term or so, then, with a real resume, go for the National Scene. With Experience.
Then there is the Union Contributions, Pelosi's PAC to the Future, and other PACs from very liberal politicians. Their money brings a very bad smell to my nose.
Personally, he may very well be a good guy, but some of the people aroung him don't have this country's interests at heart. Should the Democrats win the House, this country will be thrown into turmoil, and our national security will suffer. Should the Democrats win both houses, we may very well see a civil war at worst, or a military coup at best.
In this Fourth World War, if we take our eyes off the ball, we will miss our marks, and may not be able to make a second attempt.
Heath will lose, and try again in 2008, when The Mother of All Elections will take place, on all levels. Local. State. Federal.
Just remember, you heard it here first.
If I'm wrong, you can laugh at me.
TP,
Charles Taylor is the largest landowner in WNC, so let's not get too excited about Heath Shuler's real estate. Taylor's timber interests coupled with his landholdings make him a greater threat re: development than Shuler.
Saying that someone ought not run for Congress because they havne't been steeped in politics goes against our citizen democratic ideals. I applaud Shuler for his willingness to put himself under such scrutiny and to have such intense ambition.
Democrats will not jeopardize national security. That's absurd. After six years, Bush and his apologists have created more of a threat than ever existed before. Iraq is the greatest training ground for terrorists and the greatest recruitment tool in the world for terrorists.
Where's OBL? Bush doesn't care, then he doesn't, then the office charged with locating him closes, then he codpieces around screaming OBL's name. It's embarrassing to watch anyone believe that he's made our nation safer.
Shuler is a blank slate, and the crucible of Congress will tell the tale of whether he will be an effective legislator. Taylor's proven his ineffectiveness at keeping jobs in the region, lowering health care costs, and raising our district's standard of living. Taylor is corrupt to the core, and your vote for him is a vote for selling government to the highest bidder.
Again, it's embarrassing to watch Republicans in our district support Taylor's unethical behavior. He's got to go.
I'm not talking ownership of land, I am talking about him being a Real Estate agent/broker, only one step above that of an IRS or BATF Agent.
National Security: I think Bush43 has not gone far enough in the conduct of World War IV (WWIII being the Cold War), although I am beginning to see the possibility of a Grand Strategy vis a vis the Iran-Syria-DPRK grouping. The dems would withdraw, giving the Wahhadist/Salafist/Deobandi the green light to pursue an even more aggressive policy. The only exception I see is Hillary. She, it is argued by some, could overcompensate. Seeing as how she hates the military, I dunno. I reserve judegment on that issue.
where's OBL? I am 90% sure he is buried under a million tons of rock in Tora Bora since December 12, 2001.
Manufacturing jobs, sure. we don't want to be caught dead with manufacturing jobs in a post-industrial society. we should focus toward developing more of an economy basedupon knowledge manipulation. I assure you, I have sent many emails to Taylor warning about the dangers of a tourist-based economy with low-paying service sector jobs.
I don't trust blank slate because almost anything can be written on them...I don't want hoim to be captured by the Washington crowd the way Liddy Dole was (I think she was before she carpet-bagged her way to Salisbury.
Shuler is in a situation like Algore was in the last bit of Clinton42. If Algore had separated himself from his boss on the Elian Gonzales issue, he would've won the Electoral College vote. I can guarantee you a Heath victory if he dumps the Union money, and the Future PAC money, and if he said he were a Truman/Scoop Jackson Democrat, I'd vote for him.
Funny... I didn't actually see this post until now. Thanks for the good word there, TP!
I just wanted to say one thing about this line in your post, though:
I expect some of us to be inspired to respond to this in our own way.
AFAICT, the only response I actually saw was a troll-rating campaign on YouTube. I was really hoping for something a little more substantial, ya know? I'm sure you were too.
It's kinda hard for me to write, shoot, and upload videos by myself, but I am learning a little at a time.
Maybe I'll play all the parts mtself!
Troll Ratings are sour grapes.
I'll be up and running with a full multimedia barrage in the next cycle, so maybe we can have a little fun then, huh?
I gotta find a job closer to home so I can have more free time!
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