Kelsi+Kennedy-+Political+Activism

5/1- One great thing I just discovered on OFA is "my neighborhood", which is catered to the area I live in near Chicago. It shows all of the people from that area, and all the local groups and events. I'm trying to connect to everyone from nearby, so I've friended the locals. I've even found some profiles of people I know! I've also joined some groups. My favorite group is Illinois Women for Obama. I even joined Media Professionals for Obama- because I'm a comarts major. These pages provide a group profile, as well as blogs written by some of the members. The pages also track fundraising/ number of blog posts/ doors knocked/ events hosted- these groups have done a lot! I have noticed, however, that not a lot has been going on since the election; there just isn't a lot of participation anymore.

4/18- I like Organizing for America a lot more than the Tea Party website. The site allows for a lot more interaction and personalization. One interesting aspect is the blog, where you can add stories and photos. A lot of people on the website have blogs. There's also a place to connect with other members- you can write messages to them, form groups, make events. I can also look to find events in my area, the next one's in Homer Glen, Illinois. The site also tracks your participation in Organizing for America. As you can see from the screen below, the site tracks events I've hosted, events I've attended, calls I've made, amount of money I've raised, etc. There's also a personal fundraising site you can create, where you can set a fundraising goal, invite friends, and track my fundraising progress. On this site, I plan to blog, but I don't foresee myself hosting events and raising money, which is what the site is dedicated to. I guess we'll see!


 * 4/15-** Hey. So I joined a new website- Organizing for America- because I felt like I was too focused on the conservative side on my project. I haven't checked it out much, but here's a screen shot of my rather empty account home:


 * I'll participate in this website throughout the week and keep you updated.

4/11-** ** Looks like I'm not the only one to "infiltrate" teapartypatriots.com and stir up trouble. Here's NathanDanielHale's latest post and all of the anger it incited:

I've noticed, over the past few weeks, growing radicalism on this website. There's a story on the Huffington Post that demonstrates the radicalness of these teabaggers. According to the article, the teabaggers in Oklahoma are planning to form a militia in order to block federal mandates... frightening. Here's the link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/13/oklahoma-tea-party-plans_n_535412.html

I plan to ask the teabaggers on the Patriot website their views on the issue.

4/10- On the Tea Party Patriots website, there has been a biiiiig mobilizing effort for the Tax Day Tea Party protest in DC on April 15th. The protest is in regards to "reckless government spending". In preparation for the event, teapartypatriots.com has hosted weekly teleconferences attended by hundreds of local leaders. The website has also promoted all of the local events occurring outside of DC- 737 events nationwide. You can search the events or simply add your own by providing an address.

The site has also added a new page completely dedicated to the Tax Day protests- the "Official Headquarters for Tax Day Tea Party 2010". The page provides movies and a place to purchase Tax Day memorabilia, such as yard signs, shirts, buttons, etc. There's also a section dedicated to the Twitters of all the Tea Party Tax Day coordinators- there are seven individuals you can follow. Here's a screen shot:



On the Patriot Feed, there is much excitement regarding the upcoming event. There are a lot of people even organizing drives to DC from Chicago, etc.

4/6- Just an update: after all the hostility I received on Tea Party Patriots, I have decided to cancel my account. I really don't want to be traced to Senator Feingold, especially after being called a "liberal mole" supposedly sent by the Dems. So, I'm now ecarels, which is my middle initial and mother's maiden name combined. I'm also directing my e-mails to another e-mail account. I think it's best to take an extra precaution.

3/23- I'm now also a member of moveon.org, a progressive, public policy advocacy group. As I mentioned in my presentation, there are very few similarities between moveon.org and teapartypatriots.com. While the tea party website is not incredibly personal, there is still a home page and the ability to interact with other members. In order to know who the other members are, you must join the facebook fan page, and still there is very little interaction. As a member of moveon.org, I simply receive e-mails and that is all. Here is one e-mail I received:

Beyond e-mails, the site keeps member up-to-date on various campaigns, such as off-shore drilling and promoting health care reform. The site primarily asks members to donate money, contact members of the government, and spread petitions. For example, the site asks members to donate to Bill Halter's Senate campaign against Senator Blanche Lincoln (a conservative Democrat). You can also purchase videos, moveon.org's full-length film, and moveon.org's book, //50 Ways to Love Your Country.//

3/18- I've joined one group on the teapartypatriots.com. I've joined the tea party patriots of Chicago, which is the group closest to my hometown. According to the group:

**

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"Tea Party Patriots Chicago is made up of individuals who believe in liberty, constitutional principles and fiscal responsibility. We are a non-partisan, grassroots organization united by the core values and principles found in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Tea Party Patriots Chicago welcomes all conservatives, libertarians, centrists, Republicans, Democrats and Independents who stand for freedom and individual rights. Tea Party Patriots Chicago is part of the Illinois Tea Party. We work closely with the over 50 tea party and 9/12 groups in Illinois to attract, educate, organize and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with the core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets". The group has a section with featured members, as well as upcoming events; the next event is the Official Chicago Tax Day Tea Party, occurring on April 15th. There is also a section where one can add comments. I added one comment asking whom to vote for in the next election, I will keep you updated as to the responses. But there are several comments of "politicians" running for office. Here is one post:======

[[image:Screen_shot_2010-04-04_at_7.32.36_PM.png]]
Also, I've changed my username and contact information because of my last status update. After being called a "mole" and "leftwing operative", I was worried that those people could track me down and figure out that I work for Senator Feingold. They could possibly target the Senator, and I DO NOT want that happening...

3/17- I think it's quite interesting that teabaggers accused me of using biased news sources. Teapartypatriots.com connects users to a very verrryyy right-wing news source: the New Patriot Journal, dedicated to conservative news, art, and entertainment. One article on the home page is titled, "Majority Says Tea Party has Better Understanding of Issues Than Congress". Really? And that's not biased? The contributors of the site, it appears, can be anyone, including me. It doesn't seem as though you have to be an actual journalist to contribute to the site. Two other things I found interesting was the link to the Tea Party Patriots site, as well as the "request media coverage" section. Essentially, I can hold a tea party event and garner press coverage from the site... 3/14- In reference to my last post, I guess some people have guessed that I'm not a true teabagger but rather a "mole":

3/11- So, I've tried "stirring the pot" a little, just to gauge reactions. My last update was something that did really bother me, and I've found that people on the site can be both rude and defensive to comments that are not to their liking. They certainly do not want to be painted in a bad light, but they are quick to call out people and be kind of rude. Since they all, for the most part, share the same views concerning politics, I'm sure they rarely come across opposing perspectives. Here's the convo:



3/10- So, as I mentioned in my presentation, I am a new member of the Tea Party Patriots. My next few entries will be dedicated to this new site I discovered.

By no means do I agree with the values of the teabaggers, so I find the site to be very interesting; these people are very outspoken! I've created a home page, complete with my dancing avatar. There really is not that much to the home page; the page provides a username, an avatar, a status update, a place to share one's twitter/facebook/etc., and groups. Here is a shot:



3/7- Here is my current Huff Post page:



I have several following me, and I have several fans. Although there are some with hundreds of fans... I get updates of people that I am following too. My goal is to follow more blogs for this week.

3/2- Today, I'm looking at Moveon.org's website. Moveon.org is a nonprofit, progressive, public policy advocacy group and PAC that has raised millions for Democratic campaigns throughout the country. As Germaine mentioned in class, the group was founded after President Clinton's impeachment. Since then, the group has launched campaigns in support of progressive candidates and causes. During the Bush Administration, Moveon.org was primarily concerned with putting a stop to the War in Iraq. Currently, Moveon.org is primarily concerned with helping to advance health care reform. In terms of supporting political candidates, today's home page encourages Democrats to donate "$1 Million for Bill Halter". Bill Halter is the progressive, Lt. Governor of Arkansas, now running against conservative Democrat, Blanche Lincoln.

Moveon.org uses e-mails as its main conduit for communicating with members, sending action alerts once a week. The website also uses a variety of multimedia, such as videos, audio downloads, and images. There's also the "Action Forum", which acts as a grassroots organization allowing members to propose priorities and strategies. In addition to the internet, the group uses traditional print and broadcast media to spread its message.

2/28- Today I looked at another political blog- The Drudge Report. It has a very different layout than that of the Huff Post or Town Hall. It's very outdated looking, and not engaging at all. Here's a screen shot:

I hate that you can't see the title of the article fully. And I hate that there are no pictures. But I'll stop complaining...

The Drudge Report is a conservative news website, most famous for breaking the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The site consists mainly of hyperlinks to mainstream media outlets, as well as some stories written by Matt Drudge- which are only two to three paragraphs in length. I noticed that the hyperlinks primarily lead to Fox News, which is not surprising considering the site's conservative/populist leanings. The site also has a link to the websites of popular conservative bloggers/commentators/politicians- Ann Coulter, Pat Buchanan, Bill O'Reilly. The Drudge Report carries advertisements that generate the site's revenue. 2/24- Update on my Huffington Post account. I've made several comments, and as a result, people have become fans of me! Not many, albeit, as my comments may not be that insightful... Huff Post borrows off of Facebook in the sense that you can friend people. And I have one friend now! He actually happens to be a real-life friend...I have no idea how he found me on the Huff Post, he didn't know I was creating an account.

Anyway, his name is Matthew Segal. He is the co-found of SAVE- Student Association for Voter Empowerment. He's also the co-chair for 80 Million Strong, a coalition of leading youth organizations committed to addressing the current youth employment crisis. Because of these activities he's involved in, Matt is a blogger on the Huffington Post, blogging about youth voting and employment. Here's a screen shot of one of his blog entries:

Not just anyone can become a blogger... you have to be a popular political/social commentator or involved in politics in some form (like Matt, as the founder of SAVE). From time to time, however, the Huffington Post invites top commenters to become bloggers. So who knows, maybe I'll be invited to become a blogger in a few years... 2/17- Even though I looove the Huffington Post, I have never made an account. So today, I finally did just that. My account name is kekennedy if you would like to follow me. Anyway, as an account member, I can make comments on news and blogs. I can also friend Huff Post members and become fans of Huff Post members. I can also acquire a fan base...although I don't think that will be happening.

I plan to make lots of comments over the next few weeks, so feel free to become my "fan".

2/16- I wanted to continue my examination of Townhall.com. In the news section, Townhall.com writers present the latest news in the government, United States, and world. In political news, there is a lot of talk of Senator Evan Bayh's announcement regarding his upcoming retirement. Bayh, who blamed his frustrations of partisanship and gridlock for his retirement, was criticized by the writer, who stated that Bayh actually feared not being reelected after this tumultuous year in US politics. Other articles stressed the Republicans strong chances of capturing Democratic seats in the House and the Senate. The latest news can also be accessed in the podcast section, which features podcasts from popular conservative radio talk show hosts, such as Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved, and Dennis Prager. Along with news about Republican prospects to the Senate and House, there are many pictures in the photo section. Here is a photo of former U.S. Congressman J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) announcing his bid for the U.S. Senate:



Also, here is a cartoon from the cartoon section:

And amidst the Sarah Palin //Going Rogue// advertisements, I found this interesting ad:

2/14- Happy Valentine's Day! After researching Michelle Malkin the other day, I discovered a great new website: Townhall.com. This website presents columns, news, videos, podcasts, photos, cartoons, and blogs- all with a very conservative bias. Major conservative columnists include, obviously, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Pat Buchanan, and John Stossel. Townhall.com's main feature is its "Blogspot for Political, Conservative, and Republican Blogs and Bloggers". Here's an incredibly ignorant photo caption I found:

Each blog posting gets, on average, 100 responses. This posting in particular earned 122 responses- all making fun of the "global warming loons" (don't they know that erratic, unpredictable weather is a side effect of global warming? but I digress...). The website also provides a space for conservative bloggers to provide links to their own, respective blogs. I will delve more into the website next time, as it is very extensive.

2/12- Recently, I've been looking into bloggers on both sides of the political aisle. Michelle Malkin is one of the most prominent conservative bloggers online. Malkin is an author, a conservative syndicated columnist, and a FOX contributor. According to her blog's archives, Malkin contributes approximately 5-10 entries a day, all very outspoken accounts against the Obama Administration and liberals in general. Here are some entry titles: //The Barack-y Horror Picture Show, Soft-on-terrorism Corruptocrat TSA Nominee Retires, Hey Harry Reid: You Lie!// Malkin receives a lot of responses from her followers; for each of the previously mentioned titles, there are approximately 30-50 responses. All of the responders seem to share Malkin's views, there is no one calling out Malkin for her radical views. Malkin also has open threads, allowing people to speak their minds about any issue they please. Here's a screenshot from a few Sundays ago:

Malkin's site is very engaging. In this example, Malkin provides a prompt for her respondents, asking them to fill in the blank. The prompt is: //Obama proposing spending freeze is like...

Out of the 283 responses, here are a few of my favorites:

// There are some great blogads as well. Some of the advertisers include rightwingstuff.com, conservativetshirts.com, etc. Malkin claims that if you advertise on her blog, you can reach more than one million followers. Interesting...

2/8- So, I thought it best to include some screenshots of Glenn Beck's site and Keith Olbermann's site. They are incredibly different in their content.

Glenn Beck's site is definitely interesting. First of all, he looks ridiculous in his photo. Other than that, the site is not what I was expecting from a FOX News program website. One thing that struck me was the advertisements. As you can see in the screenshot, Carbonite, Goldline International, and a generator company are all advertised in the site. I especially like the "I trust Carbonite to protect my priceless computer files- you should too" quote. The website also has a lot of things promoting Glenn Beck's personal pursuits, such as Glenn Beck's "American Revival Tour" and his book //Idiots Unplugged.// There's the Glenn Beck store, the "Fusion" magazine section, the radio subscriber page. It seems like very little is dedicated to the actual news, which is ironic as he //is// a newscaster...It's as though the whole site is dedicated to making Glenn Beck richer, and promoting his ridiculous tea party agenda.



//Countdown//'s website is way different...there's actually news! The website is entirely dedicated to the top news stories of the day and comments made by Keith Olbermann. It's what I expect from a news site, and definitely renders the site more legitimacy. But I might be a bit biased... I love Keith Olbermann.


 * 2/7**- Happy Superbowl Sunday! My topic for the practicum project is social and political activism. I have chosen to focus on political activism due to my background in political science. In particular, I will be looking at Liberal/Conservative new media- comparing websites by bloggers and talking heads on both sides of the political spectrum. Today, I wanted to compare the websites of Glenn Beck from FOX News and Keith Olbermann from MSNBC.

Glenn Beck's site: http://www.glennbeck.com/

Keith Olbermann's site: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/