Comments on: Barack Obama: From Community Organizer to Community Destroyer

By: plez...

plez... — Fri, 04 May 2007 05:00:00 +0000

first, we are dealing with a new technology and a new frontier... something like this was unthinkable in the last election cycle. how does a campaign deal with a website/blog that uses your name?

then, you have a "squatter" who luckily grabbed the right name on the right service at the right time: MySpace.com/barackobama. i am in an organization whose name was absconded by one of these cybersquatters who wanted us to pay them for our name back! ridiculous.

next, you have a "volunteer" asking to be paid for his volunteer work. what gives? isn't that the antithesis of volunteer work?!?

and, if this guy was such a fan of Barack Obama, why would this come to head like this. i question his motives.

lastly, Barack Obama is probably so far away from making the decisions concerning a MySpace account... well, i would hope that this is not something that the NEXT PRESIDENT of the US would be concerning himself with. it's obvious that this was a "pissing contest" between joe anthony and some mid-level manager in the obama camp... and joe lost!

i don't see how this episode tarnishes (or enhances) my view of Barack Obama. it is a non-issue.

By: Gem

Gem — Thu, 03 May 2007 23:52:00 +0000

I had wondered about Obama's campaign staff and the people he surrounds himself with. You aren't electing a president, you are electing an administration. This does not look good. I was actually feeling guilty about not being completely on board th Obama train. How would I explain it to my grand children not supporting the first viable candidacy of an African American for president ( No slight intended to Al, Carol, Jesse, and Shirley). Is class more important than race? Would I be better off with a white populist vs. a Black elitist? I am not saying he is, but this Myspace incident certainly gives pause. Does Joe Anthony have a pay pal account? I want to send him $25 for making me think about it.

The man started this thing over TWO years ago. There was no guarantee that it was going to blow up. 39,000 is cheap.

whataboutourdaughters.org - End the War on Black Women. Stop Misogyny in Music>

By: African American Political Pundit

African American Political Pundit — Thu, 03 May 2007 19:41:00 +0000

Jill, Great Post!

There goes the MySpace Neighborhood!

The Obama campaign staff have serious issues. I fear Obama may have peaked to early and he is starting to believe his own press.

In politics, like hollywood, the press can make you and they can break you.

By: Ronnie B

Ronnie B — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:27:00 +0000

One could argue that young Mr. Anthony might–might have been engaging in a little trolling: starting the Space with the hope that it exploded like it did (caveat: I’m over 40 and don’t really do MySpace).

Many years ago, like back in the like early ’90s … like … domain trolls did this; they’d go to Network Solutions and buy the rights to URL’s similar to Ford.com or Xerox.com–before such corporations could get around to it–hoping to cash in on a license or royalties.

To my knowledge, though, you can’t cash in on the goodwill built up by someone else. And let’s face it; I don’t know Joe Anthony. But I do know Barack Obama.

By: Lester Spence

Lester Spence — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:48:00 +0000

read today’s washington post. it’ll tell you all you need to know about how obama’s rolling with black folks as of this moment.

By: natthedem

natthedem — Thu, 03 May 2007 07:07:00 +0000

An "active assault on the netroots?" Really? Over a Myspace profile?

Moreover, you're assertion that the "Edwards campaign have always shown sincere respect for the netroots." Are we forgetting what happened to Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan? The 36 hours that their jobs were left in limbo constitutes a "sincere respect?!" That's crazy.

At any rate, Obama's camp has a response up at myDD and DKos, which says, among other things that Anthony: 1. had been previously offered a job with the campaign and 2. had changed the password to the site, without communicating that to the campaign. Also, the Senator personally phoned Anthony to talk to him about the situation.

I'll wait and see what happens before passing judgment, but there are two sides of the story, which warrant being heard.

By: rikyrah

rikyrah — Thu, 03 May 2007 05:02:00 +0000

This is a bonehead blunder. You collect 25 million, you can give a guy 40k for creating the largest MySpace of any candidate. The guy did a great job, and should have been rewarded.

Obama has earned whatever scorn comes his way, and I feel sorry for him not one bit. Don't disrespect people who try and do good for you.

I'm not shocked about MySpace turning it over to him; after all, it's Rupert Murdoch, and you expect nothing less from him.

By: Bruce Godfrey

Bruce Godfrey — Thu, 03 May 2007 04:01:00 +0000

Hi, Jill. I hope that these folks will come to their senses and submit the matter to binding, rapid arbitration, ending with a handshake and a photo between them. I don’t know if this sort of thing has a fair market value, sort of unusual consulting services, but neither side to me has obviously clean hands. If Obama is in fact a leader, he will make sure he handles this personally; it’s the kind of story people won’t forget.

By: The Christian Progressive Liberal

The Christian Progressive Liberal — Thu, 03 May 2007 02:05:00 +0000

The more this brotha campaigns, the more he inserts his foot into his mouth with amazing dexterity, as well as shoot himself in said foot with all these gaffs guaranteed to make his campaign crash and burn in craptacular fashion.

It’s about Barack Obama. Always has and always will be. We might as well get used to it, stop looking for the next MLK in this brotha and lead our damn selves if we’re going to survive.

By: Fredric

Fredric — Wed, 02 May 2007 21:31:00 +0000

i am kind of mixed on the issue. on one hand, i understand that my man worked hard and volunteered. on the other, i feel like he exploited the popularity and ‘brand’ of obama by asking for some giant fee. democrats, by association, are always assumed docile. i don’t blame them for using cut-throat business tactics to try and take what was rightfully theirs anyways.

i mean, its not ‘joe anthony’ @ myspace. its barack obama @ myspace who je anthony had the pleasure of working for.

when in doubt, hire sharks, and let them fight in the pits.

on a side note, can we get some link love? :-P

http://ybpguide.com

By: Ronnie B

Ronnie B — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:33:00 +0000

I recall working as a volunteer for Bill Clinton’s campaign back in 1991. What struck me most was the arrogance of some of the staffers. Not appreciating some college kid telling me– then a 30-year old husband and father–what to do, I quit.

Point being, nearly all of these campaigns are staffed with 20-something and 30-something smartasses who have no clue how far-reaching their near-sighted actions can be. At some point, this will come to Sen. Obama’s attention, and he’ll do what he can to make things right.

Has the Obama campaign been made aware of this? If so, what was their response?