Wednesday, November 05, 2003

The only candidate who impressed me in last night's Rock the Vote event was Sharpton. He was loose and funny and obviously speaking from the heart. Dean seemed uncomfortable, Edwards scripted, Kerry patrician, Lieberman self-righteous, Clark creepy, Mosely Braun irrelevant, and Kucinich like an angry elf. Bonus coverage: Roger L. Simon dissects the real marijuana question. 5:11:57 PM    comment []

Luskin drops threats, Atrios takes the high road. Atrios had something to lose (his anonymity) if Luskin went all scorched earth on him. Luskin gets burned instead. 5:00:24 PM    comment []

Where have all the Rhinos gone? The influence of Greensboro's conservative alt-weekly is at a low ebb. School bonds passed by a 2-1 margin yesterday, and last month voters approved a downtown baseball stadium. Both initiatives were opposed by the Rhino. Editor John Hammer seems to sense his waning power, opting for stunts like endorsing a non-candidate for mayor. Not long ago, Hammer himself was a credible candidate for mayor. That moment was defined in part by his opportune opposition to the unpopular major league baseball effort, but there was a general Gingrich-era vibe of which The Rhinoceros Times was a major local generator. Part of what happened, I think, is that the Rhino rose to prominence in something of a vacuum, a down period for many local institutions. Its success has forced its opponents -- from the News & Record to the economic development crowd -- to raise their games. Maybe the weekly has been against too many things without being for enough alternatives -- "No" is not a sustainable political movement. And let's face it: Nobdy misses Bill Clinton more than John Hammer. The Rhino is still fat with ads every week. I wonder what impact the revamped free weekly from the N&R is having on its ad rates and profitability. *** Guilford County election results. *** The $300 million school bond issue brings Guilford County's commitment to school construction to half a billion dollars since 2000. That's the best economic development news we've got going for us. 11:55:01 AM    comment []

David Hoggard came in fourth out of six at-large candidates for City Council, with the top three being elected. David took to blogging like a fish to water, and I was happy to see that he plans to keep writing his weblog. It's going to get him elected to something someday. Starting the blog a few months before the election was helpful. Being an established blogger who runs for office might prove much more powerful. Interesting that Dave Winer outlines this idea on the morning that Hoggard is living it. All three incumbents won this year. Next time, Yvonne Johnson may be running for mayor. Bloggin' Hoggard could be on the Greensboro City Council two years from now. 11:07:06 AM    comment []