Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for a good parody — especially one that mixes legislative politics with just the right amount of sleaze. In this case, to highlight provisions in the just-signed College Cost Reduction and Access Act, some of our friends on the Hill have put together a video expressing their True Love for college students, modeling after the endlessly-replayed eHarmony TV ads. Is that Justin Hamilton showing a dangerously creepy side? Genius!
I’m just bummed they didn’t call my agent to set up an audition.
Presidential candidate John Edwards has long been one of the top money-raisers at Democratic fund-raising site ActBlue.com. But, for a short time recently, he was almost surpassed by Daniel Biss, a 30-year-old mathematics professor running for the Illinois state legislature.
The Biss phenomenon illustrates another way the Internet is shaking up politics and changing the way races are run this year: online fund raising is now filtering down to low-dollar state and local races, where a little bit of extra money goes further than it would in a national race.
In Bliss’s case, he was helped by a friend who was willing to humiliate himself on-camera if Bliss’s supporters pledged enough money; the WSJ story has a nice video of him eating a Happy Meal-turned-Slushee (too bad the cat-licking thing didn’t work out).
Overall, the article provides yet another example of how the ‘net can help to level the proverbial playing field for challengers and outsiders. Also, check out Bliss’s campaign site — it’s a nice, tight little critter that does the job well.
Hi y’all, after spending about 18 very exciting hours yesterday exploring Our Nation’s transportation infrastructure (note: airports suck), I’m finally ensconsed deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. The pre-trip work frenzy is over at last, and now I’m getting ready for my [classified]-year Palestine High School reunion (oh jesus). A veritable slew of articles are sitting half-finished in the old e.politics notebook, so let’s see what we can get through over the next couple of days, assuming I’m not too busy making things up for the benefit of my former classmates (“There I was. There I was. In…The Congo…”). Wish me luck! (I’m a-gonna need it). Please send booze.
