techPresident - Who is "ParkRidge47"? - Comments

opinion

HUSTON — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:25:11 -0400

ParkRidge47 is skilled, and probably liberal, but I’m not so sure he’s an operative in the sense that you are. Awareness of redstate and littlegreenfootballs means he reads KOS, or just surfs around the net like the rest of us.
t’s a much more egalitarian world in cyber space, but not to the extent that Marcus deserves a link back to his video, which is, uhhh, bad — like his grammar and spelling.
The two efforts aren’t comparable in any way. My 11-year old daughter produces more effective Power Point demos.avodart drug

Well, if you really want to know who it is...

lluad — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:03:04 -0400

You received email from them. The email headers will likely give you most of the information you need to identify the sender.

Good Point

howardpark4 — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 15:29:23 -0500

I gotcha, yes I would look at it differently if it was the product of a hired gun. I think its a valid point too about transparency. I sort of assumed "Vote Different" was from a grassrooter of some stripe but I have no idea.

Funny definitely beats serious, but we should still demand openn

Micah L. Sifry — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:52:38 -0500

Howard--
I agree with you. But my point is a different one. I know the Vote Different ad is well done. What I'm curious about is if we'll ever know who made it. We've been saying for a while that voter-generated content is going to be the wild card of 2008, but the bit of mystery around the making of this ad suggests that unless people take credit for their work, campaigns may ALSO be able to make much more powerful use of anonymous messaging than ever before, as well.

To whatever degree possible, I'd like to reward people for being open and transparent about what they're doing, and conversely, withhold some of my trust and admiration for someone who insists on hiding behind a pseudonym. For all we know, "Vote Different" was made by a top campaign consultant. Would that change how we view it? I think so.
Micah

Clinton/Obama

Kevin002 — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:33:29 -0500

If it was anything huge , I would guess that the Major News Networks CNN, MSNBC ect.would pick it up, haven't seen that, I no its "huge" on YouTube, usually the Networks pull stuff off Youtube and air it, like the Allen "macaca" mishap,

Doesn't Anyone Have A Sense of Humor Anymore?

howardpark4 — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:25:31 -0500

The "Vote Different" You Tube is getting traction because it is well done & funny. Funny gets forwarded.

Whether is was done inside or outside the Obama campaign (I'd guess outside) it shows that Obama supporters are having fun, they seem to be able to laugh occasionally & not take themselves too seriously, at least not 24/7. I can't say that, yet, of the other frontrunner. Free advice to Clinton supporters -- have fun and hire a consultant to provide a little humor to the campaign, perhaps even a team of humor consultants.

ParkRidge47

Jack McEnany — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 18:10:16 -0500

I don't know Micah -- if it's an inside Obama job, that means David Axlerod had a hand in it. If I'm not mistaken, his oeuvre runs more to the "Yes We Can!" vein.

ParkRidge47 seems more like someone with a nice computer and better than remedial skills.

The stated desire to let the ad speak for itself is a disciplined, on-message position. That implies a strong vested interest. It could be a campaign, but in the interesting times we live, it could also be a passionate civilian who doesn't want to divert attention away from the piece and onto themself.

Or it could be Monica Lewisnsky. Do they teach video editing at the London School of Economics?

Jack McEnany, Editor LostNation.TV

I doubt it

Micah L. Sifry — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 23:05:01 -0500

Ruby--

More skepticism is warranted. Verify, then trust, I say.

By the way, Hillary Clinton was born in Park Ridge, Illinois, in 1947.

Hence, ParkRidge47 is not an accidental nom-de-guerre.

Micah

Cute, but no big deal

Ruby Sinreich — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:02:32 -0500

This work is typical of the video mashups available today. I don't think it requires a professional, just good software which lots of activists can get their hands on.

The iPod was already a part of the original video which was made recently as a reference to the original 1984 commercial. And you don't have to be a campaign employee to get a copy of Obama's logo on the Internet.

I think it's pretty clever and it will especially appeal to Apple-lovers (like myself), but it doesn't seem like some kind of deep, dark mystery to me.

Interesting...

David All — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 16:54:54 -0500

Great reporting Micah.

The email, particularly the last line, "I don't want to say more than that. I'd prefer to let it speak for itself." are particularly curious.

If this were just another Obama supporter, the person would likely dive at the opportunity to support his/her guy. At most, the person would be a total superstar among the Barackites. At the very least, they'd responsibly be falling on their own sword to remove any doubt that this was somehow related to Obama's campaign.

No, I don't think so. I think there's much more to the story.

Reach deep in to your contacts list folks. Let's hatch this egg.

________________________________________
David All
The David All Group
http://davidallgroup.com
________________________________________

Vote Different?

Kevin002 — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 16:49:17 -0500

If you look at the end of the video you will see the 1984 apple logo and then www.barackobama.com either its a Obama supporter or someone inside the Obama Camp,

Not just the Obama logo,

Encoderer — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:52:05 -0500

Not just the Obama logo, either.

If you look closely, she's wearing an iPod also.

Who is "ParkRidge47"?

Micah L. Sifry — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:06:59 -0500

The first piece of voter-generated video to make a splash in Campaign 2008 has hit, and with it comes a mystery. Is "Vote Different" really the work of an amateur, a civilian if you will? Or is it a shrewd move by someone who wants to stir up trouble between the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns? After all, comparing Hillary to Big Brother, droning on about her "conversation" with America and portraying her supporters as silent automatons is hardly what Obama supporters want to say about the former First Lady. Or is it?