GW Students Meet Google

Tonight, our class went to Google's DC headquarters. More details coming, but here is a great class picture -- courtesy of Johanna Shelton, Senior Policy Counsel & Legislative Strategist for Google:

Ahem, it's with sadness and embarrassment that I point out that the above picture was taken with Google's new Nexus One phone. Here is the picture from my iPhone:

Anyone want to buy a used iPhone?

The most important question of our time

Some of you might know that I wrote my senior thesis on the internet, and political applications thereof. I turned it in last Wednesday. Before I turned it in, I spent lots of exciting time in the library, taking notes on every book in existence. One of the books I used a lot, Web Campaigning by Kirsten Foot and GW alum Steven Schneider, separated online political action into definitive, easily-applicable categories. It's a great book, and if you're looking to see how online political campaigns work, I recommend it.

But that's not why I'm blogging about it.

In the foreword of the book, Michael Cornfield -- a GSPM professor -- wrote that the internet has changed the way we communicate. Because so many opinion leaders use the internet and read things such as blogs, bloggers wield a disproportionate amount of influence. Or, as Cornfield puts it in the most awesome quote in the history of ever:

A voter does not have to know what a blog is, much less read one, to be affected by the ninja-style debates occurring in the blogosphere.

Now, clearly this quote is fantastic and needs to be spread far and wide -- hence why I'm wielding my disproportionate influence and posting it here. But there's a bigger issue at play here. Are bloggers really ninjas?

Bloggers, if we buy Cornfield's argument, are important to political discourse because they affect how people think about issues. They can put forward new information, or give a different take on an argument. In short, they're important because you know what they say. That doesn't sound like any ninjas I know. Ninjas are important because you don't know they're there. They're sneaky and deadly and generally, you know, secretive. Bloggers are boisterous. They use tough language, they boast about themselves, they use exciting and colorful graphics. In short, they're more like pirates than ninjas.

As everyone knows, the war between pirates and ninjas is one of the longest, most deep-seated rivalries in history. (And I say that as a Cubs fan.) If Cornfield's comparison is off-base, then he's just set himself up to get keelhauled. But if he's right, and bloggers are like ninjas ... well, I guess we wouldn't hear about it.

Is Cornfield right? Vote in the poll below. To give you some more background (make an informed decision! It's more democratic!), feel free to check out these videos of the guys from Mythbusters, in both pirate and ninja flavors. (How can they be both, you ask? Because they're awesome.)

~ flexiPoll: free online web poll ~

PART 1: Top Right-of-Center Blogger and Bush Online Guru Visit GW Internet & Politics Class

On Monday, April 7, 2008, RedState.com founder Michael Krempasky and former RNC e-Campaigns Director and Bush campaign staffer Patrick Ruffini spoke to George Washington University's Internet & Politics class.

Below is part 1 of video excerpts from their visit - do you agree, disagree with the points they made? Part 2 is coming. More videos from the visit are located here.

Krempasky on RedState successes -- Rathergate, Supreme Court



Ruffini: Kossacks are old. Obama bypassed blogs to get youth vote.



Patrick Ruffini: Swingin' a big list



Mike Krempasky: Media is Liberal! Duh!



Patrick Ruffini: How Bush 2004 Used Online Tools To Win



Krempasky: Obama is Aberration, Left Are Not Good Organizers



Krempasky: War is hurting the right, Left netroots can win

GW Must Like Even Numbers - Why Else Would We Need a 10th CVS?

GW wants to put yet another CVS on campus to fill the vacant spot left by the demise of Tower Records at the 2000 Penn shopping center, according to this article from The Hatchet and this post on their blog.

Really? Does GW really need another CVS? Already there are 4 versions of the convenience store I would consider "on campus," and another 5 that accept GWorld. For non-math majors, that's 9 CVS stores for GW!


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According to The Hatchet, the SA (rightly) pushed for a Barnes & Noble, but were told there wasn't enough space to accommodate the book megastore. Most likely, however, the real reason is GW doesn't want to give students an easy alternative to the school's own outrageous bookstore prices.

Apparently there are other companies in the hat, but GW won't tell us whom. This secrecy seems a little uncalled for, particularly given university spokesperson Tracy Schario says the administration is looking for the "business [that] will best serve the neighborhood and student needs."
That said, I think she pretty much sums up GW's attitude to the affair:

"Will we actively seek input from the student body? No. Are there mechanisms for student input? Yes."

Really? You don't want input from the student body? Yet again, GW plans to decide what's best for students and Foggy Bottom, the same way it did when reforming J Street.

Let's be honest, GW is going to do whatever is best for GW. J Street's reforms were never about providing a better environment/options/whatever else for students, they were about guaranteeing Sodexho money.

Supposedly students aren't completely disenfranchised, however. These "mechanisms", according to The Hatchet, are to "approach the Student Association dining services committee [or] a member of University President Steven Knapp's office."

My question is, "Who?" Who are students supposed to contact to voice their input? Which "member" of Knapp's office?

Well, some quick research brought up this feedback form for Dining Services. Also, you can call Knapp's office at 202-994-6500.

Don't let GW to tell us what's best for us, yet again. Comment and tell GW what you think is best for you in the comments!

(Image from Nick Gingold)

And we begin...

On January 28, 2008, a new blog was born...dedicated to political analysis and media critique on the campus of George Washington University.

Update (January 29, 2008): Video of the official ribbon-cutting: