politics – Lessig Blog Archives

a plea to the press: Please just cover the convention(s)

Lessig — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:15:10 +0000

The Democrats have a HD broadcast of their convention, but only on some platforms, through a Microsoft product. Those fortunate enough to own the most modern technology (and (contrary to the norm) fortunate enough to have fast broadband) can get full convention coverage. The rest of America (to the extent they care, and the point may be related) are stuck with broadcasters coverage. From NPR to the networks, "coverage" means some ridiculous unprepared interview with a party has-been, while a prepared speech by someone currently significant is being given in the background. (e.g., Jim Leach, former GOP Congressman from Iowa, speaking in the background as NPR interviews Walter Mondale. Leach's speech was fantastic. Mondale's, well, you get the point.) Please, networks, and especially, NPR, can you please just cover the convention -- both the Democratic and Republican. Obviously, it is party propaganda. But it is also American politics. It is ridiculous that the only people who actually get to see what each party believes it should say are those who are at the Convention, or those with powerful computers and fast technology. Continue reading →

will poker decide this election?

Lessig — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:41:02 +0000

Watch the opening bid (read: tease) by the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society. Continue reading →

there but for the grace of God (and my pollster) go I

Lessig — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 04:22:22 +0000

So just off the phone with Bill Foster, a physicist from Illinois, Democrat, running in a special election to fill Dennis Hastert's seat. When I started to think about this run, Foster was a model. A former researcher at Fermilab, and entrepreneur, he is precisely the sort a changed Congress would need. "Seven hours a day" on the phone raising money. And with a Special Election just 10 days away, they're pushing to raise a final $200,000 to run an endorsement ad from Barack Obama. Seven hours a day. Wow. Continue reading →

Two announcements

Lessig — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:16:08 +0000

At lessig08.org, you can watch a 10 minute video explaining the launching of a Change Congress movement, and the decision I am trying to make about whether to run for Congress. That decision will be made soon. I've been spurred to consider it seriously by the enormous support of many at draftlessig.org and facebook (and by the cool swag at zazzle). Those three I had nothing to do with. But this I do. This is a very difficult decision. In the coming days, I'll reflect a bit about it here. Thank you to everyone who has tried to help -- both through very strong words of encouragement and very very strong words to dissuade. Continue reading →

My congressman is retiring

Lessig — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:26:33 +0000

As Reuters reports, Congressman Tom Lantos has been diagnosed with cancer and is retiring from Congress. Lantos has had an extraordinary career in Congress. A Holocaust survivor and a Hungarian, he has been on the right side of most things in his million plus year tenure in Congress (ok, 26 years). In 2004, I supported his Democratic opponent on the principle that Democrats needed to express their opposition to the war at a minimum by opposing those Democrats who supported the war (and the Patriot Act). But we are all sorry to hear of Congressman Lantos' illness, and thank him for his public service. Continue reading →

Jim Hightower Downloads

Lessig — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:35:39 +0000

Jim Hightower has opened a site for his colorful, and often compelling, commentary. The flash animations are free for download under a CC BY-ND license. The first is depressingly apt (though the 600,000 figure is not, in my view, correct. But the correct number is still astonishingly high.) Continue reading →

ok, sorry, THIS is really depressing

Lessig — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 05:04:09 +0000

Sitting in Germany, each morning scanning the morning Google News, I can't describe how depressing it is that this story -- Kerry's gaffe -- is the top story on Google News. Can it really be that the most important story is (yet another) gaffe by a presidential candidate who couldn't beat George Bush? I can't believe how good the GOP is in playing this game. I can't stomach how bad the Democrats are. Continue reading →

gifts from the other side

Lessig — Sun, 11 Sep 2005 20:08:26 +0000

O'Reilly's "moral to the story" of the Katrina disaster is a perfect plan for the opposition. His basic message: see, this shows government doesn't work, so don't rely on it. The response it invites: see, this shows how we need to make government work. Government has failed. Must government fail? (Meanwhile, Fox had some fantastic reporting on all this. Gone were the sycophants in the field. Here are two great examples, snipped from a fantastic article at Salon. (Thanks, Lauren.)) Continue reading →

Watergate trivia — was there ever a press conference like this?

Lessig — Tue, 12 Jul 2005 09:45:44 +0000

This is an extraordinary transcript of the latest White House Press conference re the Rove story. Is this as unusual as it seems? 41 questions about one issue in 35 minutes. Continue reading →

SF Voters: The Granick Slatecard

Lessig — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 00:56:16 +0000

Jennifer Granick, superstar of all things cyber, and director of the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, has released her annual SF/CA Slatecard. You can download it here. Her blog is The Shout. Continue reading →