Rumors and lies become truth when only one side speaks.
Two weeks ago I needed a new grill for USC tailgating. I Googled “tailgating grill.â€
Last week I needed a new lawn guy. I looked for one on Google.
Yesterday I ordered a pizza on the Internet. I simply Googled “Pizza Hut, Columbia, SC.â€
You see, that’s what people do now. The yellow pages, to-go menus, folded maps, encyclopedias, and many more paper tools of the past are becoming obsolete. Newspapers aren’t far behind. Today folks are going straight to Google for nearly all their needs.
So what happens when someone Googles your name? What do they find?
In today’s new global economy and 24-hour news cycle, people are being inundated with constant news updates around the clock. Here in South Carolina we have seen a rapid growth in personal blogs and the use of new media by mainstream media outlets, all relevant and all constantly updated. Unfortunately most people don’t know these news sources exist and even if they did, they don’t have time to check them all everyday. It’s for these next five reasons that the Under The Power Lines team is launching a brand new, fresh out of the box news aggregator this week:
1. We need an unbiased news aggregator. No one in South Carolina is bringing people all the news, all in one place. Current aggregators are cherry picking the news to match their views. Our new aggregator will link news stories and not be a gossip or opinion blog. We will also give readers our entire client roster so that they know exactly who is really paying us.
2. We need all the relevant news stories and not just six or seven every morning. We will post big stories from around South Carolina, all the latest presidential news, and other national stories that affect our political landscape. We will even post my “geek links†so that you can stay up-to-date with all the latest tech news and my other interests.
3. We need the news bright and early in the morning. Our morning starts early and so does yours. Most folks can’t wait until 10 am to get their news. They need to know what’s happening first thing in the morning. It will be our goal to update the news every weekday morning by 8 am.
4. We need the news updated throughout the day. News doesn’t stop at 8 am. It continues throughout the day and night. We will post new stories as soon as we can as they are happening. This isn’t our full time job, so we aren’t promising to have them up immediately, but we will get it done fast.
5. We need more ways to follow the news. Technology is changing and we plan to always stay up-to-date. Readers will be able to follow us on our website or by following our RSS, Twitter, FriendFeed, and Facebook feeds.
In the last few weeks we’ve had numerous folks contact us to ask if we produce Senator Jim DeMint’s web videos.
The answer is YES!
And YES, our team can produce high grade television quality web videos for your campaign too. Here are just a few we’ve created over the past few months:
I hate to disagree with Patrick Ruffini. After all, he has been playing on the web a whole lot longer than I have and to compare my online experiences with his would be pretty absurd. But while Patrick has been playing on the web, I’ve been playing on the streets, running the nuts and bolts of state legislative and US Senate campaigns.
Here’s what I learned:
People get sick of seeing political television ads during CSI commercial breaks.
People get sick of us filling their mailboxes with political junk mail.
People get sick of us calling them during dinner.
Does that mean we should stop? I’m hoping right now that my opponents are saying yes.
DeMint, Hensarling launch ‘energy freedom’ countdown Web site
(CNN) – As House Republicans continue to focus on energy policy, Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas launched a new Web site Tuesday that highlights October 1 as the day the congressional ban on offshore oil drilling will end unless Congress takes some action to continue the ban.
The site prominently features a YouTube video clip of DeMint and Hensarling discussing energy policy and encouraging the public to contact their representatives in Congress about lifting ban on offshore oil drilling and oil shale recovery. The site also contains a clock-like widget counting down the time until October 1. Visitors to the site can copy the HTML code for the widget so that they can embed the countdown clock on their own blogs or Web sites. Visitors can also sign an online petition on the site and read a blog about energy policy.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, also recently launched a Facebook application that allows users to add a gas-pump-shaped October 1 countdown clock to their profiles on the popular social networking site.
These online developments come on the heels of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement Monday on Larry King Live that she would be open to holding a vote on offshore drilling if it were part of a larger energy package. Pelosi’s change in position echoes a similar change in position by Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Since August 1, House Republicans have been staging a protest against Pelosi’s refusal to hold a vote on an energy bill before Congress’ five-week recess began.
We are excited to announce another website we have launched with Senator Jim DeMint, this time in conjunction with Congressman Jeb Hensarling. Check out www.energyfreedomday.com. And while you’re there, make sure you sign the petition and grab the widget for your site.
SC State Representative Nathan Ballentine gives us a quick update from the State House on education funding. Check out Representative Ballentine’s blog at www.nathansnews.com.
This is one of the coolest designs we’ve done so far. Representative Lowe is a workaholic and this site goes a long way in showcasing his dedication to his constituents. Check it out at www.loweforhouse.com.
