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9:30 a.m., CTIA Show, Las Vegas
It is the last day of the CTIA show in Vegas and the final keynotes are due to start in a few minutes. Why do the keynote organizers always feel compelled to have blasting musicto start the day?
9:37. Steve Largent comes out. Why the politicians? Largent is pitching the consumer angle. A bit strained to invite the politicians. Largent is showing a video related to mywireless.org. The video is claiming consumers are under attack from tax and regulation. Everyone in the video agrees they would like to pay less tax. Not much surprise there.
9:42 Intros John Edwards. Will Edwards endorse? That is one question floating around the hall.
9:43 Edwards, If some of you voted for me, there weren’t enough of you. “What am I doing here.” He brought his two youngest kids along to Vegas. Both kids are being homeschooled. He wants the audience have some fun. Questions. Could you give difference in health care policies (get a few hands) differences between dems and mccain on health care (few hands) global warming difference (few hands) economic policy differences (few hands)
9:46 Media is covering the horse race and celebrity but not issues “American people deserve much more than that.” issues of health care, global warming, economy. Americans don’t know the basic difference. “So much focus on the superficial.”
Finally makes a connection to wireless claiming wireless technology is important in distributing the information. Difference in campaigns from 1990s to today is now there is always access. Means that coverage is continuous. Talks about texting tools to create the campaign in joining the campaign and raising money. Amount of money being raised online is huge.
We have so much work to do. First to educate the public. Get an engaged electorate. Wireless technology has changed the presidential campaigns. “My own view is that everything is connected.” One of big challenges is to understand those connections.
9:54 In the last 50 years population worldwide went from 2.6 billion to more than 6 billion. What happens anywhere on the globe “affects us.” Climate change, we have been dragged kicking and screaming and we should be leading. “We are the worst polluter on the planet.”
9:56 Whatever your politics. “I’m a democrat and I’m going to be for the democrat” That is about as close to an endorsement as Edwards has come. Now on the planet, the places with the greatest population growth are taking place in the areas least able to sustain the growth.
Ended speech, after half hour. Sort of standard stump speech.
can ask questions at [email protected]
Next up Fred Thompson
10:00 used to watch Largent play football. CTIA doing great things. How campaigns have changed. How have the campaigns changed (“I used to win em.” ) Came in under heavy sniper fire (drew laughs). another joke about losers. Another couple jokes. I’m wondering if the whole speech will be one liners. “I was myself the entire time” should have known it wouldn’t work.
10:05 Some serious comments. Election process is too long, too expensive. Mitt Romney spent $40 million of his own funds. Early states decide who is not going to win. process is more negative than would like. Too process oriented rather than substance. Easier to cover the horse race. Point to keep in mind, “It is our process” it is what we have concocted. Facing problem of a different dimension. The world is awash with dangerous people with dangerous products. Only a matter of time until they succeed in developing weaponry. We are in the process of bankrupting the economy. Unless we decide to slash social security, etc.
10:11 turning blessing of living longer to a curse for the next generation. One more, cynicism of the American people. Across the board. I have sense America is beginning to sense this. We need credibility. Will the next leader have the credibility. Partisan comment. I think it explains John McCain. “Greatest comeback since Lazarus” McCain on the wrong side of a lot of leaders in the republican party. He touched all the bases of why not going to be a nominee. Now in the primary if look in the pols, he is running slightly ahead of democrats in a year that should be terrible for the republicans. News media trying best to talk us into a recession.
10:16 People are looking more at the personal qualities. Regarding wireless. You can’t get away with nothing anymore. You’d think it would . Thompson talks about twitter and the ability to communicate.. got to read the trade publications and the WSJ to keep up. “Free markets and competition are the best regulatory scheme known to man.”
10;20 Finishes. … Endorsements.to Edwards “No.” One thing I know for sure we aren’t voting for the same guy.” Edwards says to Thompson.
Questions. the new media. Thompson. Lot of good things, but controversy is the name of the game (for news media)
Edwards, 24 hour news cycle. expect a more informed electorate, but that is not what is happening. Fascinating to watch how bloggers have impacted the mainstream media. bloggers a lot of times bloggers are out ahead of mainstream media. Technology
Would you accept your party’s nomination for vice president Edwards, “No” Thompson, haven’t been asked by the only person that counts. I need to get back and make a living