Day Three of the RNC, and the blog world has some common thoughts: The Bush Twins, a critical review of the quality of blog reporting, and (to a lesser degree) trouble at Kamp Kerry.
The all but universal review from the blogosphere on Jenna and Barbara: In a word: BAD, and that’s the verdict from the Reds and the Blues alike.
Roger L. Simon, reporting from Madison Square Garden, offered this assessment: “The Bush Twins say that they `are not very political.’ No kidding. The less said about them the better, except that I hope they did their own writing, because it’s hard to believe anyone got paid for that adolescent patter that sounded like outtakes from a bad awards ceremony. Jokes are fine, indeed needed, but these are serious times and these are young college graduates, not teenyboppers.”
Also on hand (and upset) was OxBlog’s David Adesnik, who didn’t think much of speeches by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger or First Lady Laura Bush, but saved the tirade for the Twins: “These girls — women, perhaps – are graduates of some of America’s best universities. Can’t they talk about politics or ideas? Or at least talk about their father as a human being? Instead, they came across as self-involved, self-indulgent sorority girls.”
And, finally, Blue Guy Ryan Lizza, blogging for The New Republic offered this take: “I understand that self-deprecation can be a useful political tactic for elected officials. Bush’s jokes about himself have always been incredibly disarming, for instance. But I was sort of shocked to see that the conceit of Jenna and Barbara Bush’s speech tonight was that they are, well, dumb.”
Bloggers at the Garden also are taking umbrage at Salon‘s Mark Follman’s critique of their performance so far. (Registration required, but yesterday’s Blog Report had many of the same gripes.)
Last week, the Wall Street Journal profiled the 15 bloggers who received credentials to cover the convention (registration required). Follman writes that the 15 “pledged to zero in on important issues in New York,” in contrast to bloggers covering the Democrats in Boston.
Despite their promises, many bloggers went goo-goo eyed at the sign of the first celeb, including OxBlog’s Adesnik, whose salivating posts were described by Follman:
Then there was this post at 9:13 p.m. from Oxford University doctoral candidate David Adesnik, whose OxBlog, he told the Wall Street Journal, is penned by three graduate students “with a passionate interest in foreign affairs, electoral politics, journalism, law and single-malt scotch.”
“OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! Miss America Erika Harold is visiting Bloggers Row!
UPDATE: The extremely lucky Matt Margolis of Blogs for Bush has put up a picture of himself with Miss Harold.
Gallant officer Captain Ed at Captain’s Quarters rises to defend the work of his compatriots (and dress down Follman): “I feel enabled to scorch Follman on this since, oddly, he failed to even mention Captain’s Quarters, presumably because he either found nothing objectionable or he just didn’t know I was there. Nor did Follman remember that we were not invited to be the Junior League Print Media; we were invited because of who we are and what we’ve done all along at our sites.”
Sorry, Captain, maybe we’re missing your mission, too. The “GOP Babes of the Day” feature (with photo caption that reads “smokin’ hot”) and a panting description of actress Angie Harmon (“her flawless skin the color of sun-baked mahogany …”) makes us yearn for the Junior League Print Media.
Bloggers haven’t gotten totally immersed in the GOP or GP’s (grand parties), for that matter. They’re also keeping tabs on doings at Kamp Kerry, and they like what they see.
Roger Simon (who seemingly has gotten over his obsession with food) says the shake-up of campaign advisors doesn’t bode well for November.
I’m skeptical anyone can help Kerry now (short of force majeure in the economy or Iraq). In fact, his campaign must be in deeper trouble than I thought because a shake-up at this time is a tremendous admission of weakness.
As for Kerry’s rival, writes Simon: “I am beginning to think he is a sure winner.”
Despite the twins.
–Susan Q. Stranahan
Susan Q. Stranahan wrote for CJR.