Ron Paul Wins Conservative Leadership Straw Poll

digg_url = ‘http://www.rizzn.com/2007/10/ron-paul-wins-conservative-leadership.asp’;

The Conservative Leadership Conference was this week – an event that came and past without me noticing. A lot of the political last week coverage seemed to revolve around the S-CHIP and Michelle Malkin, and that white noise drowned out a lot of what would be interesting news.

Like what kind of news? Ron Paul won a straw poll at a conservative conference that it appears Mitt Romney spoke at. The list of speakers at this event reads like a who’s who of the Libertarian and conservative caucuses, so it’s not surprising that according to PoliticalDerby Ron Paul won with a commanding 32.8% of those voting.

Speakers at the event included: Mitt Romney, Grover Norquist, Bill Redpath, Scott Cleland, Bob Barr, and Dick Armey.

See this spreadsheet for full breakdown.

/rizzn

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Guy McClendon on Ron Paul and the LP Dilemma

Guy McClendon from the Texas State Libertarian Committee had some interesting points on the dilemma American Libertarians face due to Ron Paul’s presidential run:

The LP’s big problem is that our LP Nat’l Convention is in May 2008, and the Republican Convention is in ~Sept 2008. However on the plus side, there will have been enough primaries by then to give a great idea as to where he stands by May.

The agony is that LP members need to decide much earlier than May 2008 whether to affiliate with the LP [our obvious preference], or vote for Dr. Paul in the Republican primary. For LP folks who tend to support Ron, their inclination is to do the latter. However, that’s a bad decision for several reasons. An additional 500 votes in the USA is most probably not going to impact the Republican primaries.

It’s always great to have a Plan B. If all the constitutionalists in the LP vote in the Republican primary, there will be nothing but purists in the LP convention. The purists would very likely not vote for Dr. Paul simply because his immigration position is not 100% open borders. Duh … Instead, they would probably vote for some non-credible candidate like George Phillies, or maybe someone having a criminal record. If 500 constitutionalists instead go to the LP national convention, Dr. Paul would be assured to gain the LP nomination … and, would thereby be guaranteed a slot on the general election ballot … in all 50 states.

So far as his chance to win the Republican nomination, it would be political suicide for Dr. Paul to even think about running on a ticket beside the RP ticket. So, I certainly am not going to even ask. Of course, if the neocons flood the Republican primaries and nominate a good communist like McCain, our LP ticket could start looking good to Dr. Paul in May 2008. Do you recall how Joe Lieberman flopped from Democrat to Independent during the 2006 election … AFTER having lost the Democratic primary?

Guy

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RizWords – Daily Politics and Tech – EP57

RizWords – Daily Politics and Tech
Episode 57 – download now – subscribe now – review us on iTunes!

• A member of the TechPodcast Network @ techpodcast.com. If it’s Tech, it’s here.
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• NewsReal: Good friend to Art and I – has one of the best hours of news podcast each week.
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We had a heck of a time with the show today. TalkShoe burped on us, and we lost the first iteration of the show. The second attempt was much better.

It was a day of light technical stories today, but some very important political stories. In our ongoing coverage of the ‘Vonage Crap’ saga, a unique little fold emerges:

Court Says Vonage Needs To Throw Away Money Into Wasteful USF Program
The Universal Service Fund (USF) is a well-known joke. It’s a hugely wasteful program with almost no oversight. Yet, last year, the FCC decided that VoIP companies needed to pay a huge chunk of their revenue to the USF, despite the fact that doing so would actually slow progress on getting universal service. That’s because the money would go from these new, cheaper services into the bank accounts of the big incumbents who would then promise to provide universal service… without much actually happening. Vonage stood up to this decision and sued, claiming the FCC had no say in the matter, but a court has ruled against Vonage, saying that the FCC didn’t overstep its bounds. With Verizon breathing down Vonage’s neck over patents, the real irony may be that Vonage will now have to hand over money into the USF, that will go right over to Verizon and not into extending service to underserved areas.

And in news that everyone else but me thinks is important:

The Algorithm Is A Disappointment
There’s a lot of discussion today about the newly revamped Ask.com, which remains in the unenviable #4 spot in terms of search market share. Basically, the site seems to have sharpened up its interface a little bit, while incorporating things like news and images into its results page. Additionally, the site offers suggested refinement searches, so if you search for “Sopranos”, it’ll show you a link where you can get results for “Sopranos Merchandise”. All of this is fairly inoffensive, but it’s really hard to see how this is going to move the dial at all. Despite the company’s insistence that it has developed “A Truly New Way to Search”, the whole thing looks like a spin on Google’s recently announced universal search strategy, which involves incorporating more types of media into its results. The look and feel is a tad different, but so what? Even if the new Ask.com returns “better” results than Google in some instances, there’s nothing here that will actually get people to switch. Right now, the company is making a big effort to explain why the new changes are cool, but most people giving the site a try won’t have the benefit of someone explaining to them why the site is now so great. As such, they probably won’t see it themselves.

Turning to political news, power balances out and changes hands:

Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas Dies at 74
WASHINGTON (AP) – Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, a three-term conservative Republican who stayed clear of the Washington limelight and political catfights, died Monday. He was 74.

The senator’s family issued a statement saying he died Monday evening at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He had been receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

Just before the 2006 election, Thomas was hospitalized with pneumonia and had to cancel his last campaign stops. He nonetheless won with 70 percent of the vote, monitoring the election from his hospital bed.

Two days after the election, Thomas announced that he had just been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, will appoint a successor from one of three finalists chosen by the state Republican party.

In big big news, the corruption charges finally come down on Jefferson:

U.S. congressman indicted
in bribery case

Rep. William Jefferson, D-Louisiana, was indicted Monday on federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money-laundering in a long-running bribery investigation into business deals he tried to broker in Africa.

The indictment handed up in federal court in Alexandria., Virginia, Monday is 94 pages long and lists 16 alleged violations of federal law that could keep Jefferson in prison for up to 235 years, according to a Justice Department official who has seen the document.

Among the charges listed in the indictment, said the official, are racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money-laundering, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case.(Read the indictment [PDF])

Jefferson is accused of soliciting bribes for himself and his family, and also for bribing a Nigerian official.

Almost two years ago, in August 2005, investigators raided Jefferson’s home in Louisiana and found $90,000 in cash stuffed into a box in his freezer

And another Republican throws his hat into the ring:

Gingrich Rips ‘Dysfunctional’ Administration
Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who is considering a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, said Sunday that President George W. Bush is leading an administration that “is not functioning.

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RizWords – Daily Politics and Tech – EP53

RizWords – Daily Politics and Tech
Episode 53 – download link coming soon: check the feed for details: subscribe now

• A member of the TechPodcast Network @ techpodcast.com. If it’s Tech, it’s here.
• Remember, if you’re listening on the podcast recording, you can call into the show live if you tune in through TalkShoe.com at 2:30 PM EST every weekday.
• If you like the podcast (and you haven’t already given us a rating), head over and do so, and don’t forget to sign up for the discussion list.
• Other Podcast Plugs:
• TalkGirls comes on Tuesday nights. Check out the TalkGirls Podcast … it’s good times!
• Cotolo Chronicles: Frank is a good friend of the show, and an associate of the late great Wolfman Jack. Check out his podcast.
• NewsReal: Good friend to Art and I – has one of the best hours of news podcast each week.
• You Are the Guest: Bill Grady turns the microphone on the internet’s most interesting people.
• Sponsors:
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• J. Douglas Barker – Voice-overs for you! www.romancingthetone.com

A bunch of new startup acquisition news. We talk a bit about the acquisitions specifically, and then a bit in general about the prevalence in the news lately of all the startups getting bought:

Look For Confirmation of eBay/StumbleUpon Today
I’m hearing that the eBay/StumbleUpon acquisition will be officially announced sometime today. Keep an eye our for the press release. We originally broke this rumor in April when a term sheet was reportedly signed. The Wall Street Journal picked up the story earlier this month.

I don’t know if the price will be disclosed, or if the rumors of $75 million are roughly correct.

An Old Media company actually gets it right with a new media acquisition:

CBS Acquires Europe’s Last.fm for $280 million
The quickly growing music social network Last.fm has been acquired by CBS for $280 million in an all-cash deal.

UK based Last.fm launched five years ago and has become a social networking favorite with 15 million active users. It has become a massive repository for music information (artist and song wikis, listening data from users, etc.). In the U.S., companies like Pandora, MOG and iLike all compete with some of Last.fm’s features, although none of those startups has built the basic social network/community of last.fm.

The deal sees Last.fm’s management team staying in place and the site maintaining a separate identity.

Last.fm has been an attractive takeover target for some time. CBS as a buyer though is surprising and is a sure sign that the media giant is getting serious about Web 2.0. CBS acquired video blog WallStrip for $5 million earlier this month, and has been on a bit of a buying spree lately after filling out the management team on the interactive side of the business last year.

Previous TechCrunch coverage here.

This certainly explains why Last.fm was a little slow to jump on the Facebook Applications bandwagon last week – they were understandably distracted.

An interesting perspective on the same story:

Don’t Look Now, But Old Media May Be Figuring This New Media Thing Out
It’s not much, but there are a few signs that some “old media” companies are starting to figure out what makes new media tick. This morning’s announcement that CBS is buying last.fm for $280 million isn’t all that interesting on its own — but it’s one of a pattern of recent deals by so-called “old media” companies that have them looking to build or buy into communities, rather than just content. The mistake that many media companies have made over the last few years is the belief that the content was king — and as long as they had the content, the community would form naturally. What people are noticing is that the community is important and it’s hard work to build one. Of course, recognizing that is only the first step. The real question is what these companies will do to cultivate these communities. In most cases (MySpace being the one exception so far), these types of purchases tend to wither and die once they become part of a larger company (and the entrepreneurial souls of the community move on).

And other startup news:

Google buys anti-malware browser virtualization startup (Ryan Naraine/Zero Day)
Google has quietly made its first anti-malware acquisition, snapping up GreenBorder Technologies, a venture-backed company that sells browser virtualization security software.

And in political news, both Art and I are surprised we didn’t hear about this earlier:

Cyber-Spies Tracking Terror on Web
Dana Rosenblatt >writes on CNN.com:

There is an unconventional war being waged on the Internet. The battles here know no boundaries; and are fought from homes and offices from small Midwestern towns to Europe and the Middle East.

For the fighters in these battles weapons usually consist of no more than collected intelligence and computer programming skills.

It’s no secret anymore that active terrorist cells are currently operating freely and openly on the Internet, using propaganda tactics to illicit prospective recruits.

The emergence of these terrorist groups has spawned their nemesis: groups of researchers, hackers, and maverick computer geeks who cyber-stalk terrorist networks online and take them down.

More here.

Resembling a modern-day Clark Kent, Weisburd is a boyish 40-something former computer programmer who decided to use his background and skills to track terrorists following the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

He’s proved himself a force to be reckoned with, fighting — and winning — a war waged against the “dark side” of the Internet.

Weisburd’s reputation has earned him the nickname “the vigilante” in cyber space, a legacy he’s eager to shrug off.

“If I was a vigilante running a Web site, I would hurt you,” says Weisburd.

“If I find that you’re running a Web site for al Qaeda, I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll report you to people that will ask you to come quietly, and if you don’t go quietly, they may hurt you,” he says.

Art jumps for joy:

Fred Thompson to Form Presidential Committee

“Law and Order” star Fred Thompson — will make his flirtation with a White — House bid official this week, forming — a presidential committee and launching — a fundraising effort

His advisers say they do not expect to match the amount of money the others are raising, but profess to be unconcerned.

“He doesn’t need as much money as the others have raised,” said one supporter, noting that his Hollywood fame has already given him a boost in the polls. “He hasn’t raised nor has he spent a single dime so far. People should not expect that he will outraise anyone.”

We find a Democrat we like:

Lieberman in Iraq sees “progress,”
What a coincidence. Two years after Cheney said the insurgency was in its last throes, Joe Lieberman made essentially the same prediction.

CNN reports that Lieberman is on an unannounced “surprise” visit to Baghdad. Paula Hancocks followed Lieberman around. She talked to Lieberman and reported, “He said he was happy with the progress. He was devastated by the fact that May was turning in to the deadliest month since November 2004. But he said he did believe that this surge eventually would pay off and it would start to break the insurgency.”

And in people turning on the Democrats news:

Cindy Sheehan Quits as ‘Face’ of Anti-War Movement
Cindy Sheehan, the “peace mom” who made headlines in 2005 by staging a marathon protest outside President Bush’s Crawford, Texas, ranch, said Monday that she no longer wants to be seen as a leader of the anti-war movement.

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RizWords – Daily Politics and Tech – EP49

RizWords – Daily Politics and Tech
Episode 49 – download now – subscribe now

• A member of the TechPodcast Network @ techpodcast.com. If it’s Tech, it’s here.
• Remember, if you’re listening on the podcast recording, you can call into the show live if you tune in through TalkShoe.com at 2:30 PM EST every weekday.
• If you like the podcast (and you haven’t already given us a rating), head over and do so, and don’t forget to sign up for the discussion list.
• Other Podcast Plugs:
• TalkGirls comes on Tuesday nights. Check out the TalkGirls Podcast … it’s good times!
• Cotolo Chronicles: Frank is a good friend of the show, and an associate of the late great Wolfman Jack. Check out his podcast.
• NewsReal: Good friend to Art and I – has one of the best hours of news podcast each week.
• You Are the Guest: Bill Grady turns the microphone on the internet’s most interesting people.
• Sponsors:
• Try GoToMeeting for 45 days! Visit www.GoToMeeting.com/podcast to start your free trial today.
• J. Douglas Barker – Voice-overs for you! www.romancingthetone.com

Succumbing to the pressures of the media around us, Art and I spend the first half of the show talking about presidential politics and campaigning, and whether or not Ron Paul has a real shot at winning this thing. Mark says ‘maybe’ and Art says definitely not. Noteable Futurama quote from the conversation:

On the TV, candidate Jack Johnson is debating candidate John Jackson

Johnson: It’s time someone had the courage to stand up and say: I’m
against those things that everybody hates!
Jackson: Now, I respect my opponent. I think he’s a good man. But,
quite frankly, I agree with everything he just said!
Fry: These are the candidates? They sound like clones.
[Squints] Wait a minute. They are clones!
Leela: Don’t let their identical DNA fool you. They differ on some
key issues.
Johnson: I say your three cent titanium tax goes too far!
Jackson: And I say your three cent titanium tax doesn’t go too far
enough!

Turning to actual news, Art and I comment on what can be a real positive move for the monetization of New Media video efforts:

Adsense For Video, Google Still Lagging

Google has announced a closed beta test of Adsense for Video.

According to the post on Inside Adsense, Adsense for Video consists of “in-stream” advertisements. Publishers define at what point the advertisements will appear for each video.

It’s a change in the right direction for Google. The previously announced advertising trials for YouTube consisted entirely of text advertising overlays that lead to video-on-video click to play advertisements; a form of advertising that can easily be ignored by the viewer. Whilst many may find in-video style advertising annoying, it at least comes with a guarantee that viewers are going to see the advertisement.

Adsense for Video, as it is currently explained lacks contextual delivery. Allowing publishers to select where a video is played may empower content creators, but it does nothing in terms of automatically optimizing advertising for the viewer.

Google appears to be lagging in this market; the technology to contextually serve advertising within video is already available, ScanScout providing such a service. Given the massive market share Google holds in the online video hosting marketplace through YouTube, it would normally be expected that Google would be leading development in this field. For reasons unknown, they are not doing so.

Looking for an alternative for Alexa? Your ship may have come in… Art and Mark both give positive reviews of Compete:

Compete API Open For Business

Web analytics startup Compete.com opened its API for public use today. Websites and applications can now access Compete’s data and incorporate it into their own products.

This is timely for the company, which competes directly with Amazon’s Alexa. Recenty, Statsaholic has been in a very public dispute with Alexa over use of its data, with both sides looking bad. That dispute recently went to litigation. As some services shy away from Alexa, either due to public perception or inflexibility over the Alexa APIs, Compete could grab additional market share.

In related SEOish news, Technorati’s new changes to their search engine are not well recieved around the net:

Technorati’s Authority
Technorati made some changes this month to show it’s more than a blog search engine. “Technorati continues to grow well beyond its roots at the leading blog search engine; increasingly, we are the main aggregation point for all forms of social media on the Web, including blogs, of course, but also video, photos, audio such as podcasts and much more”, noted David Sifry last month.

The site also introduced a score for each blog that measures the “authority”. The pretentious name has one purpose: to cover the real meaning of the number. “Technorati Authority is the number of blogs linking to a website in the last six months. The higher the number, the more Technorati Authority the blog has,” explains Technorati’s blog. So each blog that links to me (no matter if it’s a
spam blog or Slashdot) increases my authority with 1. Imagine what would happen if Google’s PageRank was proportional to the number of links to a page in the last 6 months: the top search result for most of the queries should be a page from yahoo.com or google.com, sites that would have the PageRank 100,000. It would be easy to increase your PageRank: just create a new site that links to you; it’s as important as a link from New York Times. But fortunately, Google found a better way to rank web pages:

PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page’s value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at considerably more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; for example, it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves “important” weigh more heavily and help to make other pages “important.” Using these and other factors, Google provides its views on pages’ relative importance.

Buzz Out Loud will probably be talking about this later today:

Senator Warns of Email Tax This Fall
cnet-declan writes “State and local governments in Washington this week began an all-out lobbying push for the power to tax the Internet, according to our article at News.com. A new Senate bill would usher in Internet sales taxes, and the Federation of Tax Administrators (representing state tax collectors) advised senators at a hearing on Wednesday not to renew a temporary moratorium limiting broadband taxes that expires in November. One irked Republican senator warned that unless the moratorium is renewed, we could start seeing email taxes by the end of the year. Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey blames it on the Democrats taking over, as do Yahoo and eBay lobbyists. Is this a non-hoax version of bill 602P?”

Mark talks of his experiences with red-light cameras, and applaud’s Texas’s move to ban them:

Texas Looking To Ban Speed Cameras?
There are all sorts of problems with things like speed cameras and red light cameras, starting with technical problems and moving on to the more serious questions about whether or not they make the roads any safer. Since they’re usually offered in combination with private companies who receive a large percentage of the fines, it’s often pointed out that these cameras are more about making private companies and government coffers money, rather than any real attempt at increasing safety. Still, they’ve only become more and more popular recently, with a new speed camera catching over a thousand speeders in a single day. However, it looks like Texas may actually be heading in the other direction. Jeff Nolan points us to the news that Texas lawmakers have approved a ban on speed cameras. The law also requires signs warning about red light cameras — though, it’s unclear if that will help, since studies have shown red light cameras often increase accidents, as drivers are more likely to slam on their brakes.

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