Kos's call to tape all GOP candidates all the time -- a good thing?

[DeepModem Mom]

WP political blog, "The Fix," by Chris Cillizza
05/29/2007
Wag the Blog: Tape Everything?

We've written extensively on The Fix about the power of Markos Moulitsas and his Web site, Daily Kos. Markos has become an iconic figure in the progressive netroots community and has considerable influence over those online activists.

So, we were more than a little intrigued when Jeff Jarvis over at Channel '08 linked to a post written by Markos last week that urged his readers to start videotaping every single appearance by a Republican official or candidate in hopes of using the footage against them in the course of the campaign.

Here's the full text of Kos's post:

"Every appearance by a top Republican official or candidate should be recorded. Every one of them.

"All it takes is one 'Macaca' incident to transform a race or create one where one didn't exist. As the Montana incident blogged earlier today showed, a video can knock out prospective candidates before they even enter.

"And this is no longer about finding one big blunder to put on a campaign commercial. It's about using video and (free) technologies like YouTube to build narratives about opponents, using their own words, at their own events....

***

For today's Wag the Blog question, we ask The Fix community whether Kos's call to arms is good for the political process. Does taping every public and private moment of a politician force them to be more accountable for their words and actions? Or does it rob regular people of ever getting to know the "real" candidate because overly guarded politicians let nothing genuine slip for fear they are always being watched by a camera?...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/?hpid=topnews

[librechik]

1. absolutely positively yes!

we may only have matches and flashlights, but we can still shine a little light on the process of electing our congresscannibals.

Same goes for Dems, and they should watch their asses if they don't want some faux pas on Faux News.

[Demeter]

2. It's Legal, Harmless, Documentary, and Journalism

so what's the problem? Somebody forget what being a public figure means?

[Lobster Martini]

3. A good thing? No! Absolutely not!

Considering how long campaigns have become, there is no way that any candidate, Republican or Democrat, will not say anything that appears contradictory or just plain dumb unless he or she sticks to the script and never says anything spontaneously.

If people put as much effort into evaluating policies as they put into digging for mistakes...oh, heck, I'm dreaming again.

[doggyboy]

4. WP asks "Is Free Speech a Good Thing?"

I think I know how the WP would answer

[Robbien]

5. Oh just make stuff up

Why bother documenting anything. Make stuff up, that is what GOPers do. It is easier to do and much harder to defend against.

[Jim__]

6. It's probably a good tactic, but ...

... the concern that I have is that politicians are already carefully rehearsed and told to stick to the basic talking points. This tactic, which I'm sure is also being used against the Dems, will only make them more cautious. I believe what we really need is open, candid dialogue with our political candidates, and not rehearsed talking points.

[Dr.Phool]

7. I thought it was standard practice.

I was taught to do this a long time ago.

[Totally Committed]

8. YOu are sadly mistaken if you think the other side isn't already doing this

with our candidates. They are. Count on it. SO, why shouldn't we, too, arm ourselves with such evidence? I don't get why this is even controversial.

TC

[Arugula Latte]

9. Hell yes! The public has a right to know what these fucknuts are saying.

Look at Macaca ... 'nuff said.

[SaveElmer]

10. I'm not a huge Kos fan...

I think he spends far too much time attacking Democrats, and I'm tired of his constant calls to purge this or that Democrat...

I do agree with his assessments occasionally, he is good on his criticism's of the Republicans, and I find myself in agreement with him on the importance of Dennis Kucinich as a Presidential candidate...

On this I am totally on board. I live in Virginia and obviously know how helpful it was to be able to use Allen's words against him. I would caution against any invasion of privacy, but as long as they are campaigning making speeches at political meetings etc...I say tape 'em all!!!

[MaineDem]

11. This is being done by both sides

And in most races...the Presidential and Senate at least.