Our friend Pat Hynes is a busy guy. In addition to blogging at AnkleBitingPundits.com, he is a partner in the GraniteGrok radio venture, "Meet the New Press", broadcasting live in the Lakes Region of Central New Hampshire every Saturday afternoon from 2 to 4 PM EST on NewsTalk 1490 WEMJ (complete podcast library of shows by date and topic, click here). Now he adds another gig to his growing list of media ventures: online columnist. Pat now writes a great weekly column for the notable online journal TownHall.com.
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This week he writes about the New Media (which is actually what he usually writes about in this particular column) and whether top-tiered GOP presidential wannabee John McCain is making full use of it. He is reacting to conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt’s claim that the Arizona Senator is "hostile" to the new media, and that the Democrats are, in general more net-savvy.
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Click here to read the whole piece. Let me just say that I too agree with Pat that Hugh has it all wrong on McCain’s use of the newest arena for the battle of ideas, the Blogosphere. I can attest first hand that he is, in fact, extremely engaged. Heck- he’s had Pat, semi-demigod of blogs on his payroll for a while. When McCain talks, the Net’s generally abuzz with the news. He’s been in the mix heavy for quite some time now. Sure, Hillary, Mitt, and others have slick new web- orientated "happenings" designed to impress that have seemingly popped up overnight, funded with mass infusions of $$. McCain’s been in it for the long haul. You could say that those getting the press this week are Johnny-Come Latelies to the party. It’s all about getting your message out. Like hime or not, nobody denies McCain gets his out there.
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Oh, and I’m not a McCain rumpswab, either. I am committed to nobody at this point. At the appropriate time, I will make my choice. In the meantime, I am a regular contributor to and user of New Media. I have as good a view as any as to what’s really happening. And I’m in Central NH, home of the "still almost first in the Nation nominating state." That helps too.