Comments on: I’ve Approved This Message

By: Kel

Kel — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:39:16 +0000

i miss ted too meagan!

By: Meagan Ellis

Meagan Ellis — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:00:16 +0000

I miss Ted.

By: Kel

Kel — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:49:09 +0000

thanks liz! i will choose truth over spin any day of the week.

By: Liz

Liz — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:52:21 +0000

This is one of your best yet–I can identify up and down. I love that you are so real.

By: Kel

Kel — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:34:57 +0000

steve, i greatly appreciate your perspective. thanks for sharing it here with me and my readers. i am not surprised by your insight, but i do believe as times change, so do people’s level of acceptance of reality. there was a point in time when a (insert word here) would never have been elected to a high profile political position. the “insert word here” could be catholic, divorced, gay, adulterer, recovered alcoholic, wwe wrestler, etc. fortunately, as time goes on, people embrace more of the realities of life and the diversity and imperfections that comes with it. i think one of the reasons this acceptance occurs is because people can identify with the candidate’s situation/circumstance. i also think people respect honesty above and beyond rhetoric. having said that steve, i don’t think i would have a snowball’s chance in hell of being elected to the senate. but that may change someday…

By: Steve Butler

Steve Butler — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:12:32 +0000

I studied political science in college and this issue was always a popular topic amongst fellow students and in-class discussions. I actually attended Princeton, so you can imagine all of outlandish political ads that I experienced in New Jersey. The sad truth is that this approach doesn’t work. It may seem refreshing to you, it even seems refreshing to me, but the typical American does not think like you or I. They like security, certainty, and someone to look up to. Especially in a leadership position. Many would argue this is reason religion exists.

There have been a number of candidates that tried the approach you describe above, and each candidate lost in a landslide. Unfortunately politics is all about perception, its kind of disheartening because I feel politics is a reflection of our society. As our society advances and becomes more progressive, hopefully this will change, but I’m not sure we are there yet.

By: Kel

Kel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:37:49 +0000

janet — i agree 100%. the general population is pretty forgiving when someone takes ownership for a mistake and takes full responsibility. think of how disarming it would be to proactively put all your mistakes out there ahead of someone else unearthing them. your rivals would have nothing on you. seems like a simple, smart strategy to me…i’m just saying…

By: Janet

Janet — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:16:54 +0000

Meagan makes a great point re: skeletons in closets and Facebook. It’s going to be a lot harder to hide. So why hide at all? To a certain extent, I’d rather hear that someone screwed around a little bit and made mistakes when they were younger. That’s not a lack of character, that’s someone getting it out of his/her system while that person is still young and without a substantial amount of responsibility. (As opposed to still screwing after they married, after they had kids, and after they fooled us into voting for them.)

By: Meagan

Meagan — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:52:00 +0000

I’ve contacted her camp to try and get her to start using it….I think it would give her the final push!

By: Kel

Kel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:25:20 +0000

ben, as always, i laughed out loud at your comment. right on, right on. people are not stupid, so don’t treat them as such. i think his work with the celtics is relevant. why hide it?i think transparency should be the new black!

By: Kel

Kel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:22:26 +0000

meagan, viva la revolution is right! i agree with you. facebook is the biggest, widest, most open closet door on the planet and if you don’t walk through it someone is sure to push you through. btw, is “moakley” (martha coakley) kinda like “jlo” (jennifer lopez)? tee-hee.

By: Ben Carcio

Ben Carcio — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:15:16 +0000

My favorite is Steve Pagliuca. He said he won’t use his Celtics connection to his advantage. LOL! Every commercial has him shooting hoops with a “green” t-shirt on, or attending some unknown but very “green” victory celebration. Not to mention he’s shown every 4th commercial during Celtics games.

Dude, the only reason you have a shot at this is your Celtics connection. Use it! Barely hiding from it makes you seem lame.

By: Meagan

Meagan — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:34:35 +0000

Kel –

While I do not envy anyone that has to introduce themselves and give you enough personal info that you connect with them and want to vote for them in 30 seconds, I completely agree with you. There is nothing substantial in those ads, and before I cast my vote (*cough MOAKLEY cough cough*) I’d like to know where the potentials stand on key issues, what their pet projects are going to be and more about who they really are.

I also think that in 50 years, there will be NO skeletons in the closets of politicians – any info will be on FB years before they make a run at office, anyway. Viva la Revolution!

By: Kel

Kel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:22:31 +0000

frank, i think howard for senate is a great idea! just imagine the firestorm he would cause. makes me laugh just thinking about it.

By: Kel

Kel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:15:51 +0000

jenn, “artificiality” is a great word. nice! i think web 2.0 is forcing transparency, but we need to do it willingly versus being forced into it. the sad thing is that nobody will ever truly replace ted kennedy. he was iconic, yet riddled with as many flaws as the rest of the world. honestly, i think that is one of the many reasons he was so loved.

By: Frank Chiera

Frank Chiera — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:14:19 +0000

Kel, you have my vote. In fact, I am writing you in. I was originally going to write-in the Howard Stern “Bullhorn Ted Kennedy”, but that’s not socially acceptable. And, you’re right, if only politicians were more honest and not so milk toast, we’d actually get things done instead of getting caught up in mud slinging.

By: Jenn

Jenn — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:06:23 +0000

Kel -

Spot on! I’m ashamed to admit that I find this important Senate race to be one big fat yawner. Between the boring ads, lack of clarity on where candidates truly stand on the issues and the ever incessant robo-calling, I wish all the candidates would be more transparent. But perhaps the candidates alone aren’t at fault. We seem to be heading ever more so towards a society where as much as we talk about transparency, we seem to embrace artificiality.