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Paul Levinson

Paul Levinson
Location
New York City, New York, USA
Birthday
March 25
Title
Professor
Company
Fordham University
Bio
Paul Levinson's The Silk Code won the 2000 Locus Award for Best First Novel. He has since published Borrowed Tides (2001), The Consciousness Plague (2002), The Pixel Eye (2003), and The Plot To Save Socrates (2006). His science fiction and mystery short stories have been nominated for Nebula, Hugo, Edgar, and Sturgeon Awards. His eight nonfiction books, including The Soft Edge (1997), Digital McLuhan (1999), Realspace (2003), and Cellphone (2004), have been the subject of major articles in the New York Times, Wired, the Christian Science Monitor, and have been translated into ten languages. New New Media, exploring how Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and blogging have changed our lives, was published in September 2009. Paul Levinson appears on "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News), "The CBS Evening News," the “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” (PBS), “Nightline” (ABC), and numerous national and international TV and radio programs. He reviews the best of television in his InfiniteRegress.tv blog. Paul Levinson is Professor of Communication & Media Studies at Fordham University in New York City

Editor’s Pick
OCTOBER 30, 2008 1:38AM

Obama at Midnight: Power Concedes Nothing without a Fight

Rate: 10 Flag

Obama saved the most important words of his rousing speech in Florida at midnight, with Bill Clinton at his side, for the end: "Power concedes nothing without a fight." In other words, don't rest confident in the polls. If you want Obama to be President, make sure you vote, and encourage all of your friends to vote, too.

It was a high intensity day politically, especially in the evening -

1. Obama's 30-minute advertisement to the American people was excellent. It wouldn't have been necessary, had not the Republicans been constantly lying about Obama wanting to raise "your" taxes, repeating the idiocy of Obama being a "socialist," etc. Obama made his case to and for the American people. He looked Presidential, speaking, in part, from what looked like an Oval Office. I consider that not presumptive but appropriately predictive.

2. CNN made a show of taking some high road by refusing to air the commercial, and keeping to its (usually boring) political coverage. And what did CNN put on instead? John McCain, in a typically inarticulate interview by Larry King. So much for CNN's political coverage: what they did instead was give McCain free air time, opposite the time that Obama paid for, with money donated by the American people.

3. Obama also was on with John Stewart. Both were humorous and vibrant. Good thing for anyone who might have been falling asleep watching Larry King.

4. But I thought the best moment of the evening was Obama on the stage with Bill Clinton in Florida. It was good to see the previous Democratic President on stage with someone who so many hope will be the next one. (Obama quipped that Jimmy Smits - whom we saw with Obama and Clinton back stage before the speeches - was a Democratic President. Well, he did beat Alan Alda's Republican character-candidate for President on the West Wing. As long as Dexter wasn't there...)

But will Obama be elected? "Power concedes nothing without a fight" - an important update of Frederick Douglass' "Power concedes nothing without a demand." Obama will be elected only if everyone who supports him goes to the polls and votes.

 

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obama, politics

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I loved seeing Obama and Clinton laughing with Jimmy Smits backstage, too. It was a great moment.
I had no idea that McCain appeared on Larry King, opposite of Obama's television spot. I can only hope that Larry King's ratings were as dismal as McCain's plans for this country. I was hoping for well-written piece about Obama's ad. You did not disappoint.
I've already voted for Obama, as I voted by absentee ballot this time. My mom also has. I heard that for states that are allowing early voting, there are record numbers showing up to vote, and that in some areas, most of the people voting are black people. I don't think most people who really want a change are going to sit by the wayside and not make time to vote. I have never been so into a campaign as I have with this one. This one means more to everyone than any presidential race has in a very long time.
Or will it be "power concedes nothing that it can steal back"? I certainly hope not.
This is why we need the 61 Senators. There is no unity pony.
I saw that the infomercial drew 26.4 million viewers. Wow!