WInner and Associates
Vice President at Winner and Associates, a strategic communications and public affairs firm in Los Angeles, California; former associate at the White House Office of Public Engagement during Obama's first 100 days; co-founder of 008 and Generation Obama, the volunteer arm of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign
'Kony 2012' and Youth Activism In a week's time, the video Kony 2012 has jumped from zero to 76 million views on the Internet. Produced by a group called Invisible Children , its stated aim is to stop a brutal war lord named Joseph Kony and his “Lord's Resistance Army” from recruiting tens of thousands of Ugandan child soldiers to murder their parents and other civilians, creating havoc with no political purpose. The video promises that viewers can "change the world" by creating "awareness." We look at the source of the half-hour production's appeal and why it might be counter-productive.
Can a Viral Video Change the World? Kony 2012 went online just a week ago, and it's already chalked up 76 million views on You Tube, raising more than $10 million. Produced by a group called Invisible Children , it claims that widespread "awareness" can stop brutal Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony and his "Lord's Resistance Army" from kidnapping tens of thousands of children and turning them into soldiers, to murder their parents and other civilians and create havoc with no political purpose. Millions of young viewers are now focused on Central Africa, but some experts call it the wrong message at the wrong time. Why is Kony 2012 so appealing? How did it get so big so fast? Why do critics call "awareness campaigns" a form of "slacktivism?"
Can Obama Woo Back the Grassroots? The big story of the 2008 presidential campaign was the massive, grassroots army of some 13 million volunteers that Barack Obama recruited with the promise of change. The big question of 2009 was how those political soldiers could help accomplish the goals they fought for. Now, more and more of those supporters say they're being left out of the action by a White House that's all too comfortable with Wall Street and Washington's ways. Did Obama raise unrealistic expectations? Has he missed the opportunity to build a movement, or is governing just different from running a campaign? We hear from grassroots supporters, both current and former.
The Beer Summit: Race and Reconciliation Civil rights leaders applauded Barack Obama for saying the Cambridge police " acted stupidly ." The police union demanded an apology. President Obama invited Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley to have "a drink at the end of the day…for a friendly, thoughtful conversation." Crowley says there were no apologies, but no tension either and that "two gentlemen agreed to disagree on a particular issue." A spokesman for Gates says, "The differences are not that far apart… we learned some things and we can make important changes." Did last night's " Beer Summit " start to clear the air about racial profiling? Did it quell the media firestorm over the President's comment? What did it reveal about the leadership style of a former community organizer facing Congressional partisanship and intractable conflicts all over the world?
It’s a wonderful state California’s story needs a rewrite, and Zocalo Public Square commentator Joe Mathews knows just the man for the job.
Spencer the Gardener’s frontman gabs about Santa Barbara’s music scene The band Spencer the Gardener has been playing at bars and music venues in Santa Barbara for decades. We sit down with the frontman to talk about how the local live music scene has changed over the years.
Enter Gavin Newsom A look at how California's new governor may interact with the legislature.
Heading for the fire exit Thousands of Californians are spending the holidays deciding what to do next after devastating wildfires. The Camp Fire – in northern California – took out nearly an entire town, killing at least 86 people. And the Woolsey Fire, closer to home, left 3 people dead, chewing through nearly 100,000 acres in L.A. and Ventura Counties. Ken Pimlott knows those names all too well. He heads up the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and today is his last day on the job.