Steve Hildebrand

At last week's Netroots Nation convention in Austin, online-politics innovator Andrew Rasiej told Obama deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand that the campaign had still not demonstrated clearly to netroots supporters that an Obama administration would commit to online transparency and an open line of communication with them.

(It was perhaps an indication of the campaign's failure to convey that commitment that no more than about 30 people attended that particular panel discussion -- despite it being one of the few sessions during the four-day convention which featured potential powerbrokers in an Obama administration.)

In a follow-up conversation, Rasiej argued, as he did in his remarks to Hildebrand, that the campaign needed to do a better job of telegraphing to online activists that there would be greater openness and more opportunity for them to provide meaningful input in an Obama administration.  read more »

AUSTIN, Texas -- During a panel at the Netroots Nation convention on Saturday afternoon, Barack Obama’s soft-spoken deputy campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand, talked about how he hoped that this, his 22nd year working on political campaigns, would be his last one because it offered the opportunity to register “millions and millions of new Democrats, new progressive voters.”

In other words, this would be the election that would provide an enduring Democratic majority.

“We’re never going to have it as good as we have it right now,” said Hildebrand, who wore a grey t-shirt with Obama's face on it . “So get behind this effort, let your readers know how important this is.  read more »