Al Gore unveils his new TV network, called "Current." Gore: "Were starting something new and were trying to bring about a change in the way the television medium is used. We know its hard, but were excited about trying." Read this brief Reuters story and tell me if you understand what it all means. I actually dont get it: videos shown, some as long 15 minutes (wow!), somehow tied in to Google, etc.
Gore: "We are about empowering this generation of young people in their 20s, the 18-34 population, to engage in a dialogue of democracy and to tell their stories about whats going in their lives in the dominant media of our time." Thats helpful. Whatever it is, it starts on August 1st. Cant wait.
As if Gore or Joel Hyatt know anything about 25-year-olds or what they want. Whatever. Go back to obscurity, Al.
"Im Joel Hyatt, and you have my word on it."
Looks to be just another lame attempt to coopt the young for the Democratic Party. It might have some limited success, but they will quickly learn that the young dont like preachy TV (which is what I expect theyll get on CURRENT).
Their deeper problem is the expectation that, with the proper endoctrination...er, I mean education, people can be counted on to vote against their best interests. This is why they are losing the white vote...counting on altruism (i.e., racial faux guilt) on a routine basis is generally a losing proposition. Of course, this is why they focus on the young...the older people get, the easier they see through B.S.
Joel Hyatt!! Ha ha ha.
Here are my best guesses, and please bear in mind that I can venture nothing more than guesses.
The Google tie-in: Simply, it appears that Google is going to tell Current what the most popular searches are right now on Google and Current is going to pass that information on to its viewers. Sounds a little boring, if you ask me.
Fifteen-minute videos, produced by viewers aged 18-34...Oh, Lord, help us! This is going to be like MTV, only less sophisticated (if you can fathom that). Maybe its more comparable to a satellite TV version of college radio.
Ohio Voter: This network will probably fade into obscurity and, per your wish, take Gore with it. Who wants to take wagers on how long this turkey is actually on the air? I give it nine months, tops.
Should be a snap for the guy who invented the internet.