Outside the Beltway

GOP Invites Bloggers

James Joyner · Friday, June 4, 2004 · 2 comments

Interesting. I just got this e-mail from 2004nycgop.org:

The Committee on Arrangements (COA) for the 2004 Republican National Convention is considering the option of creating an on-site bloggers station at this year̢۪s Convention from August 30 through September 2 in Madison Square Garden.

Bloggers would receive credentials to all four days of the Convention and would be outfitted with a centrally located workspace in Madison Square Garden. The close proximity would provide additional accessibility for bloggers to connect with surrogates, and to provide additional multimedia (photos, videos, et cetera) to their audiences.

There would be a charge accessed for bloggers interested in securing a space in the Madison Square Garden Theater.

Please let us know your interest in attending the 2004 National Republican Convention, so we can begin to make the appropriate arrangements.

If you have any questions or for more information, please call Megan Mollman or Ryan Connolly in our Communications Department at (212) 356-2300.

An interesting move. Dean Esmay and I were on Cam Edwards’ show talking about this a few weeks ago, in response to a similar move by the Democrats. It’s good to see the GOP doing this, even going so far as to create a special place for bloggers. Really, it makes lots of sense. It’s a good way to get friendly coverage of the event and costs them next to nothing.

I’ve got no desire to go to the convention, let alone burn my vacation days or spend the money for a hotel room in NYC. Not even enough to start one of those blasted blog telethon thingies. Still, I’m glad to see it.

The convention website is looking very un-GOP at the moment. It appears as if Gen X –or even the dreaded Gen Y — has taken over. The media credential section has no mention of the blogger provision.