Quoted by Matt on April 21 2009:
As a political pollster, I always observed that the poll that often got the most coverage was the one that was different from the others, regardless of whether it was right, or whether the pollster had any track record. This is true with opinions, too: those on the extreme right or left, or those that are the most titillating, seem to drive the most traffic through their sites. The center doesn’t seem to have either the edge or the passion to grab the same kind of traffic.
—
Mark Penn, former advisor to the Clintons and Tony Blair, in America’s Newest Profession: Bloggers for Hire
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6 comments so far
Joel Hughes 22 Apr 09
That quote is music to my ears, it could almost be the motivating mantra behind my pet project: Good Baad. I alwase thought extreemes of opinion are by far the best motivators for debate.
HubrisSonic 22 Apr 09
Mark Penn trying to justify his failed career. It’s that you staked out a position that didnt hold any merit Mark. The mythical center didn’t exist in this election, and certainly not in the way you defined it.
Drew 22 Apr 09
Unfortunately, black and white opinions tend to be a poor way to approach complex things like law and government, which involve considerable shades of gray.
In my experience, extremes of opinion motivate folks to argument more than to debate. But then, “debate” seems more and more a lost concept, overshadowed by the shouting of angry mobs and those at the top who benefit from the intellectual deafness that results.
GeeIWonder 22 Apr 09
@Drew.
My thoughts exactly. And woe be the soundbite.
I mean, isn’t this the justification for shows like Crossfire? It’s absurd to have one person trying to justify the importance of habeas corpus or the thoughts of while the other yells ‘we were attacked’!
I believe it was Primo Levi who said “Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are … the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions”.
So Penn might be right, but he’s appealing to our collective baser instincts. Let’s try and elevate, shall we? As the 37signals comment box says, let’s add value.
Jonathan 23 Apr 09
I can’t help but point out that Markus Friend runs just the sort of free, ad-based web site that you all have said represents an inferior business model. $5m a year. Wow.
ahmet kekilli 27 Apr 09
It’s that you staked out a position that didnt hold any merit Mark. The mythical center didn’t exist in this election, and certainly not in the way you defined it.
http://www.coskunlarvinc.com
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