December 2008

Obama Policymakers Turn to Campaign Tools

Barack Obama's incoming administration has begun to draw on the high-tech organizational tools that helped get him elected to lay the groundwork for an attempt to restructure the U.S. health-care system. Former senator Thomas A. Daschle, Obama's point person on health care, launched an effort to create political momentum yesterday in a conference call with 1,000 invited supporters culled from 10,000 who had expressed interest in health issues, promising it would be the first of many opportunities for Americans to weigh in. The health-care mobilization taking shape before Obama even takes office will include online videos, blogs and e-mail alerts as well as traditional public forums. Already, several thousand people have posted comments on health on the Obama transition Web site.

Rescue the Census

[Commentary] Congressional investigators recently outlined 13 issues for President-elect Barack Obama to focus on without delay. Most are obvious, such as military readiness, homeland security, financial regulation and Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The 2010 census also made it onto the urgent 13. It deserves to be there. The census requires years of planning, but preparations have been systematically sidetracked during the Bush years. The most plausible explanation, beyond incompetence, is that the administration aimed to make it even more difficult than usual to count hard-to-count groups, like minorities, immigrants and the poor, who tilt Democratic. Their numbers, if accurately gauged, could reshape electoral maps. To put the nation on track for an accurate census, President-elect Obama should nominate a new census director as soon as possible, and the incoming Senate should fast track the nominee's confirmation hearing.

Don't scapegoat media

[Commentary] Media have long been a convenient scapegoat for the woes of the world. In particular, fears about the influence media might have on our children have often prompted calls for "crackdowns" on speech and expression. Typically, these fears fade as one generation's media boogeyman becomes another's treasured art form. That's not to say media don't have an impact on some children. Clearly, media are among many factors that influence culture and behavior. But what about those other influences? Some studies summarized in the new Common Sense Media (CSM) report suggest a potential link between media exposure and certain social pathologies. But how do they account for the other variables that influence youth development, including broken homes, bad parents, socioeconomic status, troubled peer relations, poor schools and so on? And how is media exposure weighted relative to these other influences? Is a beer ad really as much of a negative influence as an alcoholic parent? That's why it's important to recall a fundamental tenet of all social sciences: Correlation does not necessarily equal causation. Human behavior is complicated and quite difficult to measure "scientifically." Just defining "media exposure" and "negative health outcomes" is tricky enough; identifying root causes is even more challenging.

(Adam Thierer is a senior fellow with the market-oriented Progress & Freedom Foundation.)

Will talk radio get wake-up call?

[Commentary] The multibillion-dollar talk radio industry faces existential challenges and dramatic opportunities in the upcoming Age of Obama. Depending on responses from leading conservative talkers, this rude, raucous indispensable medium will either rise to new heights of mainstream influence, profit and credibility, or else collapse as a declining vehicle for an increasingly angry and alienated fringe. This fragmentation of the mass audience has led many talk shows to cultivate a niche audience rather than the Republican mainstream. In the aftermath of stinging GOP defeat in November, radio crackles with blame-game arguments intended to divide "real conservatives" from unworthy moderate imposters — as if the GOP could become the first party in history to expand an already shrunken base by purging its membership. Increasingly, interests of commercial talk radio in a fractured market diverge from the needs of a viable national movement. A radio show (locally or nationally) that draws just 5% of the available audience can achieve notable success in ratings and revenue, but a conservatism that connects with only a disgruntled, paranoid 5% of the public will wither and die.

(Michael Medved hosts a daily radio show broadcast on more than 200 stations.)

Who Needs a TV? I'm Watching on a Laptop

[Commentary] Most Americans still watch shows primarily on their televisions. But there is much to suggest that watching shows online is more than just a passing fancy. The Internet has proved to be an excellent promotional vehicle. NBC says 7 out of 10 viewers were spurred to watch some shows on television only after sampling them first online. At ABC, 8 percent of viewers they track — or about one out of every 12 people — watch network shows solely online.

All the Social Networks, Together on Your Smartphone

For most people, a quick glance at Facebook, Twitter or MySpace is enough to get up to speed on one's social circle. So why would you need to haul yourself to a computer just to do that? You don't. As long as you've got the right phone. Cellular networks, in their endless quest to make the phone the center of the information-gathering universe, are making it easier to retrieve updates from online social networks. And some are going to the extreme of bundling all the big sites on one screen, as if to create one giant social hub.

FCC to consider free Internet, cable issues

The Federal Communications Commission will -- tentatively, of course -- consider a controversial spectrum auction plan for free Internet and new rules governing disputes between cable operators and programmers at its December meeting. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is proposing that the agency auction off some airwaves, with a mandate that 25 percent be set aside for free Internet. To address concerns that finding the financing to build out the spectrum in a tough economic environment would be challenging, the plan includes a provision requiring the winning bidder to meet benchmarks by five years, or have the spectrum reclaimed by the agency. The plan also contains a provision to be voted on by the five-member FCC that any spectrum portion reclaimed be opened up for unlicensed use. The cable rules to be considered come as the FCC arbitrates several disputes between cable companies Time Warner and Comcast, and content providers such as the NFL Network. The disputes involve what tier of service a content provider such as NFL Networks gets on a cable system and whether there is discrimination in that process based on other content the cable operator controls. The proposal would set up a resolution process for such disputes, giving the FCC six months to evaluate the claims and setting legal standards for when a programmer can reasonably claim discrimination by a cable company. Consumers groups lauded that idea.

Obama names Richardson as Commerce Secretary

As expected, President-elect named rival-turned-supporter Bill Richardson as his secretary of commerce. He called the New Mexico governor a perfect ambassador for US business interests in the midst of deep global economic turmoil. Obama said Richardson would be uniquely suited to help represent U.S. business interests around the world. Gov Richardson, whose appointment must be confirmed by the Senate, also served as a congressman and U.N. ambassador and was energy secretary under President Bill Clinton. "It's time to not just address our immediate economic threats, but to start laying the groundwork for long-term economic prosperity -- to help American businesses grow and thrive at home, and expand our efforts to promote American enterprise around the world," Obama said. Richardson, the first Latino named to Obama's Cabinet, said there was a vital role for the Commerce Department in the economic recovery. "I look forward to working with Secretary-Designee Richardson to create good-paying jobs and promote economic development; restore our manufacturing sector; increase our competitive edge; encourage foreign investment in our highly productive workforce; and, promote American goods and services around the world," said Sen Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. "There is much work to do and I can't wait to tackle the challenges ahead immediately there is not a moment to waste."

AT&T CEO: Tech Investment Should Be A Priority Under Obama

AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson called for President-elect Barack Obama to adopt policies to encourage investments in technology infrastructure. Stephenson said that AT&T's own investment in its broadband network helped give birth to Internet giants Google, Amazon.com and eBay. If the government encourages further infrastructure investments, job and commercial growth will follow, he said. Stephenson applauded Obama's decision to appoint a chief technology officer, and said there were opportunities to streamline government costs and improve services. Stephenson also pushed for Obama to explore alternative ways to deliver health care, noting that AT&T offers a consumer-driven health care plan that covers 272,000 managers, retirees and dependents. He said the plan has resulted in a 5% decrease in total costs each year since the program began in 2005. The company's portion of the cost has declined more rapidly at 8% each year. He called for improvement in education, and said businesses had to have a hand in helping the school system, along with educators, parents and the government. He touted AT&T's $100 million program to improve education in partnership with America's Promise Alliance and Junior Achievement.

Using Broadband to Address the Health Care Crisis

America's health care system is in crisis. The cost of health care soars out of control. Nearly 50 million Americans, including 8 million children, live without health insurance. Americans are not living as long as citizens of many other developed nations that spend far less on health care. Many assert that Americans pay more for health care, yet are in fact less healthy. Telecommunications technology such as broadband offers a tremendous opportunity to make America healthier and allow Americans to live longer, while at the same time saving our nation what some have estimated to be as much as $165 billion a year. Two of the most promising telecommunications applications that are already improving health care while at the same time reducing costs are "telehealth" and digital health information technology. Widespread adoption of these technologies will significantly stimulate both the build-out, and demand, for universal, affordable, and robust broadband.

Benton

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