Sunday, March 22, 2009

A Change of Topic

From the complete and utter buffonery of Obama's to someone who is not only capable, but exceeding in her role. Yes, of course, I mean Hillary Clinton. While Obama is trying to claim that he doesn't know what the hell is written in the Stimulus Package that he signed into LAW, or the part that his very own Chief of Staff helped craft with the other top Democrats, Hillary Clinton is taking the State Department to new highs - electronically, that is! Well, she's also already logged over 57,000 miles - I kid you not, and that's pretty high, but that is not the focus of this article, Hillary Clinton, E-diplomat, Embraces New Media. Once again, this is an AP article, but I'll share some with you:
Her videos aren't quite viral yet and she's not tweeting, but Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is embracing new media, using the Web to promote the agency and her role as the nation's top envoy.

In less than three months, Clinton's State Department has embarked on a digital diplomacy drive aimed at spreading the word about American foreign policy and restoring Washington's image. Part of a broader Internet outreach by President Barack Obama's administration, Clinton's Web efforts already have outpaced those of her predecessors.

Since taking over at Foggy Bottom, Clinton's team has built on e-diplomacy innovations developed during George W. Bush's presidency:

_They have revamped the department's Web site (http://www.state.gov) and the Dipnote blog (http://blogs.state.gov and http://twitter.com/dipnote) with a fresh array of features, graphics and colorful posts.

_Users can track her foreign travel on an interactive map (http://www.state.gov/secretary/trvl/map/?trip_id5).

_They can keep up virtually with her every move through Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/statevideo).

_They can pose questions through an "ask-the-secretary" column (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/ask/secretary/117297.htm) that recently was revised to "text the secretary." (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/ask/secretary/120236.htm)

"New media is critical in this new era of diplomacy, where smart power and expanded dialogues are essential to achieving our foreign policy goals," said Cheryl Mills, Clinton's longtime confidante and chief of staff.

Even for a government Web site, early indications show a surge in interest, according to internal State Department statistics provided to The Associated Press.

Well, imagine that! We actually care about our Secretary of State and what she is doing. Ahem. And, here she is expanding the ways in which we can connect with her. In fact:
Daily views of the Dipnote have doubled from 10,000 a year ago to 20,000 today, with 700 subscribers to its RSS feed, twice as many as in March 2008. The number of followers of the department on Twitter has tripled since Jan. 20, when Obama took office, while the department's Facebook friends have increased by 2 1/2 times in the same period.

"What they are bringing in is more willingness to experiment," said Peter Daou, who was Clinton's Web guru during her 2008 presidential run. "They are starting to push the envelope."

What remains unclear, though, is whether the spike in interest reflects the revamped Web site or the public's fascination with Clinton's latest career shift.

"The personality behind it can't be dismissed," said Daou, who now blogs on human rights and other issues for U.N. Dispatch (http://www.undispatch.com).

These are all pretty cool ways to keep in touch with Secretary Clinton, and see what's going on. The Travel Map is really neat - it was there that I discovered how many miles she's already logged. This woman is tireless. Unlike the president for whom she works, she rolls up her sleeves, and does what needs to be done.

If you want to read the rest of the article, just click the link above, and it will take you there. And to whet your appetite for what you can see at the State Department's Video site (YouTube), here is Secretary Clinton's Welcome Remarks TO the State Department:



Those folks are INVIGORATED to have her there. As well they should be.

And goddess knows, Clinton is the one bright spot in the current Administration. As Secretary Clinton continues to log the travel miles in her work for the Nation, we can take some solace that the one representing us to the world IS far more than competent, but excels at her job. That seems to be a rare commodity these days...

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I like that Hillary is on 'The Internets' (to quote shrub), but I have to admit that I check every day, especially on Sunday's hoping to see pictures of the L's.

I read here everyday anyways and the pups somehow make everything go away for a second.

Just sayin.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Hey, Deborah!

Thanks so much for coming by here every day - I appreciate it!

LOL abt "the Internets" - oh, dear. Well, isn't it something that we have another president who guarantees to give us some other sayings??

FUNNY that you should mention the Ls! We took several mini-movies of them - two playing, and one eating - I was coming here to see if they would upload properly here. They are 3 weeks old today!

So - if I can, you will get to see them in action.

Thanks again for coming by!

SFIndie said...

Hi Rev! What a refreshing post. How nice to read about our Hillary. I went to my Facebook page and just joined the SoS Hillary Clinton group. Now I'll be able to track her travels and pretend she's really POTUS. (I have a very active imagination!)

Everything she's accomplished just goes to prove what we all knew - that she was ready on Day 1 and every day thereafter. And I don't believe she's had to take any vacations as yet, unlike a certain incompetent blubbering fool who shall not be named.

My biggest fear is that the more popular she becomes, both at home and around the world, and the less popular he becomes, that his narcissism will cause him to either rein her in or force her to do or say something that will reflect poorly. I hope if it ever comes to that, that she tells him to take a flying f*ck.

Oh Hillary, it shoulda been you.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

SF -

Good to hear from you! Thanks for the great comment, too!

I think you are absolutely right - Obama is already making her life difficult by writing to CHIRAC as opposed to Sarkozy, and claiming that Chavez is exporting terrorism (Chavez called him an "ignoramus"!!). Sigh.

Yes, it should have been her! I signed up, too - I already get photos of her when they are taken from zimbio.com - it's a neat site, btw - you can get photos of just abt anyone (famous), but Hillary is the only one for whom I get them. To hear her speak, to see how people respond to her, completely negates all of the MSM CDS, doesn't it??

Thanks for coming by!