Comments on: The birth of cool? http://blog.localdemocracy.org.uk/2009/07/20/the-birth-of-cool/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed Promoting innovation and a conversational local politics Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:58:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Andrew Brown http://blog.localdemocracy.org.uk/2009/07/20/the-birth-of-cool/comment-page-1/#comment-276 Andrew Brown Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:33:37 +0000 http://blog.localdemocracy.org.uk/?p=1411#comment-276 Not sure whether Gavin Newsom, Mayor of San Francisco, could be described as 'cool' but listening to <a href="http://foratv.vo.llnwd.net/o33/rss/Long_Now_Podcasts/podcast-2009-04-08-newsom.mp3" rel="nofollow">him talk</a> to an audience at the Long Now Foundation (via i-tunes) he's certainly an attractive and apparently open politician. I think it's imperative for our parties to find and encourage people who can communicate beyond mainstream media. Appearing on Question Time is about as useful as taking part in 'debate' with CiFers, being grilled by Humphries is all about avoiding the elephant traps or generating headlines. What neither do is allow politicians to come across as well as they would want. Not sure whether Gavin Newsom, Mayor of San Francisco, could be described as ‘cool’ but listening to him talk to an audience at the Long Now Foundation (via i-tunes) he’s certainly an attractive and apparently open politician.

I think it’s imperative for our parties to find and encourage people who can communicate beyond mainstream media. Appearing on Question Time is about as useful as taking part in ‘debate’ with CiFers, being grilled by Humphries is all about avoiding the elephant traps or generating headlines. What neither do is allow politicians to come across as well as they would want.

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