Todd Herman, former Microsoft and MSNBC.com employee and streaming media expert, has been named the Director of New Media for the Republican National Committee. Herman founded and ran SpinSpotter, a startup that provides tools to detect spin in news stories.
Here’s a snippet of Herman’s bio from SpinSpotter’s website:
Todd wrote the initial strategy and business plan for MSN Video and brought over 100 traditional TV brands into Internet video. AdAge Magazine named him “the media guy” at Microsoft/MSN. Before that, he served as co-founder/CEO of theDial, an angel and VC-backed Internet radio pioneer acquired by Loudeye. theDial was the first to welcome Microsoft, Sears, and H&R Block to Internet radio.
Unsurprisingly, Herman said his political affiliation leaned conservative and he’s also made political contributions to the Electronic Freedom Foundation, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the American Center for Law and Justice. The RNC has been criticized recently for lacking a viable technology platform and initiative after the Democratic Party and the Obama campaign launched a comprehensive and innovative web 2.0 plan during the election cycle.
In this video, Herman speaks about the importance of non-media organizations to incorporate online video:
Herman wrote about the new position on his blog here.
Congrats on the new job.
“Herman founded and ran SpinSpotter, a startup that provides tools to detect spin in news stories. ”
Odd his tools should’ve literally exploded everytime Dick Cheney opened his mouth. Since this didn’t happen his tools are suspect…
Why would anyone claim affiliation with the swift boat veterans? You may as well just dump a bucket of sleaze over your head.
he looks fairly angry.
He certainly looks like RNC material all the way.
He’s casually dressed so looks the party of “The social media guy” at the office but still has the grizzled pissed off look because he hates abortion and electric cars.
I want to buy him a shirt, “I follow @JohnMccain on Twitter” OR “I have 4,999 Facebook friends” or just go for the classic, “cheer up emo kid”
He looks like a pedophile.
that’s a bit over the top.
I think I saw him on WWE Smackdown the other night.
Chris Farley?
While Todd and I generally have very different political beliefs – he is as honest and as smart as they come.
Pssssssssst RNC! Microsoft sucks at marketing, especially new media. I would check out hiring away someone from Apple or Twitter.
I guess the other option would be somehow force all US citizens who buy a Windows machine to be automatically use RNCwitter, RNCbook, and RNCTube.
Also, on a side note, what is it with 60 year old Republicans in Congress using Twitter? I know you are all trying to be younger and hip to help get the youth in 2012, but really its like watching you all try to dance to hip-hop. Very very painful. It also has a look of, I am desperate to connect to generation X, Y and Millennials.
So to connect to the youth of America you brought in a Microsoft guy?
Psssst RNC! The youth are moving to Apple products faster than you can say “Rush is allegdly in the socket puppet on my hands opinion, a druggy”.
Wow.
So much misguided political anger at the Republicans.
Make sure you guys don’t put all your eggs in the Obama basket lol. Otherwise, we might have another financial crisis on our hands, courtesy of the economic whims of the Blue States.
> The RNC has been criticized recently for
> lacking a viable technology platform and initiative
The RNC will be rebranded as the BSOD Party. The master plan is to use the Zune as a strategic communications weapon and “squirt” social platitudes to the three fellow Republicans who happen to go to the bookstore. Virus protection software will be mandatory for all delegates.
There are those who support the Swift Boat Vets and those who support ACORN and Peta…
The call for coming together seems to fall on deaf ears for my friends on the left. Wow.
ACORN – encourages citizens to participate in their democracy by voting
PETA – attempts to end the suffering of animals at the hands of humans
Swift Boat Vets – succeeded in discrediting the military accomplishments of one American war hero
wow, all so similar
Oh come on people, stop the cliche blog-o-bitterness. Todd is an excellent guy. Don’t be haters.
And I call the right wing haters! I guess I need to modify my stance (since I’m a liberal, I can do that) and consider that anybody who disagrees with anybody or with any group affiliated with anybody is a target for freely-flung hate. Hey liberal haters, you’d never say such things about Todd, if you knew him.
A simple, congratulations to Todd Herman !
good….. now him and Michael Steele can launch an “off the hook” web 2.0 campaign for RNC
I have known Todd Herman for over a decade and he is an above-board, no bs kind of guy. He doesn’t blindly follow the party line and is just as critical of conservatives as he is of liberals. His anti-knee-jerk approach to politics is sorely needed and I’m frankly appalled at the posters who don’t know him or anything about him making judgements based on a photo and a four sentence biography. Lucky for all of us, Todd isn’t that shallow.