Shira Toeplitz of National Journal had the scoop yesterday on Fred Thompson's full Internet team.
Of note, Thompson has tapped fellow TechPresident contributor, Mike Turk, as his "chief architect," heading up the team and wrangling the consultants. I don't really understand the title, but I guess it sounds stronger and more senior than "online political director," which lends well to the theory that Thompson is going to have a very strong Internet presence.
I suspected Turk was making a go at the position with Thompson a while ago after reading these two posts on his blog:
Turk was a strong choice for Thompson, and I'm not just saying that because he's really one of the only qualified Republicans left in the room. Turk's innovative online efforts on the Bush-Cheney 2004 team were far ahead of the Kerry-Edwards ticket and helped capture the grassroots energy which was pumping strong for Bush. Recently, Turk has taken off the gloves with regard to how the GOP is doing online. He's pissed off quite a few people in the establishment, but his point has hit its mark for a candidate like Thompson looking for something better, different.
Fred's grassroots energy is very real, like a million lightning bugs flying throughout America, distributed. If Turk can get all of that light in the bottle, he'll have enough power to light the room and push through the cluttered primary race which has very few people excited.
To help Turk along, the big addition on his team which stands out to me is the lesser-known Todd Zeigler of the Bivings Group. Zeigler is a professional, a devout Republican, a tech geek, and we share a similar work ethic and passion. Zeigler's name may not be a household name or the guy talking about technology with reporters, but he's constantly digging in to new technology to find practical and meaningful solutions for his clients.
Aiding the blog outreach effort will be Jon Henke, blogger, former modern media staffer for Mitch McConnell, and the guy George Allen's team brought in after the "macaca" iceberg had already sunk the ship. Henke's one of the best in town, is extremely well-respected in the conservative 'sphere, is a very good writer, and is likely one of the smartest people who will be working on the effort.
One interesting element which could help Team Thompson is that both Turk and Henke lean heavily to the Libertarian-wing of the Party (if I can say that they're Republicans). The dynamic of their own political ideology will make a difference in a 'sphere which is increasingly frustrated with the Republican Party establishment. The instincts of Turk and Henke will more often than not - be right on the money and will be an asset as they provide counsel to Thompson.
As for the rest, it's a strong team all around. Some of the folks I'm familiar with, others I'm not. Most are well-known quantities in Washington political circles which will help pull more talent as Fred climbs in the polls.
If Fred wins, it won't be because of his online team. It's not about them.
It'll be because of the Revolution.
This team understands that more than any others in the field.
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