Ever hear the saying, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? Campaigns are always trying to replicate successful tactics to reach the voters in the most effective manner. This cycle, the focus is on the advancement in internet operations and a familiar face to Blue Jersey readers tells us that they're not starting from scratch:
Just last week, Christie, the Republican, unveiled his alternative energy proposals in an online video and social networking blitz partly aimed at green bloggers. The campaign manager for Corzine, the incumbent Democrat, used a video message to tell supporters that a rally with President Obama moved to a new venue.
That tactic is one of several taken from the playbook of the Obama team, which sent regular dispatches from campaign manager David Plouffe, said Juan Melli, who guides Corzine's new media operation. "There's no point in reinventing the wheel -- you always want to learn from people who do things right," he said.
Both sides really have pushed new media through the campaign. I used to have a Congressional candidate that would say that to me regularly. It only makes sense that these campaigns would try to build on past successful efforts and I know I'm partial, but I'm glad to see who is leading the operation for team Corzine.
Juan Melli, founder of Blue Jersey, has joined the re-election campaign of Gov. Jon Corzine, the campaign announced a few minutes ago. Juan, blogfather to everyone here, will be New Media Director for the campaign.
Juan was also PolitickerNJ.com Politician of the Year in 2006, and a former associate editor there.
We are thrilled and delighted. And let me say, officially, that the Governor could not have made a better choice.
Additional staff hires just announced include former Julie Diaz, of the NJ Obama campaign, as Director of Volunteer Organizing and David York, who worked as Director of Legislative Policy for the Governor, as the campaign's Director of Policy.
On September 28, 2005, the artist formerly known as Blue Jersey Founder Juan Melli brought together a group of bloggers and started BlueJersey.net, because the .com was taken at the time. Here is his first substantive post on the blog for a look back.
Now three years later, we own .com and this is diary #9,158. We're over 1.15 million page views, 3 million visits, have over 2700 users and still have received 0 subpoenas.
Hazelbaker's name earlier came to public attention in connection with an accusation of astroturfing [2] at the time she was press secretary for Tom Kean Jr.'s 2006 campaign for the US Senate in New Jersey. Hazelbaker denied involvement in those activities.
Thank you to our readers for joining us on this wild ride and thanks to Juan for starting this long strange trip.
Congrats to Juan Melli for progressing beyond the ranks of "Mister Melli". Having defended his silly thesis successfully, he is now all-but officially "Doctor Melli".
Juan was unavailable for comment due to his desire to celebrate with his formerly-conjoined twin at SeaWorld. Here's a picture of the Melli twins back in the days when they spent their days lounging in the sun and munching raw fish:
Yes, my photoshop skill suck. No real dolphins - or Juan - were injured in this stupid comedy attempt.
Proving that real men wear pink ties, Juan Melli stands head and shoulders - literally - above the elite of Hudson County politics. Or something like that.
Juan is a bit too modest about these things, so it falls to the rest of us to brag for him. This here Ferrari we're driving was his baby and he has put in untold hours into making it, undisputedly, the leading progressive blog in New Jersey. Thanks for having us along for the ride, Juan, and thanks for doing such a fantastic job.
So, fess up - how many no-show jobs were you offered last night?
...than the poor senatorial primary challenger of Frank Lautenberg that he has been to date?
As we have seen from this lame primary campaign, there really is not much to talk about except Andrews' role in the lead-up to the war in Iraq and Lautenberg being unwilling to debate. The fact of the matter is that there is very little, if anything, for anybody, much less a conservative Democrat like Andrews, to nitpick about in Lautenberg's voting record.
That said, even a conservative Democrat like Rob Andrews could come up with an alternative issues platform with which to emloy in a primary run against Jon Corzine.
We like to think that Blue Jersey's leader Juan Melli is different, a new kind of politico, a game changer, a powerbroker with grassroots appeal.
But, as with so many of our heroes, Melli disappoints. It appears he is as two-faced as any corrupt legislative or Congressional leader. It seems he has no honor, but is more than willing to tell his listeners whatever it is he wants them to hear!
The proof? It's on his Facebook Page! Yes, on Thursday May 1, 2008, Juan Melli became a supporter of both Frank Lautenberg and Rob Andrews. Just in case he, like other conniving politicians in the past, tries to scrub the site clean of the incriminating evidence we took a screen-shot.
This is the tale of Washington Township's Juan Melli, a man lost in his own personal blue period-and loving every second of it.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up the phone to call Juan Melli, Princeton graduate and founder of BlueJersey.com, a political Web site born out of a single blog that has become a prominent resource for local Democrats. We had corresponded a few times via e-mail and IM, but it's tough to gauge personality and tone online-even with a plethora of emoticons at our disposal.
Gotta love the technology age.
Makes me wonder what would have happened if the telephone was invented after e-mail. I can almost hear the excited conversations between friends now... "Wow, you pick up this contraption and you can actually hear the person's voice on the other end!"
"No way! That's incredible."
So, I picked up the device I usually reserve for text-messaging and downloading ringtones and dialed Juan's telephone number. "Hi Jenna," came the surprisingly youthful and easygoing voice on the other end. With the need for introductions out of the way thanks to Juan's adept use of caller ID, I put my interviewer's cap on and we got right down to business.
I began with the obligatory questions about why he started the blog, assuming that, like most people who dabble in politics, he had some high profile political aspirations he was hoping to pursue. I couldn't have been more wrong.
A well-spoken, mild-mannered man with a boyish charm that would certainly befit an aspiring politician, Melli admitted he is more of a "behind-the-scenes" guy who essentially started BlueJersey.com by accident-at least as it exists now. "I never had a vision to create such a vast Web site," he began. "I like politics and had something to say, so rather than just getting frustrated and upset and ranting about the situation, I decided to start writing about it. I basically wanted a constructive venue for venting." He chuckled and continued. "Isn't that why most people start blogging in the first place?"
As his posts started getting attention, however, and as other locals who also had "something to say" began contacting Melli to share their own views, BlueJersey.com was born. "So, it sort of created itself," he mused. "All I did was essentially provide a forum where other like-minded individuals could post their opinions on this topic too.
"But the opinions of all the bloggers are not always in line with mine," he stressed. "And I support that 100 percent. I do not censor the site at all. In fact, people post things I disagree with all the time, and I actually like that. If people are disagreeing with you, it forces you to come up with better arguments, and that's healthy for a good debate." Well, that certainly makes sense, I thought. Articulate, level-headed, likable. Melli certainly had all the makings of a politician. Except one. Near as I could tell, Juan was entirely spin-free, lacking whatever chromosome it is that allows political candidates to weave a magical web of circular logic around you to avoid actually talking about the issues. In fact, Juan takes the exact opposite approach. Full disclosure and complete candor is his mode of choice. And rather than running for the hills (or some summer hideaway in Maine) when the "big issue" comes up, Juan actually takes it head on, steps up to the podium, and makes his opinion known, coupled with a balanced and fact-based rationale for his stance. Imagine that.
Take marriage and civil unions, for example-a topic on which Melli went head-to-head with Peter Sprugg, vice president of the Family Research Council, in a televised debate on the Regional News Network (RNN). Juan makes no secret of his strong support of gay marriage, and it's ruffled more than a few feathers since September 2005 when BlueJersey.com made its debut on the World Wide Web.
"I've definitely gotten my share of hate mail about this," Melli noted. "It's a topic that can get very heated, but I don't let it bother me." Not letting it bother him is an understatement. Melli admitted to actually stirring the pot a bit when nasty e-mails hit his inbox. "Sometimes I'll send a response that just says 'muah'," he laughed jokingly. But he wasn't joking.
"You mean, you don't respond with the same balanced answers that you give in a debate?" I inquired.
"Not at all." He laughed again. "They usually aren't interested in engaging in a productive discussion on the topic. They just want to tell me how wrong and immoral I am for thinking the way I do. So I show them that it doesn't phase me with a pithy, unexpected response."
How very unpolitician of him, like the way he seeks out-and seems to relish in-controversy. Last year, for example, during the Bob Menendez/Tom Cain senate campaign, Melli got wind that Jill Hazelbaker from Cain's office had opened three separate BlueJersey.com accounts for the sole purpose of slamming Menendez. That's when Melli publicly exposed her. And by "got wind," I mean Melli employed his Internet sleuthing skills to find the IP and e-mail addresses Hazelbaker used to register, which he traced directly back to her office.
And by "publicly exposed her," I mean he outed her right on the site with a notation next to all of her "anonymous" posts that read, "This is from Jill Hazelbaker from Tom Cain's office." If ever the term "kibosh" were applicable, it would be in this instance. Juan Melli most certainly put the kibosh on Jill Hazelbaker and her slanderous campaign tactics.
As one might expect, Hazelbaker's office skirted the issue with a quick sound byte of, "It's a blog; you can't believe what's posted on blogs." Typical. Bureaucracy 101 at its best.
That was a pretty sensational story for what Melli still regards as a "small time" site. But with 2,176 registered users and between 1,000 and 1,500 unique visitors per day, BlueJersey.com is anything but small time. And when campaign representatives use the site to try and sway votes, that's a pretty strong testament to the perception in the market of how significant BlueJersey.com has become for reaching the Democratic party in New Jersey. Influencing voters is CNN territory.
But when I asked what big plans Juan has in store for BlueJersey as a result of its impressive growth to date, he responded in his friendly, unassuming way with a "who knows."
"The possibilities are endless, and I'm just kind of going with the flow," he said. "If you had told me two years ago that I'd be on a list ahead of Donald Trump, I never would have imagined it-or believed it." But that's exactly what happened when PoliticsNJ.com published their "2007 Power List" of the most powerful political influencers in New Jersey (not including elected officials), on which Juan was number 17, beating Mr. Trump by three slots.
And the year before, Juan was also named "Politician of the Year" by Politics NJ. Now that's impressive.
But despite the positive press and fame that Juan's received with features in publications like The Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier Post, and a recent appearance on Fox-29, he remains the same person he was in 2005 when his blogging began. A passionate, down-to-earth citizen just trying to share his views and raise awareness of state politics. "At the end of the day," Juan remarked, "I simply want to offer a forum for other people's voices. That's really what's most important to me-even more so than getting my own views heard."
And it seems Juan Melli is a bit of philanthropist as well.
"Too many people put the blinders on when it comes to state politics because they don't think it's as sexy as national politics," he went on, the first hints of excitement bellowing from his low key demeanor. "But much of what's happening on the federal level begins at the state, and I feel like federal is falling down on civil rights, climate change and stem cell research," he stated emphatically. "And Jersey is leading the way in these areas.
"If BlueJersey.com can help local New Jersey residents realize how interesting and important it is to understand-and be part of-your state's politics, I'll consider this endeavor a huge success."
That's the kind of passion that can inspire a nation. So I prodded a bit more about whether he'd be open to at least the possibility of running for office at any point down the road. But once again, he firmly held his ground. "I wouldn't want to go through the process that politicians go through," he explained. "You'll get smeared for anything in your history, and I wouldn't want to drag my family through that."
That's certainly respectable, but what skeletons could possibly be lurking in this seemingly squeaky-clean citizen's closet?
"Well, in college I had this blog," Melli offered openly as visions of juicy details flitted through the transom of my overactive writer's mind, "and my friends and I would pull innocent pranks and post photos of them. I'm sure that would be dredged up if I were to ever run!" He let out a hearty laugh.
I admit his response was a lot tamer than what I had concocted in my imagination, but certainly fitting of the amiable, mellow guy with whom I'd spent the past hour chatting. He was actually starting to feel like more of a buddy than an interviewee. And one thing's for certain, whether he runs for office or not, Juan Melli and BlueJersey.com have definitely got my vote. And I'm a Republican!
Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 4 Issue 10 (January, 2008). ???Author: Jenna Snowden; Photo by Mattie Studios, Inc. ?
"I think I'm just a person giving my opinion, just as I would share my thoughts with a friend, I'm putting it on the Internet so everyone can read it."
--Juan Melli explaining to the Courier Post that he's not a hero, he's just doing his job.
The Courier-Post has a profile of Blue Jersey in today's paper: S.J. man's political blog soars. The only minor correction is that our traffic over the last year has ranged from about 30,000 to 50,000 unique visitors per month, not 15,000 - 50,000 as the article states.
It's an informative piece. For example, I learned that blogs are kind of like nuclear weapons and gas chambers:
"There is, of course, a darker side to the blogs, because like any technology, it can be used for good or evil." [Richard Harris, professor of political science at Rutgers-Camden]
Fear the EVIL BLOGS!! Bwahahaha!! All snarking aside, check it out.
[L] The lunch crowd during Jon Corzine [R] and Hillary Clinton.
[L] Congressman Pallone leads the Progressive Legislation Panel while Bill Castner catches up on sleep. [R] Me speaking during the panel. Also pictured is Neptune Deputy Mayor Randy Bishop.
[L] Jeff and Jay pontificate and discuss important things on the Blue Jersey radio show like campaign finance reform and Jay's crush on Carla Katz. [R] Jeff talks to Blue Jersey radio guest NJ Democratic party chairman Joe Cryan.
Today, PoliticsNJ released its much-anticipated list of New Jersey's top 100 political power-brokers, and none other than our very own Juan Melli was named the 17th most politically influential personality in the state.
The anti-machine liberal blogger has emerged as the Pied Piper of the progressive wing of the New Jersey Democratic Party, with no hesitation of criticizing fellow Democrats if he thinks they've wandered off his reservation.
Of course, Juan is numero uno in our book. But, hey - considering BlueJersey.com has not yet celebrated our 2nd Birthday - 17th is none-too-shabby.
Congratulations to our favorite Politician of the Year, and to our many friends and, er, acquaintances on the list.
Before the first Democratic debate, an alliance of liberal and conservative bloggers, advocacy groups, technologists, and others asked the DNC and RNC to require debate video to be available on the internet. I'm proud to remind you that our own founder, Juan Melli, was one of the original signers of the letter to the DNC. This led to presidential candidates Obama, Edwards and Dodd to join this call.
Due to the historical nature of presidential debates and the significance of these forums to the American public, CNN believes strongly that the debates should be accessible to the public. The candidates need to be held accountable for what they say throughout the election process.
The presidential debates are an integral part of our system of government, in which the American people have the opportunity to make informed choices about who will serve them. Therefore, CNN debate coverage will be made available without restrictions at the conclusion of each live debate.
We believe this is good for the country and good for the electoral process. This decision will apply to all of CNN?s presidential debates, beginning with the upcoming New Hampshire debates in June.
I don't think the importance of this can be overemphasized. Anyone with access to the internet can comment on the debate, and place (or link to) video on sites like youtube. As an example, see how these videos present Romney and Giuliani's former views. Liberals, conservatives, moderates, speech coaches, fashion analysts -- anyone interested -- can analyze the candidates, while linking to evidence.
In contrast, the MSNBC model is that no one else can use the debate video. What Romney said last week was totally inconsistent, but it would be illegal for me to post a clip thanks to MSNBC. There was, however, an entertaining game where you can rate the candidates after seeing the clip MSNBC chooses. What fun!
Which is a healthier democracy? Shall we have a vigorous debate where all are free to join in, or will a few news divisions (now known as profit centers) of multinational corporations control the debate? I'm glad to see the bloggers, the presidential candidates, and CNN are on the right side. I hope it spreads to all debates, not just presidential but at the state and local level. Juan and his colleagues have helped us all.
When I got on the set, I was confused because the teleprompter on the camera I was using had stuff about "girls gone wild". I didn't realize Blue Jersey had branched out so far beyond politics.
A voice for Blue Jerseyans? You know it! According to the Philly Inquirer, "in just 16 months, blogger Juan Melli and his Web site, bluejersey.com, have become a galvanizing force for New Jersey liberals and an increasingly influential must-read for the politically inclined."
Students around the state are celebrating the memory or Dr. Martin Luther King in song, words and pictures. Personally, to honor Dr. King's legacy, I have recommitted myself to resist the forces of oppression. Intimes like these, it's also worth remembering Dr. King's anti-war resistance.
Finally, stay tuned for an updated list of Committee assignments on the Hill. This week we should finally learn where the entire New Jersey delegation ends up, as well as who's heading up what committee. My prediction? Garden State Congressmen pick up two more chairmanships: Rep. Andrews on the Workforce and Pensions Committee and Rep. Payne on the Africa and Human Rights Subcommittee. Stay tuned. You'll probably find out here first.
So it's a long weekend, BlueJersey. How cool it that?
Congrats to Blue Jersey founder Juan Melli on being named PoliticsNJ's Politician of the year. It is very much deserved. Check this line out...
It's not easy to balance an aggressive activist bent with the ability to work with the established politicos, but Melli and the folks at Blue Jersey, the progressive blog he started, have been able to do it. The online presence is often caustic and pointed, and willing to take on powerful Democrats like Sen. Bob Menendez after his fall vote to authorize wiretaps without warrants, or to ridicule Governor Jon Corzine for flip-flopping on property tax reform. But Melli is able to tap fellow Blue Jersey bloggers and his own real world network to get podcast interviews with these same politicos -- including Menendez -- and get them to give blunt assessments on the record. The reason is that Melli is always fair and unwilling to go after someone unless it is deserved, and politics watchers, from the most radical activist to the most entrenched politicos, know it.
Great job Juan and thanks for all your hard work! And for the Jill Hazelbaker's of the world who believe you can't believe whats on blogs, a blogger just won politician of the year. How bout dem apples?
Yesterday I went up to New York to tape a debate on marriage equality. It aired last night at 7pm on RNN.
The debate was against Peter Sprigg, Vice President for Policy at the Family Research Council - an extremist, intolerant, hate group whose leader Tony Perkins has longstanding ties to white supremacist groups. These guys are really the fringe of the fringe.
Mr Sprigg's resume includes valiantly taking on Sponge Bob Square Pants for brainwashing our children into being gay:
"Ultimately we feel that this is being used as propaganda to indoctrinate very small children to accept a different definition of family."
Real looney toons stuff, all of them. So that's the context for this debate. Keep in mind this is my first time on tv, so ummmm, I wasn't ummmmm, very good at ummmmm formulating my ummm thoughts.
Congrats to Blue Jersey founder Juan Melli on being named 
