Five Questions: Marcy Wheeler at Netroots Nation 2012

This is another of the short interviews I made while at Netroots Nation last week. Our guest this time is Marcy Wheeler, who blogs at the invaluable emptywheel.net.

The series is called "Five Questions". I asked the same four questions of each respondent and tailored a fifth question to the person I was speaking with.

Except for my own performance, I like the way this turned out. I certainly like the intelligence and diversity of responses, and very much appreciate the time and care each person took to answer.

Marcy was especially interesting. I found her point about the "end of nation-states" oddly synchronistic, considering the about-to-be-leaked TPP trade deal document. (You can read about that here; the TPP trade deal is pretty frightening and needs to be stopped.)

The five questions are:

1. Are we still in a time of pendulum swings in American history, or are we approaching a period in which things could change permanently?
   
   
2. How should progressives think of Democrats — as "we" or "they"?
   
   
3. What should progressive office-holders do differently to get a different, more progressive outcome (i.e., more progressive laws and policies)?
   
   
4. What American future do you see as most likely, even if the likelihood is only marginally more likely than others?
   
   
5. A question tailored to the interviewee.

This interview took place in what seemed like very early morning, considering how late the many conversations had gone the night before. I found that aspect of the conference excellent, by the way; a very good reason for attending next year.

We took a few minutes to chat prior to the appearance of Paul Krugman, Richard Trumka, Erica Payne and others for an on-stage discussion in the main hall. The Krugman video is here, if you wish to view it.

Five Questions: Marcy Wheeler with Gaius Publius, recorded at Netroots Nation 2012. Enjoy:



The full list of "Five Questions" interviews includes the following. Links to names will take you to previously-published interviews.

• Alan Grayson, former (and perhaps future) U.S. Congressman
• Marcy Wheeler, of emptywheel.net
• Cliff Schecter, who comments regularly with Sam Seder at Majority.fm among many other places
• Tom Tomorrow, cartoonist with DailyKos and This Modern World
• Alex Lawson of StrengthenSocialSecurity.org
• Josh Orton, with Russ Feingold's Progressives United
• Frances Causey, producer–director of Heist, the documentary
• Chris Pearson, a Progressive Party Vermont state legislator
• Susan Smith, Progressive Caucus chair of the Florida Democratic Party
• Sarah Burris, labor activist and progressive youth organizer

These interviews will be presented in some order in the upcoming days.

(If you have trouble with this audio, please let me know in the comments and I'll address it as quickly as I can. Thanks.)

GP

To follow or send links: @Gaius_Publius