Todd Van Etten, The Herald Group‘s Chief Digital Strategist, joins the Crummy Little Podcast this week to talk about digital politics and advocacy. The best thing about listening to him talk about this topic is that, because he’s been working in the field for close to a decade, he isn’t distracted by shiny objects. The tech press (and the political tech press especially) tend to chase the flavor of the month in the online space, but Todd takes the long view. It really smartens up the podcast, that’s for sure.

You can click here to listen or download or subscribe on iTunes.

Extras:

• At one point, Todd mentions Epolitics.com’s e-book, Learning from Obama. The first iteration came out in 2009 and chronicled just how President Obama’s 2008 campaign revolutionized online politics; I believe it’s been updated since to reflect the 2012 campaign. But don’t stop there: Epolitics.com has plenty of other resources if you’re interested in learning more.
• Early on, we chat about Meerkat and Periscope, which has nothing to do with Timon from The Lion King running a submarine. Here’s a good post about those social networks if you aren’t familiar with them.
• Todd is worth a follow on Twitter, if only for his avatar.
• Since we recorded the episode, the Republican Party has announced a new data platform for its candidates.
• We do chat a little about Bernie Sanders, since Todd is a graduate of the University of Vermont. We don’t discuss it, but will Sanders bow to the big money interests behind his campaign?