Oliver Willis
Location: Takoma Park, MD
Previous Locations: Deham, MA; Watertown, MA; Los Angeles, CA; Delray Beach, FL; Lauderdale Lakes, FL; Silver Spring, MD; Montego Bay, Jamaica
Full Name: Lloyd Oliver Willis, Jr.
Age: 30
Date of Birth: 12/06/77
Place of Birth: Silver Spring, MD
Blogging since: December 2000-present
Work: Web Producer for Media Matters for America
Press
“‘Blogs’ Shake The Political Discourse”
Boston Globe, 7/23/03
Front Page
Oliver Willis, 25, doesn’t match the old-school profile of political influence. He’s not a rich man or a player in Democratic circles; in the 2000 presidential campaign, the most he did was purchase a Gore/Lieberman hat.
But he has a political platform of his own, a website called oliverwillis.com, which he runs from his sparsely furnished apartment in Dedham. And when he posted an essay there, promoting former Vermont governor Howard Dean for Democratic nominee, he drew a flood of comments from people he had never met. When Oliver Willis talks, it turns out, the blogo sphere cares.
The Marketing of a President
Baseline Magazine, 11/17/03
Today, Blog for America is the nerve center for the campaign. New tools, volunteer activity, fundraising goals and returns, and reviews of debates and press coverage are posted almost as soon as events occur. Volunteers can click though to Meetup and other participatory tools. A “blogroll” of links to other online diaries allow visitors to see the support coming from such groups as Progressive Christians for Dean, Republicans for Dean, Deaf Americans for Dean. There are also links to bloggers who write on politics, such as the pseudonymous liberal pundit known as Atrios and Boston blogging wunderkind Oliver Willis, even if they are not avowed Dean supporters.
Campaign dot-com
Boston Phoenix, September 5 - 11, 2003
Another popular blogger, Oliver Willis of Dedham, originally supported John Edwards and even established a separate pro-Edwards blog site. After the campaign repeatedly rebuffed his entreaties for information and support, however, Willis became so disgruntled that he stopped the blog, and has since switched his support to Dean.
Hype
“When Oliver Willis talks, it turns out, the blogosphere cares”
– The Boston Globe
“A Boston-based blogger who is just… cool”
– Joe Conason
“[B]logging wunderkind”
– Baseline Magazine
“[P]opular blogger”
– Boston Phoenix
“Oliver Willis should have his own TV show. Soon.”
– Instapundit
“…intellectually adventurous Redskins fan”
– Matt Welch
“Willis does an excellent job of de-fanging the fanatic left”
– Ken Layne (editor of Wonkette)
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