We have no interest in being anti-establishment,” says Matt Stoller, a blogger at the popular Web site MyDD.com. “We’re going to be the establishment.” That kind of flamboyant confidence has become the hallmark of blog evangelists who believe that blogs promise nothing less than a populist revolution in American politics. In 2006, at least some of that rhetoric is becoming… return to article
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Reader Comments (8)Page 1 of 1 pagesI am now technically a senior citizen. I am still pissed off. I still play music loud.
However...I have learned that no matter what I write...somebody will throw a literary monkey wrench at me.
What will happen if I write?:
All cows eat grass.
Posted by John Olsen on Feb 6, 2006 at 8:33 PM Until someone can effectively challenge the Dem/Rep two-headed monster, until big-money’s political power is mitigated, until more than the traditional 50-or-so percent of registered voters get off their ass on election day, until the electorate care to do more than imbibe sound-bites when choosing candidates…
...then no, progressive politics will not be revolutionized. Politics at large will drag on in much the ordinary way, with insipid or haranguing mainstreamers dominating the scene and “progressives” (fill in your own definition of this term) at the fringe like before. Same old story, same old song and dance.
Technological advances don’t really change things much in the absence of attitude changes. It’s when people think about things differently that society evolves, which is why “social progress” (again, fill in your definitions at will) is so halting and sporadic.
Posted by Kuya on Feb 7, 2006 at 3:27 AM This is a fine over-view of blogs and bloggers. The questions you raise are legitimate and the potentials you point out are real. Yes blogs are just the newest meida tool for the left to learn to use in it’s organizational struggles. Or more properly the internet, as you point out.
But the net, because of it’s two-way many-to-many nature will remain a more democratic medium than newspapers, radio and tv. Like the telephone, the rich will still be better able to use it, but like the telephone, how it’s used will be an audience choice rather than the propagandists’ choice.
Now let me quibble. You say:
“Others act as unofficial advisers to top politicos like Rep. Rahm Emmanuel (D-Ill.), who holds conference calls with preeminent bloggers to talk strategy.”
I think the quote above is either in error or it’s pure spin on the part of Emanuel. I have heard the quote in reference to Moulitas, and I have read his denial of everyhaving talked strategy with Emanuel.
I also know that Emanuel is the subject of heated denuciations within both national and local blogs for his handling of the DCCC 2006 campaign efforts. Indeed Chris Bowers of MyDD once suggested that it might be necessary to mount a national campaign against Emanuel’s meddling in the IL-O6 race where he inserted “his own” candidate where Christine Cegelis was already established as a candidate.
Indeed our own local Chicago/Midwest blog www.SoapBlox.net/Chicago/ has been engaged in a running battle between progressives upset with Emanuel and those who would give him the benefit of the doubt. With a strong finger on the pulse of all the local midwest blogs, we hear of no communication between Emanuel and any left or Democratic bloggers. Indeed that is our number one complaint about Emanuel, that he appears even hostile to progressives .
Jeff Wegerson
www.SoapBlox.net/Chicago/
Posted by Jeff Wegerson on Feb 7, 2006 at 9:28 AM Big talk from leftist losers.
The organization, fund raising, polls, endorsements, conventions, talk radio, and websites mean absolutely nothing until the left learns how to win elections. Winning elections depends on putting together a coherent philosophy and programs that appeal to voters. In this vital effort the left is losing ground, and is now engaging in internecine warfare that will further damage its decrepit credibility. In fact, leftist websites and political efforts generate noise and money, but not results. Conservative websites and efforts generate results. Consider:
Kos endorsed fifteen leftist candidates in his actblue website and raised one-half million dollars for them. Every single one of the Kos candidates lost in the 2004 elections.
Dan Rather attempted to pass fraudulent forgeries off as legitimate military correspondence to damage President Bush’s re-election efforts. After Rather and ABC had spent years, lots of money, and much effort on this political hack job, the forgeries were exposed as blatant fakes within hours by the Conservative websites, and Danny Boy was out of a job.
John Kerry won the Democratic presidential nomination, and attempted to portray himself as both a war hero and an anti-war hero, giving a graphic illustration of just how confused he is. The Swift Boat Vets produced a grass roots effort to expose Kerry’s dishonesty and hypocrisy, and contributed substantially to his defeat. Most of us who were in Vietnam think that Kerry is a lying bastard, and therefore think that the left ought to nominate him again.
The Dims are currently going through a scandal-of-the-month exercise to discredit the Administration and the war effort: Abu Ghraib, Plame Gate, FISA fakery, smear the highly qualified SC nominees, whatever. None of this has touched the Administration, but it has made the Dims look even more foolish than normal. Hinderaker eviscerated Durbin at the news briefing yesterday. Check it out if you haven’t seen it.
George Soros and his ilk spent tens of millions of dollars of their own money to defeat President Bush in 2004. Now they are making big plans to spend even more money next election. Good luck, Soros and ilk!
Leftalk radio is on life support, void of listeners and unable to pay bill without charity from leftist supporters with more money than smarts.
This country genuinely needs a viable second party in order to function most efficiently. The Dims have lost the ability to function as a second party, or to function at all, from all appearances. What we do not need is more leftist corruption and inefficiency. Communist corruption and inefficiency destroyed the Soviet Union, socialist corruption and inefficiency are destroying Old Europe, and the leftist Dims would be happy to follow the same path; fortunately, they can’t get the votes, and they have no program to get the votes, but they do write exceptionally stupid articles - like this one.
Posted by scorp on Feb 7, 2006 at 3:37 PM Today’s the first time I ‘came across’ Lakshmi Chaudry’s evocative article on blogs. I must say, I think it’s quite possibly the best article I’ve ever read on a modern-day method of communication!
KUDOS to Mr. Chaudry! Whew! Certainly the prospect of ‘democratizing’ a medium is anathema to the white male war dawgs in D.C. For that reason alone, folk interested in what the U.S.A. Constitution stands for, even though written by slaveholders, should flock to it. Hope springs eternal!
Thank you, thank you all,
‘Nuff Respect, Carol Taylor R.N. First Black U.S.A. Flight Attendant, President/Founder: The Institute for “Interracial” Harmony, Inc. http://www.racismtest.com
P.S. “M.Y.C.O.R.E. Many Colors-One ‘Race” - to everyone! Let’s come on outta’ the C.C.A.G.E.S. Colorism, Classism, Ageism, Genderism and Sexism! PEACE.
Posted by RADIKALGAL on Feb 11, 2006 at 11:11 AM bush job approval
2006 Feb 9-12
39 approve
56 disapprove
4 no opinion
http://www.financialexpress-bd.com/index3.asp?cnd=2/16/2006§ion_id=4& p;newsid=15997&spcl=nowhat a lame duck president, Cheney, rummy, rove,bush, should go on a hunting trip, give cheney a 12 gauge shot gun and give him 2 weeks to report back.
Posted by brian28 on Feb 15, 2006 at 11:18 AM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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Also by Lakshmi Chaudhry
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