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Howling in the Wilderness

Jan 12, 2006

maha

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Democratic Party, News Media, Republican Party, blogging

This, then, is the reality: progressive bloggers and online activists - positioned on the front lines of a cold civil war - face a thankless and daunting task: battle the Bush administration and its legions of online and offline apologists, battle the so-called “liberal” media and its tireless weaving of pro-GOP narratives, battle the ineffectual Democratic leadership, and battle the demoralization and frustration that comes with a long, steep uphill struggle.

There is absolutely no coordination — and precious little contact, from what I see — between the Democratic Party and the blogosphere. And don’t even talk about how well we don’t mesh with the so-called “liberal media.” Compare/contrast Jane Hamsher’s post, “This Is How It’s Done,” in which she shows how the Republican Party, a substantial part of news media, and the Right Blogosphere all coordinate their efforts and march in lockstep to get their message out.

Peter Daou continues,

Unfortunately for the progressive netroots, the intricate interplay of Republican persuasion tactics, media story-telling, and 21st century information flow seems beyond the ken of most Democratic strategists and leaders. The hellish reality progressive bloggers have acknowledged and internalized is still alien to the party establishment. Dem strategy is still two parts hackneyed sloganeering and one part befuddlement over the stifling of their message.

Maybe the Democratic establishment wants it so, maybe they don’t know better, but progressive bloggers and activists are starting to see the bitter reality of their isolation: the triangle is broken and they’re on their own until further notice.

Dems? Hello? Dems?

Spotlight

7 Comments

alyosha • Jan 12, 2006 @11:10 pm

What impresses me with Daou’s article is his prescription for what should have happened. His idea of the “triangle” and how it should function is at least gaining traction in some parts of the progressive blogosphere. But damn, I fear it’s too late for the Alito hearings.
k • Jan 12, 2006 @11:39 pm

meanwhile bush is running around the country threatening us for debate which aids and comforts the enemy. Yes Zarqawi( if he exists) is listening carefully to all 300 million of us every thought word and written word to get his aid and comfort. the media dutifully reports his nonsense and Madame Bomgardner’s tears and the point we would like to make about this man’s extremism is completely silent.
Swami • Jan 13, 2006 @12:01 am

the Republican Party, a substantial part of news media, and the Right Blogosphere all coordinate their efforts and march in lockstep to get their message out.

Yeah, that’s because they don’t have to overcome the obstacle of thinking for themselves…they just have to follow like mindless lemmings or brownshirts…and they do, that’s why we call them Kool-Aid drinkers.

From my perspective, the left blogosphere has carried it’s leg of the triangle to it’s proper angle. The problem is, that in order to find the truth, you have to seek the truth and Americans are generally lazy in that regard— they prefer to have others tell them what they should think. Why put yourself through the frustration and mental anguish of reasoning, or the difficulty of trying to express that reason when you can just find peace and security amid the mob with tribe mentality. Give us Barabus, give us Bush!
alyosha • Jan 13, 2006 @12:41 am

Swami, you might call it mindless conformity, but I call it teamwork. The Republicans understand the importance of teamwork, in ways the Democrats can’t even conceive. Teamwork is not a bad thing. Without it, they easily divide and conquer us.

If we want have any hope of winning, we’ve got to start working together.
mikefromtexas • Jan 13, 2006 @3:47 am

A person can spend alot of time on this subject and still miss the real root problem. Conservatives have spent over 30 years and god knows how much money buying up AM radio stations to spread their mantra in areas without any opposing viewpoint and with all the aid of the so called liberal media, they dominate television also. The left has Soros, but the right has a couple dozen with more money than him and they have spent tons of it. The real difference in concepts is that the Dems have, to a lot of extents, tried to represent the people who vote for them, leading to conflict due to the fact that what’s good for one area of the country may not be good for another. The GOP, on the other hand, don’t give a rats ass about that. They are Republicans first, Americans second. Loyalty to the party is the end all, be all of their agenda. With a virtual lock on what passes as media in today’s world they can spin anything they want. With a president preaching that dissent of his word is not to be tolerated, that it aids the enemies of his delusions, putting a stop to this madness is truly an almost nowin situation.
justme • Jan 13, 2006 @3:53 am

Maha , I agree we need to work to find a message to bring unity to the voice of the left, But you said somthing above that rang so true, yet it bothers me. The phrase “march in lockstep” is so so true to define the right, in more ways then one.

I think Democrats need to win for the sake of saving what is left of a great nation.Not just for the sake of winning, which I think most would agree with,but one of the great things about the democratic party is not having to march in lockstep to belong.I agree the message should be lock step but I hope the democrats don’t lose the space for people of all different kinds and many different ideas.

I worry most about the American people winning.And I see the democrats as our best and only hope.But heaven forbid they turn into the republican party to get there.I know you are not sugesting we do, Maha, I just think we should be mindful not to allow it to happen.

I have heard a few on the left comment that we need a karl rove..IMHO that is one of the many things that sets us apart from the rethuglicans and I am PROUD of it.We may need a good person to get the message out ,, but we will never stoop that low I hope.

I think more then anything , your message needs a public ready to listen and I think with each passing day more are ready to listen. Hang your heads high Lefties we have much to be proud of going forward compared to the Gop. And the best ad for voting democrat in 06 is the righties themselves ,, thanks GOP!
Palcewski • Jan 13, 2006 @5:13 am

The Fascists use a well oiled machine that spews out lies in simple, declarative sentences. Over and over and over and over again. They laugh when FDL or any of the other liberal blogs call them on the lies. “Doesn’t matter!,” they say. “We do and say anything we want because we correctly perceive that fully 45 percent of the American electorate are still pissing their pants over 9/11.”

What galls me is that a Jane Hamsher, who tells the truth in elegant and spirited language, makes virtually no impact on the pants pissers, whereas Michelle Malkin and the rest of those wingnuts seem to be driving up Bush’s numbers as we speak.

The tragic thing is that by the time the pants pissers finally wake up, it’ll be too late.