Still missing the point of political blogger power
Steve Safran August 14th, 2006
On Fox News’s “The Beltway Boys,” old-schoolers Fred Barnes and Mort Kondracke continue to see trees where the giant forest is on the political blogger front. Discussing the Ned Lamont/Joe Lieberman race:
BARNES: Now, I think political bloggers are important. But on the other hand, they’re still about the most overrated phenomenon I’ve ever seen in politics…
KONDRACKE: …more and more people are going to get computers all the time, and the bloggers figure that people have nothing better to do than to sit there and sound off with their political opinions.
Gentlemen, while the average voter does not read political blogs, politicians do, political activisits do, and the media - which chooses the stories - does. How do you think the tone of the election gets set? How do you think a grasroots political movement catches fire? You want an overrated phenomenon? I suggest bloviating “experts.”
3 Comments Add your own
1. Cory | August 14th, 2006 at 7:57 am
The “more and more people are going to get computers all the time” line is nearly as ridiculous as the “tubes” in Senator Stevens’ head.
2. Jim Kearney | August 14th, 2006 at 8:06 am
Bloggers have been most influential in cases like the Dan Rather scandal, when Powerline blogger Scott Johnson exposed the false documents CBS was using to make its case. Factual research, not commentary, is the blogosphere’s journalistic strength.
By the way, Barnes and Kondracke well understand bloggers contributions to the political process. They are regular guest on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show. Hewitt, the author of “Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That’s Changing Your World” uses his show to move top blogger research into the mainstream. For example military blogs, with first hand war reports, frequently find a larger audience via Hewitt’s radio show.
Internet fundraising caught the attention of the major parties during 2003-4, but it came at a price. The major parties are realizing that web activists (as seen in the Dean and Lamont campaigns) over-represent fringe elements and have less appeal to the wider electorate.
Old school voters value reasoned arguments from both parties, and The Beltway Boys offer representative thinking from the best that the liberal and conservative viewpoints have to offer.
3. lucy | January 19th, 2008 at 5:20 am
Wow, thanks for the excellent information!
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