After watching the panel with Digby, Atrios, Paul Krugman, and Rick Perlstein, I can say I see a theme shaping up this year’s Netroots Nation. The assumption hanging over all panels and other get-togethers is that Obama is going to win in November and we’ll be facing what’s basically a new era of liberal blogging, where the Democrats aren’t on the outside and we don’t have Bush-creating-a-dictatorship to protest. Are bloggers going to hold his feet to the fire or are we going to wither and die without an administration to hate? I think the past year has shown, with the marked decline in blogging about Bush Suckors because of his lame duck status, that bloggers don’t run out of opinions because the story is changing. In fact, as the country theoretically moves in a more liberal direction, it’ll be exciting be the on-the-ground chroniclers of the change.
As usual, I’m skittish about the complacency with the idea that Obama is going to win so easily. I mean, it seems that Obama is going to pull way ahead, and especially after he wipes the floor with McCain in the debates. But it’s also clear that the media has chosen their favored candidate and that might be an insurmountable obstacle. And the disproportionate power that underpopulated and rural states have will be a massive factor in this election, as it usually is, but maybe even more so because of the way racism is coming into play this election. I’m just not feeling easy about all this. If you’re planning the dream wedding before you get the ring, you’re setting yourself up for being massively disappointed.
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I still think the poit of media is “how many people read you” and ” are those readers people that matters”?
1. in term of media size, bloggers are puny. It does however control the core of movement very well. It can deliver news analysis fast and right to people who are paying attention. News and analysis that matters is on the blog. Bloggers are not afraid to say things that can’t be said in polite company. (eg.Bush corruption, torture, racket, etc)
2. Blogger don’t control delivery technology end to end yet. (eg. ISP can shut down blogger, NSA/FBI can shut down blogger, etc)
3. Blogger is still about 20-30 something, plus political junkies. General public still watch TV and listen to radio.
4. money, money, money…. (without money, DC won’t notice. delivering vote is nice, swinging few issues are nice. but DC people only understand “MONEY”. So, some blogger really need to get filthy rich, just because…
I don’t know, get together and do IPO for blog-smartphone delivery system or something.)
5. I for one think, as long as Limbough, O’reilly still command nation’s attention, the battle is not over.