Bull Moose asks whether you can accurately judge opinions by reading or monitoring blogs:
Politicians should only pay attention to the bloggers with the understanding that they usually represent the most fevered and extreme elements of their base. Particularly Democratic politicians sould largely ignore them. Democrats need less preaching to the choir and more persuasion and conversion of those who have left the flock or belong to another congregation.
To take a random example, the last thing in the world a Democratic leader should do is to attend a convention of blog readers (that would apply to an assembly of Mooseketeers, as well) – they should use their precious time speaking to VFW conventions, sermonizing at mega-churches and attending NASCAR races. Democrats are a minority party and they must evangelize and proselytize and not pander to the zealots among their flock.
Republicans became the majority party by preaching to non-traditional GOP groups. Democratic leaders should follow that example.
And don’t pay too much attention to those of us who pound on keyboards.
Indeed, we read (and occasionally write) posts that assume that a piece of writing posted on the Internet or a whole bunch of like-minded people going after a subject or stating the same opinion(and sometimes trying to discredit those who have differing ones) will substantially impact the country’s debate. Right…
To be fair, blog influence is definitely growing — particularly because opinion makers and opinion presenters (the news media, talk show hosts, politicos and top business people) are starting to read them with more frequency. Blogs are playing a political role, particularly the right and left blogs, because they can keep party militants together, helping maintain a partisan group think. The old “phone tree” has been replaced by the “URL link.”
But walk up to a guy in a bar who has his head down drinking Jack Daniels, look him right in the eye and say “BLOG” and you’ll probably be missing a few teeth.
“BLOG” is a horrible sounding word to many Americans. It sounds like a fatal disease (“I’m sorry, Mr. Gandelman, you have BLOG which means in 6 months your mind will be totally gone and you’ll start babbling about trolls…”) It’s meaningless to many Americans. But it serves not only an informational but a psychological need.
Once upon a time to feel important you had to go through journalism school, get hired, be allowed to publish OR you had to suffer to get a law degree so you could put it use in the profession for which it’s necessary (Congress), run for office, OR be married to Britney Spears OR win re-election because Jack Abramoff gave you some nice contributions and invited you to an exotic island (no strings attached, of course).
These days, all it takes is a keyboard and a computer and no shame.
Still, blogs are an exciting new infomedium and we’re basically now in the Fred Flintstone Era of what they could become, providing they don’t evolve into being nothing but mouthpieces for political parties and candidates and outlets for party talking points. Comments sections on blogs (including this one) are often the most critical to read. True, commenters are often the same ones. But you can see debates rage and real, authentic analytical thinking as it unfolds.
And Bull Moose? He has taken lot hits lately, and we don’t just mean readers. In case you don’t know who he REALLY is and want to find out more about him just read this.
Footnote: Bull Moose says he is a Republican follower of Teddy Roosevelt. TMV himself is not a Republican but he is a proud member of this group.