Grassroots power?
Dana Blankenhorn has always been good to us Athenian bloggers, and his latest piece on the netroots' impact on the upcoming State Senate races is a good, ableit brief read.
My only concern is that I think too much credit is being given to us, particularly with regard to online activism in Oconee County. Regardless of the work of bloggers, Oconee County is still overwhelmingly Republican, so I'd disagree and say it's a bit of a stretch to suggest that bloggers can sway a firmly entrenched electorate.
While I do think the Athenian blogosphere has pushed the debate on some issues in Athens-Clarke County, it's important to not put the cart before the horse. I shudder at the hyper-righteousness and self-importance claimed by national political blogs on both sides of the political spectrum (Daily Kos and Powerline jump right into my mind as examples of both), so let's be careful here.
Candidates win elections based on a variety of factors, and in this age of technology blogs are a vital media employed by campaigns to disseminate their messages. Still, there are a lot of other factors at work ... particularly with regard to political campaigns in districts which heavily lean toward one political affiliation or another.
My only concern is that I think too much credit is being given to us, particularly with regard to online activism in Oconee County. Regardless of the work of bloggers, Oconee County is still overwhelmingly Republican, so I'd disagree and say it's a bit of a stretch to suggest that bloggers can sway a firmly entrenched electorate.
While I do think the Athenian blogosphere has pushed the debate on some issues in Athens-Clarke County, it's important to not put the cart before the horse. I shudder at the hyper-righteousness and self-importance claimed by national political blogs on both sides of the political spectrum (Daily Kos and Powerline jump right into my mind as examples of both), so let's be careful here.
Candidates win elections based on a variety of factors, and in this age of technology blogs are a vital media employed by campaigns to disseminate their messages. Still, there are a lot of other factors at work ... particularly with regard to political campaigns in districts which heavily lean toward one political affiliation or another.
posted by Jmac at 7:00 AM
4 Comments:
Good points, though I'm a tad confused. :)
But, yes, I do agree with you - change takes time, and I think grassroots activism (with blogs being one form) will bring about change. So far be it from me to discount that, as that wasn't my intent.
Podcast. Podcast. Podcast.
I'm just saying.
It's all about turnout. The reality is that the old folks show up and vote at much higher rates than the age groups encompassed by the average blog reader. See: Dean, Howard.
I'm with JMac here. Blogs are one small piece of the media picture that informs and influences voters.
Darren
So come out to eat at Gautreau's June 1st or help us July 6th at Maison Bleu and we might rekindle a Democratic resurgence in Oconee. WE NEED YOUR HELP
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