Have the Democrats won the web war?

[T_i_B]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6671775.stm

Whether announcing their candidacy online or rueing the release of revealing video clips, no contender for the White House in 2008 can ignore the power of the internet. Barely a week goes by without a political story breaking on a blog or social networking site like YouTube and MySpace.

But according to conservative bloggers who met at the Washington Times last week, the battle is already as good as won - and not by them. They believe their rivals on the left of the political spectrum - and the Democrats they are backing - have the edge in organisation, message and clout. And that, they say, that could cost the Republicans dear in 2008.

Observers explain the gap by arguing that bloggers on the left are united in one aim - getting a Democrat into the White House in 2008 - whereas the right is more fragmented. The left has also rallied to the cause of ending the war in Iraq.

In addition, blogging emerged at a time when the Republicans controlled both Congress and the White House - and was embraced by the left as the ideal platform for grassroots, bottom-up activism.

[gobblechops]

1. lol

I think it has more to do with we don't have a fox news and when they say what they really think online they look like racist intolerant jerks that no one wants to be seen supporting publicly =)

[BobRossi]

2. And it has no effect.

The dems that we elected are a bunch of do-nothing cowards hell bent on enabling shrub's war.

[elocs]

3. The left is united in one aim and not fragmented like the Republicans?

I see here many that will go to all lengths to pump their preferred candidate and trash the others. Hell, if the Republicans want ammo to use against the Democrats all they need to do is to read DU. Pumping your own candidate is one thing, but the other Democratic candidates don't need to be trashed. Support your pet issues by all means, but don't paint Democrats as being usless if they do not do things exactly your way or as fast as you like.

[DFW]

5. Amen to that, but good luck

As a party, we're about as united as the Arabs of the Middle East.

But even so, if one reads the right-wing blogs, the number of totally
whacko posters there make our self-destructive rantings here seem like
little more than a family squabble in their intensity. We bash each other
over "Obama said this" and "Hillary said that," while they discuss nuking
Tehran and Boston. It's not even close.

[elocs]

9. I talking about our candidates (I am undecided at this time)

Clinton gets trashed, Obama gets trashed, Edwards gets trashed--by us. Republicans just have to look at what Democrats said about their own candidate to know how to campaign against that person. Making your own candidate appear taller does not mean tearing down another Democrat.

[Egnever]

So all you want is good reports?

How can you make an informed decision only looking at the things you like about a candidate and ignoring any bad? Attitudes like yours boggle mr. If we took your route all of them would win. A choice needs to be made and to make an informed decision you need to take in all facets of a candidate including the negatives.

If you think the right isn't going to repeat every negative you see here on DU with or without Dem's pointing them out first you are sorely mistaken.

[Egnever]

8. So all you want is good reports?

How can you make an informed decision only looking at the things you like about a candidate and ignoring any bad? Attitudes like yours boggle mr. If we took your route all of them would win. A choice needs to be made and to make an informed decision you need to take in all facets of a candidate including the negatives.

If you think the right isn't going to repeat every negative you see here on DU with or without Dem's pointing them out first you are sorely mistaken.

[elocs]

10. I'm sorry you are so easily boggled. Must make life tough.

I don't see much difference done here to our own candidates by us than what the Republicans would do. That's not exactly anything to brag about. We don't need to cannibalize our own in order to win. So many here evidently feel it is their constitutional duty to expose the negative facets of candidates other than their own and they take such delight in doing it.

[Egnever]

11. Why should there be a difference?

I am not in any sort of hero worship of any of these candidates and I am counting on one of them to stand at the helm of this country and do the right thing. If I was like you and closed my eyes to any of the negatives they had then I would be making a poor choice.

There has to be due dilligence in when considering your options for a position of such importance. Your wish to hide your head in the sand and pretend there are no negatives is a big contributing factor to what has gotten us where we are today. Too many people elected Bush because they thought he was a good guy and refused to look at all the negatives that came with their favorite drinking budy you want to do the same thing but for a democrat instead.

I must say that I am quite easily boggled when it comes to the willfull ignorance of many people on this planet but contrary to your pitfull flame it makes life much easier as I am not shocked when the true colors of a situation show themselves. Where people like you stand there with their pud in their hand wondering what the hell happened to that great guy they heard so much about.

If you cant take the heat get out of the kitchen this place hasnt even begun to get hot yet. If you doubt it go look in the archives at the last primary season.

[GeorgeGist]

4. Simple answer ...

The Web War has barely begun

[Arugula Latte]

6. Thankfully -- Did you see this thread? ... Encouraging stuff.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=930163&mesg_id=930163

[T_i_B]

7. No I didn't

And to be perfectly honest, I tend to take more of an interest in the UK blogosphere anyway.

And I find that over here it's the other way around. The Conservative party is benefitting from being in opposition to a fairly unpopular Labour government and are (more or less!) united about what they want. That's a small part of the reason why it's RW bloggers such as Iain Dale and Guido "worst hack on the internet" Fawkes who lead the way over here.