Political Warfare: Closing The Blog Gap
Political warfare in America is usually asymmetric. One side adopts a new tactic and temporarily holds an advantage; competitors then respond and try to even the score. After a temporary equilibrium, new weapons get deployed, throwing things out of balance yet again. This back-and-forth pattern is playing out once more in today’s new age of digital politics. For example, Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives approach the blog world with their own unique styles, attitudes and pace. But the political application of this growing form of digital democracy has witnessed an uneven progression, to say the least.
Over the past five years, liberals clearly jumped out to an early lead in blog politics, as technology poured gas on the flames of their discontent, creating an explosion of blogosphere activity on the left. But while conservatives and Republicans did not embrace “netroots” politics immediately, that too is changing. As the digital-politics war continues, an increasing number of conservative and Republican activists recognize the dangers of the Blog Gap and the need to close it.
What started out as an obscure fundraising tool utilized by the Howard Dean campaign in 2003 and 2004 has become an integral and growing part of American politics. Blogs play a role in every part of the modern political campaign, including citizen mobilization, advertising, issue communication and voter feedback.
No group, however, mixes technology with political vitriol more than the liberal blogosphere. A quick review of the most popular Democratic and Republican weblogs also underscores this point. Several liberal blogs receive over one million weekly views, according to BlogAds.com, while none of the conservative sites reaches those numbers.
Why the blogosphere became such a popular tool among Democrats is a complicated topic, but several factors deserve mention. First, liberal bloggers share anger toward the war in Iraq and President Bush. Rage is their organizing principle, a focused wrath not evident among conservatives. Second, with Republicans controlling the White House and both houses of Congress after 2002, bloggers on the left rallied with one mission — to beat the Republicans. Third, most liberal bloggers consider themselves activists, engaged in a cause, rather than pundits analyzing policy. The conservative side of the blogosphere is populated with more thoughtful commentators who make detailed arguments about ideas. Readers of liberal blogs get a feast of ad hominem argument, vulgarity and raw anger. Finally, liberal blogs publish more online diaries by ordinary citizens and encourage local involvement and commentary. On the conservative side, content is more national in scope and written by “front-page” bloggers with fewer opportunities for readers to take action.
Until recently, we knew relatively little about the electoral effectiveness of the left-leaning blogosphere. But Villanova University political scientist Matthew R. Kerbel argues these liberal digital activists provide measurable political benefits for the Democrats. His paper presented at the American Political Science Association in August 2007 finds bloggers boost the number of contested seats, increase the donor base, encourage the emergence of more “hybrid campaigns” (those using a mix of new media techniques) and enhance the success of non-federal campaigns.
Mr. Kerbel concludes, “The combined picture presented by these metrics is one of an emerging progressive blogosphere, effective in political organizing and campaigning. It was a force in the 2006 election, recruiting and supporting long-shot candidates who were able to take advantage of a favorable political climate and contribute to the size of the Democratic wave in the House, Senate and non-federal contests.” The liberal blogosphere cannot take complete credit for Democrats’ success in the 2006 congressional elections, according to Mr. Kerbel. But they did position the party, in terms of candidate recruitment, money and messaging, to take advantage of favorable conditions that developed late in the cycle.
Liberal blogs held a clear advantage in the 2006 election cycle, expanding and exploiting their digital throw-weight. And without the reservoir of “Bush hatred” that fueled the growth of digital politics on the left, it’s unclear whether conservatives can close the Blog Gap. Republicans and conservatives need to find their own niche in this space that fits the temperament and style of their activists and fully support these projects. This is no political Cold War. When it comes to the blogosphere, liberals possess a major institutional advantage in their electoral arsenal, and more digital missiles are on the way. Conservatives should prepare to launch theirs.
WT article by Gary J. Andres here.
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“…it’s unclear whether conservatives can close the Blog Gap. ” Say what? This guy doesn’t spent much time on the net doing any research does he? There’s a ton of conservative blog sites online. WTF is he talking about? Close the gap? LOL.
October 25th, 2007 at 9:54 amthe blogging business had a great deal here for the last elections ; actally they were avangeous for the left too, but in finale, only TV discussions or TV reports made the difference
October 25th, 2007 at 9:58 amavantageous
October 25th, 2007 at 10:02 am“Several liberal blogs receive over one million weekly views, according to BlogAds.com, while none of the conservative sites reaches those numbers.”
I agree with that but I’d bet ALOT of those “views” of Lib sites are from Conservatives wondering just how crazy those fucks really are. The Libs on the other hand are pretty smug about their ‘08 election chances and dismiss Conservatives pretty quickly. Which is OK with me…. keep doin’ that.
October 25th, 2007 at 10:16 amHustle on over to DailyKos
can you get arguments from there that you can make yours ?
October 25th, 2007 at 10:38 amStill smartin over being Pwned here???
October 25th, 2007 at 10:49 amFuck off frenchie.
kug mal
http://www.dailymotion.com/search/Romney /video/x3ahnq_ive-made-a-huge-mistake_news
October 25th, 2007 at 11:03 amWith Hillary as the Dems candidate I doubt the conservatives have to write anything. Social welfare mama speaks for it self, i.e. don’t vote for her. Obama is courting the Al Gore camp, i.e. don’t vote for him. It’s that simple.
October 25th, 2007 at 11:12 amhttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pwned
thanks for the word, I learn a lot with you, so the response is no
too bad for you
October 25th, 2007 at 11:16 amYet, conservatives will always have a tool that the liberals continually run away from:
TRUTH
October 25th, 2007 at 11:48 am“TRUTH”
Well Halloween is next week….
http://www.cafepress.com/scarealiberal
October 25th, 2007 at 11:57 am“Several liberal blogs receive over one million weekly views, according to BlogAds.com, while none of the conservative sites reaches those numbers.”
Bullcrap. WND for example smokes DailyKos every day…over 8 million hits per….
HotAir, TownHall, are examples other conservative sites with big numbers.
No matter what the progressives say, the conservatives continue to outpace and out-influence the progressives, despite their dominance of the print and TV medias.
Who for example defeated the fairness doctrine and the Shamnisty bills? Progressives? Try again.
Who has the most popular and profitable talk media shows? Progressives? Not lately.
The more progressives talk, the more they do damage that they do to their side. Let ‘em rant…so people can judge for themselves…who speaks truth, and who lies…or to whom belongs the better argument.
The gap is wide…the war is on….the conservative surge is working.
October 25th, 2007 at 12:11 pmhey, Sully, got your costume for next week :
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/7331/costumespeniseskf5.jpg
quite useful for your trip in the left land of pwneds, be careful of the heart break though
take your blue pills though
October 25th, 2007 at 12:30 pmWTF there frenchie? Now you’re a stalker that posts porno pics?? That’s pretty fucked up. You off the meds? Doc change ‘em??
October 25th, 2007 at 1:11 pmdidn’t find that picture on a porn site though ! just on a report page from last year costums in your country ; anyway, I don’t consider it as porn but more as a joke which followed your “pwned” introduction, kind of suite dans les idées, yeah, I am afraid we are in use of that mental processus here, it’s called the “gallic spirit”. I reassure you, it’s not dangerous, just kind of healthy delirium
I don’t need medecine, tout va bien, did I hurt your puritan moral ? then sorry, I won’t do anymore, one never know , you could throw a fatwa at me :p
October 25th, 2007 at 1:47 pmDan, I think you highlighted the VERY important differences between lib bogging and conservative blogging. This site, WND, etc. aren’t just blog sites, but rather almost unconventional news sources. Granted, you’ll find a healthy amount of opinion but every opinion is bolstered by a big old dose of FACTS. So, the libs can dribble and rant all they want - but conservative sites, such as this and others have already leapt ahead in this ‘asymmetric’ warfare, often by using leftist opinions, statements, etc. against themselves.
October 25th, 2007 at 7:28 pm