Why Leftist blogs failed
There’s a piece going around the other side of the blogoshpere from mostly liberal Ian Welsh entitled “A brief note on why the progressive blog movement failed“. He gets a lot of it right, especially;
Unlike the Tea Party, most left wingers don’t really believe their own ideology. They put partisanship first, or they put the color of a candidate’s skin or the shape of their genitals over the candidate’s policy. Identity is more important to them than how many brown children that politician is killing.
So progressives have no power, because they have no principles: they cannot be expected to actually vote for the most progressive candidate, to successfully primary candidates, to care about policy first and identity second, to not take scraps from the table and sell out other progressive’s interests.
I’d add that the main reason they’ve failed is because President Bush left office. The internet was fairly new when he took office and the yapping clowns of the left like Kos and Huffington seized on their new-found megaphone to beat the anti-Bush tattoo on their anti-war drums until it became just so much noise. They couldn’t really change policy despite the fact that they reminded us everyday that Bush policy was opposed by “most Americans” (Most americans they knew, anyway). And it was all about putting a Democrat in the White House. It’s correct that they have no principles and they don’t vote for policy, they just vote for “Yay! Our team!”
You don’t hear much criticism from those portals of crap when this President follows the same policies of his predecessor, do you? Because he’s on their team and that’s their only guiding principle. I’m just amazed that Welsh noticed, or that he’d say it out loud.
Category: Bloggers
So progressives have no power, because they have no principles…
Well, they have no principle except power, they like that.
I’ve noticed too that under Obama war is ok, Gitmo is ok, spying is ok, drone killings are ok, the deficit is great, and the Patriot Act is just fine. So what was so bad about GW again?
Morning-after-the-night-before syndrome. The progressives have tracked that SMELL to their favorite unicorn, that has happily shit on their rug — they not only have no idea how that happened, they also have no idea what to do about it.
You can see the moral failures of these sites (and others on the left) in real-time with a perusal of their forums. My weekly DUmpster dives are but a small example of the groupthink that surrounds the leftwing internet presence. Any sort of suggestion that their Savior’s motivations are anything but pure are punted into oblivion and denounced as not being “progressive”. An while I will concede that this same phenomenon can be witnessed on rightwing sites, as a former admin for one such site, I can tell you that we actively encouraged those on the left to defend their values (such that they are) with little success. You won’t find that on sites dedicated to Dear Leader or the active destruction of the nation’s founding principles.
Some progressives are noticeably p1ssed off with their president and their legislators…I believe they were under the impression they were electing a strong, visionary liberal who then turned out to be just another hack from Chicago…those people are upset, but they are whiny and ineffective with their words. The people on the right are interesting, I can’t stand Rush Limbaugh as I’ve indicated previously but I will concede he’s an excellent entertainer and commentator. He is interesting, something that Ms. Maddow and Mr. Olbermann are not…and that’s a big part of the left losing message, their point people on message are boring, as boring as watching old people f#ck…
It remains to be seen if the right can now capitalize in any real numbers.
Don’t forget to through in progressive TV and radio and thier repeated failure throughout the years: in the marketplace of ideas, thiers simply don’t appeal to the vast majority of people out there, and as already pointed out, they don’t really believe themselves.
@4 That’s the problem with any lefty socialist agenda, it’s all warm and fuzzy until you meet the first dissenter…then it’s ban-o-rama instead of debate because they are not comfortable debating anyone.
Too many of the puss cakes on the left view dissent as a personal affront rather than an alternative perspective on problem solving. I find that true of many young people these days as well, they can’t receive an opposing viewpoint without believing you are attacking them personally….
I’ve always assumed that those with differing political views than my own are no less patriotic than I am, they are just misinformed (smile)….believing that the road to economic strength lies through a progressive tax reform instead of austerity is not a personal attack it’s just a different perspective. If we can get past that concept we might actually start being able to move forward again with actual positive results for the nation and the people.
What’s interesting are the few leftwing radio personalities that have made it for a while. They love Thom Hartmann, who is basically a socialist version of Alex Jones, or Ed Shultz, who seems just one vodka shy of a mental break. It’s these bomb throwers that seem to keep their attention. For the more “mainstream” hosts, I have to agree with VOV, they’re just plain boring.
I think it’s simpler than that: The reason the lefty blogs have failed to generate the traffic of the righty blogs is because of demand. From what we see every election day, we’re pretty much a 48/48/4 country in terms of political distribution. So why does the right 48% adhere to blogs while the left 48% ignores them?
I think it’s because the viewpoint of the left 48% is adequately represented by all the mainstream media. With the likes of CBS, NBC and CNN representing their views, they feel no need to turn to alternative media sources. OTOH, those of us in the right 48% only have Fox (and that’s a pretty poor representation most of the time.) We turn to alternative media because that’s where OUR worldview is represented.
Furthermore, since the “moderate” left is well represented in mainstream media, that means the only way the lefty blogs can build any loyalty is by appealing to the barking moonbat fringe who regard the (lefty) MSM as “corporate shills” and “right wingers.” So that also diminishes their credibility and appeal to people who are somewhat normal (as Claymore finds out every week.)
It’s amazing to witness, isn’t it? You can take them all to task but they are willing to go down with the sinking ship no matter what and seemingly they defend their values by spewing vitriol that backs up nothing. It’s all emotional.
Case and point. A blogger insisting over and over and over that Obama has not lied and if *i* listened to the context I would see it!! Do I need more context to understand that Obama said, “If you like your doctor (your health plan) you can keep it?” Do I?
Oy.
I think a reason that their blogging fails is related to having nothing new to say, and a refusal to explore other options. That part of the political spectrum – the left side of the fence – seems a lot less flexible than it was 40 years ago. This is a failure on their part. Stubbornness is not a virtue when things count. They don’t want to hear anything other than what they believe to be true, even if you give them valid facts and back up for them.
As one 20-something woman said recently, in re: the shutdown and the squabbling over it, ‘This is why we don’t vote.’
The people they should be attracting are fed up and walk away. Those are people that the conservatives should be courting right now, when it counts, and without the usual hyperbole.
@5: Yeah, I’ve come across some of those that are less than thrilled with “dear leader” and democrats in general, but if you ask them if they would vote for them, again, they say “yep”.
I find the same thing with establishment republicans as Welsh does with progressives. They only look at the letter behind the name, not what the person stands for. A different version of identity politics.
@12 OT
That’s why we actually get the government we deserve, when we are unwilling to cast out our own useless turds it’s unreasonable to expect the other fellow to cast out his.
He says liberals generally have no power because most of them have no principles.
I say: You just now figured this out?
American liberalism comes from the new deal era that said no to the american communist party that said the only good conservative(republican) is a dead conservative. FDR said no we don’t have to shoot rich conservatives we can deal with them thru reason! Since it is very difficult to reason with the unreasonable you can see problem american corporate liberalism practiced by the clintons and obama! Conservatives behave themselves out of fear not decency as they have none. Liberal blogs whine instead of coming up with tactics to”DEAL” with the conservative question. Anyway they do when they whine about my final solution to the problem.
@15
Conservatives behave themselves out of fear not decency as they have none.
Heh. It’s funny sometimes, watching “progressives” project.
Anyway they do when they whine about my final solution to the problem.
“Final solution,” huh? I don’t suppose it has anything to do with the rise of a National Socialist party and gas ovens?
Uh, VWP? The New Deal was about a half-step away from socialism. FDR fucking LOVED Stalin, and even called him, “Uncle Joe.”
Yeah, FDR was so “reasonable” he tried to pack the SCOTUS with liberal judges to shove his agenda down the throat of Americans, but that was so far beyond the pale even his own party wouldn’t back him.
The only “tactics” liberal blogs like Kos, DU, HuffPo, et al, can come up with is, “Do it our way or you’re a racist, sexist, homophobe, or (insert derogatory descriptor here).” They have NOTHING of substance to add to the debate, other than live demonstration of why you don’t give power to those who would abuse it (like liberals.)
Since it is very difficult to reason with the unreasonable…
We knew that the first time you showed up here, there’s really no reason for you to keep coming back to remind us.
@15.
Actually, your definition of classical liberalism is off.
Classical liberals live in a world of walls an boundaries however they frequently overlook this in their quest for righteous.
There is not really a comparison unless you are speaking of domestic or structural realism, which you are not.
You should go back and review current literature being that times have changed in the 40+ years since you were smoking pot and playing the tunes.
Wow.
I can guarantee it will tell a different story, if you choose to listen.
Gee, I’m glad I decided to watch a movie instead of tryng to decipher the braindead ramblings and drivel that vnwp posts when he’s conscious.
EllTee Thumb, I don’t think vwp is actually more than 18YO, because he’s a functional illiterate. Can’t spell. Has no concept of grammar, syntax or punctuation. Gets facts wrong.
@20, “Can’t spell. Has no concept of grammar, syntax or punctuation. Gets facts wrong.” But, that’s what makes vwp so dear to his other lefty friend, he’s a standout in his eyes.
I seem to agree leading American Liberals seem to have no principles. Anyone who thinks that they can detect more than one principle in the leadership of the leading American Conservatives is obviuosly missing an eye. What is that one conservative principle. It is that conservative principles are what ever leading American Conservatives say that they are. The definition of what a conservative is has changed so much over the decades that if tommorrow Fox News said that pro-choice and the elimination of guns in America were conservative positions it would take less than 4 years for all the Conservatives of America to be proclaiming that these were Gods wishes for America and anyone who opposed them were unprincipled liberals. Who said deficits dont matter? A. George McGovern B.Dick Cheney. But even this view obscures a deeper reality which is that at a high level there really is no divisions between top Democrats and Republicans it is all one continuing criminal enterprise. It was not the Republican leadership that stood in the way of war crime trials in the USA in 2006. It was the Democratic Leadership. Americans are cheaters pure and simple. They can not even play a pro football game anymore without cheating. Yet there was a time back in the 30s when the game was played with more self discipline and whole games with out a penalty on either team. Google it if you do not beleive me. I find it an odd coincidence that before the growth of the military industrial complex the game could be played with such honesty. Then along comes not only war but the perpetual drum beat of warnings of distant threats and silence about the up close and difficult to handle threats. Such pretending that something is being done to protect the American people has even effected the game of pro football. A silent protest is speading throughout American society. More and more high school males are choosing to play soccer, rugby or lacrosse rather than football. This protest is affecting the quality of NFL players. Failing to recognize that America… Read more »
Curt you’ve mentioned football on every post you’ve made here and I think that you have expertise that Roger Goodell desperately needs. You’re obviously an expert on repeated blows to the head and if you would allow NFL physicians to examine you we could make real progress in diagnosing advanced brain damage.
Here is a fact every month 150,000 minority kids turn 18(voting age), add dreamers and its 175,000! In the next election cycle 6,000,000+ more minority kids will have turned 18 VOTING AGE and they will be hating republican racists conservatives as much as I do! Also 2,000,000 conservatives will have passed on and since they are not democrats living in chicago they can’t vote after they die! My idea of final solution to the problem is the mexican-american birth rate! Here is how it will happen. I am sure most of you love arizona’s racist sheriff arpaio. Here is what he is facing in arizona in 2000 he got 61% of vote for sheriff. In 2004 57% in 2008 53.5% in 2012 50.7% See a pattern here? Next election they get him! By the way this was done while thousands of mexican americans were stoped from voting or given provisional ballots. Many mexican- americans recieved their voter registration card the day after the election! You can look it up mexican-american voter surpression in arizona. Though a lot of you will agree with minority voter surpression1
@22 Uss liberty. And see I don’t attack him for error! try it!
Seriously, we know meth is bad for us, you don’t have to come here and demonstrate the fact for us.
@24
Many mexican- americans recieved their voter registration card the day after the election!
Then they shouldn’t have been allowed to vote in that election.
The week I turned 18, I went down to the post office to get a voter registration card. Probably the only reason I waited so long is that it wasn’t an election year, so I had over a year before I really needed to be registered.
I mean, why wait? The boys, at least, should have realized that they needed to register to vote the same time they needed to register for the draft.
@26, vwp is living proof that no one should mix meth, crack and black tar.
@22 Mr. Kastens:
“… it would take less than 4 years for all the Conservatives of America to be proclaiming that these were Gods wishes for America…”
Brother, you need to renew your Prozac scrip. Maybe add a little SAMe, too. Just sayin’ …
Curt the spurt and VWP in the same thread. That’s division by zero kinda fuckin stupid right there.
I love leftist/communist types attempting to tell conservatives what they stand for, or what principles they have. These 2 numbnuts have no idea what principles are, because they have none. They can barely string a lucid thought together, let alone know what conservatives stand for.
LIBERALS ARE IDIOTS, vwp and Curt Kastens prove it every time they speak!
Curt says, “If you think that this post was a serious post and not just a joke making fun of progressiveviews then you are even a bigger fool than they think you are.”
I think your very first post was exposed as a pile of bullsh1t, I’m still not convinced you aren’t just cutting and pasting a la lorem ipsum into a window and releasing your incoherent rambling for sh1ts and grins…except most people are not laughing with you, they are laughing at you….TAH doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but we do enjoy seeing our current opinions on the state of education in the US reinforced with every word you leave here.
@24 It’s not voter suppression when you don’t let the illegals vote dude…it’s only voter suppression when you refuse to recognize absentee ballots sent in by the troops overseas…try branching out to find a few alternate news sources beyond MSNBC and CNN….but stay away from DU as a serious source of information.