Blogging’s Just A Fad

Lieberman made himself hated and ruined his carefully groomed image. He publicly humiliated influential locals — there was a video of that all over the blogs — while making himself a bootlicking laughingstock. People have an easier time believing they could be treated with such contempt, by such a jerk, the closer it happens to home — i.e. it happened to “real” people. He used the most heavy-handed emotional appeal tactics and thought his incumbency would protect him from the consequences of overkill. Policy-wise, there are quantitatively and qualitatively few differences between him and Lamont. Lamont is cautiously anti-this-war-now. Otherwise, he’s a mainstream Democrat.

Lieberman could have held on to office if he weren’t such an asshole. It also hurt him that he is ugly and Lamont is good looking
I would tend to distrust a study of blog influence on Lieberman’s defeat that didn’t track the dissemination of blog catch phrases into the pool of voters who _don’t_ read them. When you hear something from people who got it second hand or third hand, that’s when you know something is pervasive.

I understand and agree with your statements, especially that Liebermensch did a) a piss poor campaigning job, and b) was hamhandedly, gloriously arrogant and out of touch. I followed the race closely from the early days … Joe also just generally disrespected anybody but Joe and those who agreed with Joe that Joe was a fine and principled facilitative fellow … not withstanding idiotic remarks like “off to the next hospital for thee, damsel … walk if ya have to”.

And yes, Lamont’s a mainstream democrat and Liebermoan could have held office. One might say “should have” if he weren’t such a smug sphincter.

But of course you ARE right. And blogs / blogging are just one vehicle .. there were also used tv ads, tv interviews, newspapers, telephones, fax machines, microphones, magazines, fax machines, printed leaflets, telephones, radio, press conferences and face-to-face conversations (I’ve probably left something out).

But of course, you’re right.

Nevertheless, I also think that blogging played a role in bringing Lieberissues up, to the fore and sustaining them as issues.

“I also think that blogging played a role in bringing Lieberissues up, to the fore and sustaining them as issues.”

I am too, I should make clear. Getting a bit personal, I would love to learn that a few of my bon mots have made it into the non-blogging world. The day I see people tell their reps to stop chittering and talk some sense is the day I’ll be a proud man. There’s an element of sour grape griping to some of my sociological observations. Not a lot! Really! But I’ll cop to some.

-dumspterdan

“There’s an element of sour grape griping …”

An element ?

Being perceptive and / or right about core issues, the fundamentals, never got anyone anywhere when it comes to power. It is to be avoided whenever and however possible. History is definitive on this.

Getting back to the title of your post, I think it’s safe to say that when something is dismissed as a fad, it means people are eagerly looking for ways to cash in. Given how unreliable the newsies are, and the awareness of the producer/cosumer culture of them, there’s no reason why people won’t seek out more appealing and/or better “product”, once they know how to find it. They may even look for something that’s good. So some optimism is warranted. Which is something both you and Euan and have said.

It is indeed astonishing that people keep falling for the stories they’re told, when there is so much other pertinent and sometimes factual information so easily available. All it takes is the willingness (and time) to read and think.

Oh, now I understand …