Comments on: Has the US political blogosphere shifted left? http://groupblog.workasone.net/archives/00120.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:50:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Elizabeth VC http://groupblog.workasone.net/archives/00120.html#comment-1818 Elizabeth VC Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:23:26 +0000 http://groupblog.workasone.net/archives/2005/08/has-the-us-political-blogosphere-shifted-left/#comment-1818 I'd be very interested indeed to see any way that anyone proposes to map the content of the Web. I think this is a reallly difficult methodological challenge - one that we actually should be trying to deal with somehow. But how? I’d be very interested indeed to see any way that anyone proposes to map the content of the Web. I think this is a reallly difficult methodological challenge - one that we actually should be trying to deal with somehow. But how?

]]> By: John http://groupblog.workasone.net/archives/00120.html#comment-1817 John Thu, 15 Sep 2005 16:12:13 +0000 http://groupblog.workasone.net/archives/2005/08/has-the-us-political-blogosphere-shifted-left/#comment-1817 I think its the Michael Moore syndrome... when you are in opposition you have a lot to say and a sustained sense of outrage to mobilise. I saw it in detail watching DailyKos (probably the leading 'operational' democrat blog) grow during the 2004 campaign, and ditto Atrios Eschaton (the Ur-blog for liberals I think). Part of the key to the Conservative movement is that even though they dominate all 3 branches of government and increasing chunks of mainstream media they continue to maintain that they are the oppressed minority (or rather the silent majority) and under continual threat and attack for 'their values'. So they can sustain this sense of outrage and 'guerilla warfare'. One often feels reading conservative blogs that Jimmy Carter (or at least the hated Bilary combination) is still in power and the Democrats are the majority party. Mind you, when you poll what Republican voters believe their party stands for, vs. what it *does* stand for, you see they have a point-- Republican voters (not party members) in the main are well to the left of the party itself, and do not believe that the President and his party's stated policies are as they are. It's an extraordinary sleight of hand and one Karl Rove has exploited most adroitly. How the party will handle religious conservative expectations vs. actual outcomes is very interesting. I think its the Michael Moore syndrome…

when you are in opposition you have a lot to say and a sustained sense of outrage to mobilise. I saw it in detail watching DailyKos (probably the leading ‘operational’ democrat blog) grow during the 2004 campaign, and ditto Atrios Eschaton (the Ur-blog for liberals I think).

Part of the key to the Conservative movement is that even though they dominate all 3 branches of government and increasing chunks of mainstream media they continue to maintain that they are the oppressed minority (or rather the silent majority) and under continual threat and attack for ‘their values’.

So they can sustain this sense of outrage and ‘guerilla warfare’. One often feels reading conservative blogs that Jimmy Carter (or at least the hated Bilary combination) is still in power and the Democrats are the majority party.

Mind you, when you poll what Republican voters believe their party stands for, vs. what it *does* stand for, you see they have a point– Republican voters (not party members) in the main are well to the left of the party itself, and do not believe that the President and his party’s stated policies are as they are.

It’s an extraordinary sleight of hand and one Karl Rove has exploited most adroitly. How the party will handle religious conservative expectations vs. actual outcomes is very interesting.

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