could clinton have survived the blogosphere?
Just a question. Conversely, would Bush be better liked in a pre-blog world?
Just as television changed the presidency circa 1960, is the internet now forcing a similar change?
It seems to me that neither the current President, nor the last one have been well-equipped. (Think Matt Drudge’s impact on the Clinton Presidency if you don’t know what I mean.) Neither was John Kerry (Swift Boats and Dan Rather).
As a result fo the internet, what, if any changes, are required of the type of men and women who run for office?
October 26th, 2005 at 10:04 pm
I think the main thing is that the politicians of the future better be more aware of the fast-paced new media, and should be more aggressively participating in it, monitoring it and reacting to it.
Some have suggested that the President should have his/her own weblog, but that doesn’t make sense to me, I just don’t see that as valuable time for a President to spend.
October 26th, 2005 at 11:16 pm
Why do bloggers always overestimate the influence of the blogosphere?
October 26th, 2005 at 11:50 pm
“could clinton have survived the blogosphere? Just a question.”
Absolutely, Clinton could have survived. The man is bulletproof.
“Conversely, would Bush be better liked in a pre-blog world?”
No, Bush woulda done no better without it. I personally think the blogosphere has a wildly inflated sense of itself. I mean it is a good motivator to believe that we are making an impact. However, the truth of the matter is that any impact the blogosphere has, even “the big boys”, is, in my opinion, quite negligible.
October 26th, 2005 at 11:54 pm
“Why do bloggers always overestimate the influence of the blogosphere?”
Self-interest. It’s natural, really. No one (blogger-types, especially) wants to believe that they are merely shouting into the wind.
October 27th, 2005 at 6:02 am
I’ve likened the blogosphere to a cyber circle jerk.
However, it’s a mistake to underestimate the changes that have occurred since before Druge.
October 27th, 2005 at 7:58 am
Thats a thinker - and a follow up
Bob Krumm:
could clinton have survived the blogosphere?
Just a question. Conversely, would Bush be better liked in a pre-blog world?
Just as television changed the presidency circa 1960, is the internet now forcing a similar change?
It seems to m…
October 27th, 2005 at 12:25 pm
Without the blogosphere, Dan Rather would still have a job.
Without the blogosphere, Kerry might have - maybe - been president. The swift boat vets started things rolling, but the blogosphere kept the story alive and made it impossible for the media to ignore.
The number of people reading blogs is still small relative to big media, but the blogosphere’s impact is bigger than the raw numbers. Blogs influence opinion makers in the media.