Democracy 2.0
Posted on November 11th, 2008
by Michael Brendan Dougherty |
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From Slate today,
Though no one in the Obama camp will discuss the specifics, Democratic Web guru Joe Trippi and others believe that the White House Web site will transform into a social network—a kind of Facebook for citizens, a place where people can learn about and work toward passing the president’s agenda. Trippi argues that if Obama can use the Web to spark the same well-organized fervor for his policy goals as he did for his campaign, “I think it’s going to be one of the most powerful presidencies we’ve seen since FDR, and maybe even more powerful. Even the best presidents have never had a way to connect directly with millions of Americans—Obama will have that.”
Oh, Joe Trippi. It is creepy to talk about how Obama could be the most “powerful” president ever. The problem with Bush was that no one cared to check his power.
Also, directly connecting with millions of Americans is oxymoronic - like being intimate with millions. This sounds more like a mob. A condescending, tiresome mob that talks about “Obama’s really important legislative agenda.”
Update: So if I signed up for this website, would I have to reject the constant friend requests of Rahm Emanuel?
Filed under: Politics, Uncategorized
Government by flash mob and Twitter. Awesome.
It is actually brilliant, albeit diabolical. Obama proposes policy/legislation x, and the permanent campaign expertly channels huge number of supporters to write letters to the editor, call their congressman/senator, deluge websites with comments, etc, always giving the illusion of popular support, even if what he is proposing isn’t very popular.
I’m not sure ‘directly connecting with millions of Americans is oxymoronic’. ‘Directly’ here seems to mean ‘unmediated’, i.e., not through some 3rd (institutional) party like a TV network or local Democratic committee or whatever.
But it sure does sound like a mob.
I think dismissing this would be a serious mistake, akin to dismissing radio or television in their own times as having no application in politics or organizing.
I don’t buy into the pre-millenial Christian doctrine of the AntiChrist whatsoever, but it does provide people who take it literally with an anti-authoritarian narrative that they probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
Which is to say that a lot of thoughtful americans with conservative instincts are opposing Obama because his following and his demeanor give them the creeps.
Right on, I say.