BlogwarsPolitical blogs have grown astronomically in the last half-decade. In just one month in 2005, for example, popular blog DailyKos received more unique visitors than the population of Iowa and New Hampshire combined. But how much political impact do bloggers really have? In Blogwars, David D. Perlmutter examines this rapidly burgeoning phenomenon, exploring the degree to which blogs influence--or fail to influence--American political life. Challenging the hype, Perlmutter points out that blogs are not that powerful by traditional political measures: while bloggers can offer cogent and convincing arguments and bring before their readers information not readily available elsewhere, they have no financial, moral, social, or cultural leverage to compel readers to engage in any particular political behavior. Indeed, blogs have scored mixed results in their past political crusades. But in the end, Perlmutter argues that blogs, in their wide dissemination of information and opinions, actually serve to improve democracy and enrich political culture. He highlights a number of the particularly noteworthy blogs from the specialty to the superblog-including popular sites such as Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, Powerlineblog, Instapundit, and Talking Points Memo--and shows how blogs are becoming part of the tool kit of political professionals, from presidential candidates to advertising consultants. While the political future may be uncertain, it will not be unblogged. For many Internet users, blogs are the news and editorial sites of record, replacing traditional newspapers, magazines, and television news programs. Blogwars offers the first full examination of this new and controversial force on America's political landscape. |
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Page xii
... election had set up virtual headquarters in the Second Life online fantasy game: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama, and John Edwards were doing the same. Candidates also embraced the newest and coolest tech: send a text message to the ...
... election had set up virtual headquarters in the Second Life online fantasy game: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama, and John Edwards were doing the same. Candidates also embraced the newest and coolest tech: send a text message to the ...
Page xiv
... election season of Bush versus Kerry was widely heralded as the “Internet's coming of age as a formidable force in ... election, up from 7% in the mid-term election of 2002... a notable class of online political activists [emerged]. Some ...
... election season of Bush versus Kerry was widely heralded as the “Internet's coming of age as a formidable force in ... election, up from 7% in the mid-term election of 2002... a notable class of online political activists [emerged]. Some ...
Page xxii
... election is never really over. A basic rule of discussing blogs is that everything one says about blogs is true and at the same time false. In other words, Charles Dickens's neat paradox of “the best of times” and “the worst of times ...
... election is never really over. A basic rule of discussing blogs is that everything one says about blogs is true and at the same time false. In other words, Charles Dickens's neat paradox of “the best of times” and “the worst of times ...
Page xxiv
... election and its buildup, when blogs seemed to explode into the national political consciousness and then into the 2006 midterm elections. In particular, I examine the presidential run of Howard Dean, who typified the advantages and ...
... election and its buildup, when blogs seemed to explode into the national political consciousness and then into the 2006 midterm elections. In particular, I examine the presidential run of Howard Dean, who typified the advantages and ...
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Contents
3 | |
2 From Cybercommunity to Blogland | 49 |
3 The Ascent of Blogs | 61 |
External Political Roles of Bloggers | 109 |
Internal Political Roles of Bloggers | 149 |
Continue the Conversation | 205 |
Notes | 213 |
Index | 237 |
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Common terms and phrases
activist American antiwar asked attack audience Audio Clips Audio/Video Clips Barack Obama big media bloglands Blogosphere blogposts Blogwars Bush candidate commilito conservative created DailyKos David Dean campaign Dean’s democracy Democratic Durbin e-mail editor Edwards election elites example exit poll fund-raising Hillary Clinton Howard Dean Hugh Hewitt hyperlinks interactive Internet interview Iowa Iraq Isocrates issues Jerome Armstrong Joe Trippi John John Kerry journalism journalists Kerry leaked left bloggers left blogs liberal look mainstream media major medium Memogate million MyDD National newspaper offer party Perlmutter Podcast political bloggers political blogging political campaign political consultants politicians poll numbers president presidential primary race radio read blogs readers reported Republican response right bloggers Senator speech staffers story Taliban talk television tion today’s Trippi vlog voluntary associations vote voters Washington weblog Wonkette writing York YouTube