"The Left owns the Internet"

RedState ^ | November 30, 2008 | bs

[St. Louis Conservative]

A number of interesting observations have percolated throughout the Interweb in the aftermath of the 2008 election - arguments about the "youth vote", the "center-right versus center-left," pushing aside social conservative issues, etc. But one of the most thought-provoking topics receiving attention is the issue of the presence (or lack thereof) of the Right in the online "Web 2.0" universe. As a technology geek by trade, this topic is near and dear to my heart.

Much has been made of the aforementioned "youth vote" in the post-election analysis, and within that discussion are implications that the youth were energized by the online presence of the Obama campaign. Tools such as YouTube, Twitter, Friendfeed, numerous blog sites, SMS, etc. were used to not only educate, but to "activate." A huge portion of Obama's fundraising was done via the web - small donations that eventually added up to huge numbers (please, let's not get into the issue of overseas donations, etc. - that's really not the point). These tools were used to empower activism, through GOTV-type projects, state-by-state campaign events, as well as fundraising. I am not 100% convinced that there is an obvious correlation between the high percentage of the 18-29 crowd that voted for BHO and his online presence...since youth are already steeped in online culture, and youth seem to lean left to start with, it is difficult to assign a direct cause/effect relationship proving that Obama's leverage of technology led to his success with that demographic. But it certainly didn't hurt.

[SandRat]

T don't think so Tim...

[MissEdie]

Well considering Al Gore invented it I wouldn’t be surprised the left owned the Internet :0)

[onedoug]

If that were true there’d be no Internet.

[Vaquero]

well it was invented by Algore.

[randomhero97]

Of course.

"The almighty Goracle said, "Let there be bandwidth." And it was good at 10 Mbit/s."

[EGPWS]

"The Left [wants to] owns the Internet"

Ain't gonna' happen any time soon.

[exnavy]

LOL

[Old Sarge]

He’s young, it’s cool and hip to be different, and white girls think he’s hot.

What’s not for a college co-ed to like?

[IrishCatholic]

“The web is without boundaries so it is without focus”

Remember that. The web isn't the future of conservatism until conservatism reaches people everywhere in the traditional mediums.

For example. You could set up a table in front of any local Wal Mart and ask: Have you ever read Red State? Or Politico? Or FR? Heard of Heritage Foundation? Cato Institute?
Then ask if they have read the local paper, Newsweek, Time etc. Have they heard of Greenpeace, NOW, Global Warming?

The Internet is a great tool if you already have people focused. The Swiftboat effort is a great example of that.

[Anti-Bubba182]

One big reason the left is doing better on the net is that their leaders embrace the the left bloggers. They post on their web sites and go to their events. I do not see the high level of cooperation on the right side. Without that there will not be enough excitement or energy to compete with them.

[Mrs.Z]

***If that were true there’d be no Internet.***

You got it.

The left owns the MSM, the internet and talk radio are conservative venues.

The only reasons the left SEEMS to get more hits are:

1) We work for a living, and so have less time for posting and hits.

2) And, most importantly, we must come up with THOUGHTFUL posts with NO profanity, misspellings or bad grammar. (All of which take time.)

;^)

[Candor7]

The Left Owns the Internet?

Naw! They wish they owned the internet.

The internet is owned by no one, and thats the way it will survive.

If it was owned by anyone, it would not be the internet.

But the the left always were a little stupid, when it comes to this sort of thing.

The only thing the left owns is the shirts on their backs, and a few affirmative action mortgages. Thats why they have to CLAIM they own something.

[rwfromkansas]

It is true the FR and conservative sites dominate internet news and discussion sites, but the left dominates with Web 2.0 tools, such as twitter, facebook etc.

We really need to begin and outreach in that arena, and it would be very easy to do so here on FR by adding links to those sites so we can easily bookmark articles, attract interest to conservative ideals etc. through reading.

[rwfromkansas]

It is true the FR and conservative sites dominate internet news and discussion sites, but the left dominates with Web 2.0 tools, such as twitter, facebook etc.

We really need to begin and outreach in that arena, and it would be very easy to do so here on FR by adding links to those sites so we can easily bookmark articles, attract interest to conservative ideals etc. through reading.

I forgot to add that frankly, this would be a good way to reach others....if we did it. FR is great, but talking amongst ourselves and energizing the base doesn’t win converts.

[Clemenza]

There is an FR page on Facebook.

[orchestra]

Yes, I guess so, Lan Lamphere’s website was crushed yesterday- so he scrapped it.

[rwfromkansas]

That’s good news. Did not know that.

[45semi]

If MySpace were a country (judging the population by # of members...it would be the 5th largest nation in the world.
Somehow, I still never managed to find anything interesting there...go figure.

[wac3rd]

Also consider Liberal search engines (Yahoo! and Google) omit results from Conservatives via their own filters.

The Media has a full-court press for Liberalism, speech codes and an appeasing Euro-Socialist agenda of garbage.

Fairness? Only when it applies to talk radio.
Equality? Only when taking white, male positions
Freedom? Only when applied to the freedom to only cover negative stories about conservatives and the choice to only cover good points about Liberals

The Liberal is one huge oxymoron.

[GVnana]

If that were true there’d be no Internet.

LOL! I admit, I was surprised by the influence of the Internet on the lefty vote, since they haven't been known for their online acumen. Late in the election cycle, and afterward, I started to examine some of the traffic.

My opinion? Obama's traffic did not come from the political junkies of the type you see on conservative sites. They were/are "drive-bys," if you will. Newbies. Political novices. YouTube music and porn aficionados. They found a home in the Obama campaign perhaps after Paris Hilton wore thin.

[Rebelbase]

I helped a young Obamite change a flat tire in the rain this eve. I’m not gonna let their stupidity and ignorance change who I am.

[sageb1]

I just put this article up on my facebook and I “dugg” it. There are too many people who talk about the problems, but kind of sit back and figure they’ll let someone else do it. I’ll probably also put it on Yahoo Buzz, but then again, trying to get people in there to buzz it up is another story. Yahoo also leans left, so all their “top buzz” articles come from left-leaning publications. Yahoo Buzz opened up a comments section (after the election, of course), but at least now righties can get in there and have their say.

[St. Louis Conservative]

I’m hoping that will change in the near future. Our conservative leaders will get there; we’re always a few years behind the left when it comes to technology.

[max americana]

> I helped a young Obamite change a flat tire in the rain this eve. I’m not gonna let their stupidity and ignorance change who I am.

So the Obamite who advocates “change” did not know how to “change” a spare tire?

[Rebelbase]

She was a clueless young college chick.

[sageb1]

Here's the article on Yahoo Buzz.

[Nowhere Man]

I would have to say the Web is youth dominated. I've been into computers since 1979 when I was 13, in 7th Grade and you had to know God personally to use the school's only TRS-80 Model I. It had 16K of RAM, Level II BASIC, a 500 baud cassette drive, a thermal printer and a B&W TV monitor. Later in 1982 onward, I went and used Apple ][+ computers, 48K/64K RAM and 143K floppy disc drives, I was in hog heaven.

Still, today, I'm 42, I'd be considered an "old man" in today's web world. A few of those sites, many more were for Obama than McCain although they leaned toward the younger set, again at 42, I would be seen as the "old guy."

[Nowhere Man]

One big reason the left is doing better on the net is that their leaders embrace the the left bloggers. They post on their web sites and go to their events. I do not see the high level of cooperation on the right side. Without that there will not be enough excitement or energy to compete with them.

I think for somebody to get down into the blogosphere on our side, most likely, they would have to be 45 and under at this time. I think if Sarah Palin was on top of the ticket and calling the shots, she would have more presence in cyberspace. I can also see Jindal in it as well. Again, being 42 and "an old man" on this one I'm familiar with the internet enough to see that.

[Nowhere Man]

If MySpace were a country (judging the population by # of members...it would be the 5th largest nation in the world. Somehow, I still never managed to find anything interesting there...go figure.

Aside from "Dragonwars" and "Texas Hold'em," I'm not much of a Myspace fan either.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Over the ten plus years I have been around here I have seen very few of the Higher echelons of the GOP give any real attention to Conservative Bloggers or Forums.

Reid and Pelosi both have acknowledged and participated at Kos for example, but nothing comparable has happened for FR. This a tough room, but not even close to as nasty as Kos. They need to be here and elsewhere on the web. They can't plead ignorant geezer or be snobs.

[Doug TX]

===RedState and the rest of the conservative/GOP online universe needs to be building better organizers. This can be done with blogs, as well as other e-tools that are out there at our disposal. More on that later.===

The left is ahead. FR is great, but largely preaching to the choir does not get the opinions out to differing views. The DIGG ping list was started weeks ago to get the word out.

[Nowhere Man]

I helped a young Obamite change a flat tire in the rain this eve. I’m not gonna let their stupidity and ignorance change who I am.

I work delivering auto parts and most mechanics and such I deliver too as well as co-workers, some of them are bikers, are against Obama as a passion. I think for the most part, if you get your hands dirty, the more likely you are against Obama and his ideas. If "Jericho" happened, the old CBS series, I think I'd be hanging around a group of "Jonahs," the independent, mechanically inclined militia group featured in the TV series. We were talking about our 401K's and some of us said, "why should we go for then, Obama will get his dirty hands on them anyways."

[stevio]

Are you planning a reeducation course with her?

[Anti-Bubba182]

That does not work. Both Reid and Pelosi are older and have personally participated. They simple used their common sense and availed themselves of the opportunity. The GOP has to do better.

[Nowhere Man]

That does not work. Both Reid and Pelosi are older and have personally participated. They simple used their common sense and availed themselves of the opportunity. The GOP has to do better.

Well, you do have exceptions, but generally most people who grew up with computers are 45 and under, myself, you can say that mine is the first generation to do so when we had things like Atari and Intellivision along with computers like the TRS-80 series, TRS-80 Color Computers, Apple ][+ and //e and //c, Commodore 64, Atari 400/800 and a few lucky of us who had IBM-PC/XT and IBM-PCjrs. We were the first to be "online" with modems to private BBS'es and later Fidonet and a few lucky ones to Dow Jones and Compuserve. I remember always getting into it with the local ACLU guy online inthe mid to late 1980's.

So, yeah, you do have older people using the internet and there are some who are savvy, but generally, they are more the exceptions.

Still, I do agree with you, we need to do a better job online.

[musicbymuzak]

most of them are

[bitterohiogunclinger]

“One big reason the left is doing better on the net is that their leaders embrace the the left bloggers. They post on their web sites and go to their events. I do not see the high level of cooperation on the right side.”
We have a winner. The reason the DemonRATs won, and will continue to win, is they have a plan and they have some unity.
First, they pander to and excite the leftist moonbats, and then they pretend to be middle of the roaders to win the voters. Every single DemonRAT, with the possible exception of Liberman, has been mouthing the DemonRAT mantra for 8 years steady, non stop. None of them ever admit any DemonRAT is wrong, etc. The Pubbies are all over the place, cutting their own throats, trying to be all things to everyone, and have no message because they rightly or wrongly, hung their own president out to dry. It doesn't help anything when Republican candidates are like McCain, and support ideas we oppose. We need grassroots reorganization, beginning with ridding ourselves of the Country Club Republicans and beltway insiders. Washington is the problem, not the solution to most of our problems, and until any Republican can convince me they are not part of the problem, they are not going to get one penny of support from me. I urge others to do the same.

[JCG]

We were the first to be "online" with modems to private BBS'es and later Fidonet and a few lucky ones to Dow Jones and Compuserve. I remember always getting into it with the local ACLU guy online inthe mid to late 1980's.

Now, that was a happy time. Good ol' Fight-O Net.

----

Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it!
www.AnySoldier.com

[Nick Thimmesch]

Bada Ping!

[Rebelbase]

No, I told her when my son’s get married and their wives have this problem that someone will stop and do the same for them.

[Tzimisce]

RedState knows what it’s talking about: they’re left of center I don’t care what the “officials” say...

[billorites]

Facebook is boring.

I've been there from the beginning because my students insisted I do it. It's targeted at 20-somethings and won't hold the attention of anyone who graduated from a state college or who flunked out of a private high school.

If the success of the Republican party depends on my paying attention to Facebook then the party is totally 'effed.

As an aside, I signed up with Dr. Dean's website about 5 years ago so I could keep up with what the loathsome left was up to. Of course I signed up on line with my hero Mitt, with that Arkansan yokel too, and naturally, with Captain Queeg himself as well.

So far as I can tell, the only people on the net who have their shit together are the Democrats.

They have beat us ten ways til Sunday on the internet.

Meanwhile, the Republicans stand flat-footed hoping that Richard Viguerie will ride to the rescue with some targeted direct mail thingy.

Good lord...

It's pathetic. It's like Republicans are waiting for Samuel B. Morse to show up!

Talk about Conservatards...

[wardaddy]

The Left owns big chunks just like they do the media.

wonder why

[Mr. Blonde]

I was told in a class the average age of facebook users is 35. I think it is a handy way to stay in touch with people. Also a good way to avoid work.

[adorno]

Also consider Liberal search engines (Yahoo! and Google) omit results from Conservatives via their own filters.

Google and Yahoo and a few other big and often frequented sites are the agenda setters of the internet.

Those and a bunch of blog sites and forums.

Perhaps we need to define our own agenda setter. Something as big as a Google, perhaps? Except, with more respect?

[rwfromkansas]

Great job. Yeah, Digg is starting to get some attention on FR, which is great.

[AmericanVictory]

Two words, er make that three:

George Soros, money.

Imagine if Jim Rob had that kind of dough.

[Impy]

It’s true and it’s needs to stop YESTERDAY. I could see back in 2004 Howard Dean was all over the internet. “Why aren’t we using the net”? I thought.

Instead we had Bush saying “interwebs”.

[Impy]

The Internet is a great tool to reach the college morons who put Osama over the top. It’s use in campaigning is mandatory from here on out.