No Magic Internet Button for the GOP

The Washington Times ^ | January 18, 2009 | Andrew Breitbart

[St. Louis Conservative]

The last election cycle bore more online fruit for Democrats.

"Obama is really Howard Dean 2.0 when it comes to online fundraising," said Phil Tajitsu Nash, who runs Campaign Advantage, a company that makes Web sites and develops Internet strategies for candidates.

So it's understandable that Republicans are green with envy and scratching their heads wondering why the Internet works for Democrats but doesn't work for them. The simple answer:

There is no technology that can help overcome the left's current online dominance.

There is no wizard in Silicon Valley who can make things better.

There is no Joe Trippi who can take an obscure Republican and push him to victory using online tools past, present and future.

Facebook won't do it. Twitter won't do it. Countering Soros and MoveOn .org won't do it. And mimicking Kos and Arianna won't do it.

Sorry, Republicans, there is no magic Internet button.

The Democratic Party resonates on the Internet because it resonates in pop culture. The Democratic Party resonates in pop culture because it has been committed to dominating it for over a generation.

Democrats are celebrities, rock stars, magazine covers and stadium concerts. Republicans are a small list of famous people who have to make public excuses for their affiliation.

Democrats throw parties, get models to show up, and Red Bull and Stoli pick up the tab. Republicans feature a no-host bar hoping an astronaut from the Mercury mission stops by.

Democrats pull off a star-studded, entertainment-laden Obama acceptance speech at Invesco Field. Republicans get a black dude to wear red, white and blue and perform a 1985-era patriotic rap song dressed as Uncle Sam.

[adorno]

No Magic Internet Button for the GOP

Internet, newspapers, magazines, radio, or TV...

No matter what the medium, as long as it's easy to sell the ignorant and uneducated on promises which win votes, then, no republican message, even the right message won't get through.

If the masses were to be educated on the facts of government and on socialism versus capitalism, would they vote for socialism, even after knowing how destructive it is to people's lives?

So, perhaps the only way to win back the masses and the elections is to do as the democrats: make promises that you have no intention to keep and make sure that they're ignorant enough to buy those promises and lies. The democrats' messages can only work on the ignorant and the dumb.

The democrats have borrowed from communism and they will lie to the people in order to get into power. The ends justifies the means, and the democrats have been very successful at disguising their real intentions with the dressing up of their messages with they elaborate setups and the use of celebrities. To the dumb and the ignorant, when a celebrity is seen endorsing a message or a candidate, then, how can that celebrity be trying to mislead? People try to relate and too many begin to believe the crap out of Hollywood and from films and pretty soon you end up in an unreal world. That's what we're going to get in the next four years.

As far as the internet is concerned, it shouldn't be so hard to get the republican messages out there and it could easily become the prevalent message. We have the people that can convey the republican messages, and technologically, the internet doesn't favor one party over another.

[adorno]

I am not as pessimistic. How about some Internet wizards from, say, MIT? I would give them a careful listen.

There are many wizards out there who are not MIT trained. In fact, this site already has many members who are very capable of designing and coding the next great internet idea.

[SuziQ]

That supposed ignorance of the Internet by McCain, was a media LIE. He knows how to use the Internet, he just didn't use a computer keyboard, because of the injuries he suffered as a POW. He would have Cindy type responses to e-mails he received, and he used a PDA, extensively

These types of lies were gleefully recounted on shows like 'The Daily Show', and the 'Colbert Report', which sadly account for a lot of what younger folks get in the way of political reporting. So young people believed that tripe, and as a result, considered McCain to be some old out of touch coot.

But it just goes to show how pervasive media lies are, when conservatives start echoing them.

[WOSG]

“The GOP nominee in 2012 needs to promise to limit themselves to matching funds”

We should run 20 candidate who ALL take matching funds and spend it ALL on 24/7 revitalizing the Republican brand and exposing/attacking the Obama/Democrat record, instead of eachother.

Using taxpayers money to re-educate people against the Democrats - that is worth doing.

[polymuser]

What beat us were three things: 1) an inept candidate; 2) money; and 3) moderates on our side.

I will add, with great honor for his military service but as a gut-honest objective social observation, that he was old and crippled. Like Dole.

[Starfleet Command]

There are many wizards out there who are not MIT trained. In fact, this site already has many members who are very capable of designing and coding the next great internet idea.

[wildbill]

IMHO the problem isn’t with a lack of internet technology by the Pubbies. Technology and Internet fundraising methodoly is fungible and can be bought.

The difference is in the base and their internet capability and habits. The Republican base that is internet savvy and that use it habitually is not nearly as large as the youngsters 18-30 that went Democratic in overwhelming numbers.

[pabianice]

Next big attack on the U.S. after Obama does kissy-face with Hamas and other Islamonazis and watch public opinion change.

[DeuceTraveler]

There were plenty of youngsters who went for Ron Paul. He had a very energetic and savvy base. He also had a strong, defined message. Instead we ended up with John McCain who changed his opinions often and couldn’t decide to go on the attack or defense.

Energize your base and they’ll do most of the campaigning for you. Since the Republican Party will not stand up for Conservatism, conservatives need to start leading the movement themselves.

Get involved in your local townhall meetings. Every local government has some forum of some kind. Give reasoned and logical discussions on why large government socialism fails. Use your charisma. Involve your friends. The leadership must come from the people, because our government officials refuse to show leadership themselves.

[ZeitgeistSurfer]

I disagree with the premise that we need to have conservative pop stars and movie idols to win an election. We need (1) strong conservative principles and (2) a great candidate who believes in and embodies those principles who is youthful, optimistic and can deliver a great speech. David Cameron, the leader of the Tories in the UK is a very attractive candidate and might lead them to victory in the next election. Perhaps Sara Palin can be that candidate for us.

[ari-freedom]

and as a result, considered McCain to be some old out of touch coot.

but he was...he should have checked out freerepublic before signing off on the bailout and all those other ‘mavericky’ ideas

[Interesting Times]

I disagree with the premise that we need to have conservative pop stars and movie idols to win an election.

Me too, but that isn't what Breitbart said.

His premise is that we need to have conservative films, songs and legends to compete effectively in the culture war. And he's quite correct.