Why political blogs - and Rush Limbaugh - have no impact
...and why they will go the way of the Kiwi.....As most of you who have read my ramblings here and in various newspapers, I am not all that smart. I am extremely slow to "catch on." That's why it has taken me months to transform an uneasy feeling I have about the thousands - perhaps millions - of Internet political blogs into a theory.
In brief, there's nothing original about them. They people who create them feed off those who report news. Virtually none of them creates anything based on their own reporting.
Here's something to consider: What would happen to the political bloggers if all the news reporting organizations stopped reporting news for a day - or a week.
Would any of them have the news gathering personnel to get the news frokm which to spawn their commentary? Hardly.
What's ironic is the fact that most of these folks - especially the right wingers - spend most of their time bashing and belittling the sources of the news on which they depend.
I write opinion, but I admit that I rely on the news gatherers to keep me supplied, and it's why I never bash the reporters, the reportage or the news organizations that produce the news. And even with all that, I sometimes wonder why anyone reads what I write.
What we're dealing with in the political blog arena are opinions based on what others report as news. And when these bloggers run out of news upon which to comment, they turn their ire to the messengers, the very people who supply them fodder.
I have no idea what the ultimate fortunes of the political bloggers will be, but I suspect most of them - and perhaps all of them - will eventually disappear. Their impact is minimal at best as the elections of 2006 and 2008 will prove. Their influence and ability to change hearts and minds is minimal as well. Why? Because I believe the average American realizes all they create are smoke and mirrors.
posted by Dave Peyton @ 10:47 PM
1 Comments:
I put little faith in political bloggers being a force that changes or manipulates politics. I read blogs because I'm interested in the discussion and debate, even if I tend to frequent those that agree with my viewpoint rather than disagree. Blogging will fade to some degree, especially for those who use it in an attempt to affect change. For those who simply want to spout or share opinions, blogging may be a more lengthy endeavor.
Post a Comment
<< Home