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Thursday, January 27, 2005
Winning Politics Online: TINC vs. CFG
Posted by Tim TagarisQuestion: When is a multi million dollar organization forced to react to a rag-tag group of bloggers "waging politics online?"
Answer: When those bloggers are running unimpeded in the blogosphere, using the new medium to help correctly reframe the social security debate.
By all accounts thereisnocrisis.com has been a tremendous sucess. Don't take my word for, don't take the word of the 400+ bloggers who have signed up, just look at the response of the most spectacular bastion of wingnuttery, The Club for Growth.
Always the reactionaries, The Club for Growth has launched its own blog to counter the overwhelming success of There is No Crisis. The site itself encapsulates the differences between the righty and lefty blogosphere.
Content Contributors:
TINC: Regular Bloggers, 400+ from across the WWW
CFG: Political Hacks
Financial Contributors:
TINC: Small donors contributing to BlogPAC
CFG: Raised $22 million for 14 wingnut candidates in 2004
Sourcing of Content:
TINC: New York Times, WaPo, Christian Science Monitor, Guardian
CFG: CATO studies, American Spectator, GOP USA
Individual Leaders:
TINC: Bob Brigham (SSP), Matt Stoller (BOP News) Josh Koenig (MFA)
CFG: Pat Toomey, Don Luskin, Herman "bootstraps" Cain
Community Participation:
TINC: Allows comments and direct participation
CFG: Trackbacks only, no comments allowed
More Fun:
CFG: Bogus Social Security calculator completely debunked by Yglesias.
From yesterday's Club for Growth press release:
"The purpose of http://www.SocialSecurityChoice.org is to be the definitive Blog and the leading online clearinghouse for the best ideas and information relating to the pro-growth vision of Social Security reform. By advocating personal accounts, we will engage the public, debunk myths, and promote the unprecedented opportunity that Social Security reform offers," said Club for Growth President, Pat Toomey.
Mr. Toomey's quote looks alot like the stated mission of There is No Crisis. Nice try.
Well done Bob, Matt, and Josh. Well done.
Posted at 01:27 PM in Netroots | Technorati
Comments
It was funny over at the club's Social Security "Choice" blog. I couldn't stop myself after reading one particularly slanted post by former Cato Institute hired hand Carrie Lukas suggesting the AARP was not representing its members' interests by speaking out against BushCo's scheme to reward his friendly campaign contributors in the big brokerage houses.
Funny thing. They printed seven or eight other "responses" to the post, but somehow mine never saw the light of day. I can't say that it was very flattering toward's Lukas' ideas.
You'd think if you had courage in your convictions you'd welcome a little opposition the better to practice your sparring skills.
On the other hand, when you're packaging and selling a lie with the thinly disguised intent of dismantling Social Security (read the club manifesto), then a ribald exchange of ideas is not to be placed on the menu.
Now they've turned the comments off over there.
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at January 27, 2005 03:22 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment