New media politics

The Washington Post had an interesting article on the influence of the Internet and new media and its influence on politics.

There are some interesting quotes from President Clinton:

While the Foley and Allen episodes burned Republicans, Clinton said in an interview earlier this year that he thinks the proliferation of media outlets, as well as the breakdown of old restraints in both media and politics, on balance has favored Republicans. Without mentioning Gore or Kerry by name, he complained that many Democrats have allowed themselves to become unnerved and even paralyzed in response.

. . .

But [Clinton] said Democrats of his generation tend to be naive about new media realities. There is an expectation among Democrats that establishment old media organizations are de facto allies -- and will rebut political accusations and serve as referees on new-media excesses.

"We're all that way, and I think a part of it is we grew up in the '60s and the press led us against the war and the press led us on civil rights and the press led us on Watergate," Clinton said. "Those of us of a certain age grew up with this almost unrealistic set of expectations."

I don't agree with everything in the article, like Clinton's assertion that the media was more friendly to the liberal cause in the 60s.

I believe the media and liberals were anti war, but for different reasons. The media was not supporting the liberal agenda; they were supporting their own agenda whose end goal just happened to be similar.

I also think that the Democrats have a long way to go in playing the media game and not just responding to attacks, but initiating attacks on the opposition.

Clearly the mass media is hostile to the Democrats and the liberal agenda, but I belive that the Democrats can also use the new media to their advantage, and they have slowly begun to.