techPresident - Hillary has a netroots problem. Does it matter? - Comments

I have no doubt...

David All — Sun, 13 May 2007 23:19:54 -0400

...that both the Republican and Democratic 'roots will support the candidate. Instead, I'm more interested in finding out if either party "needs" the 'roots.

I like your line of thinking with regard to who the politicians will have to answer to. That's worth an essay or a column Micah...

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David All
The David All Group
http://davidallgroup.com
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Netroots are growing

dlake — Sat, 12 May 2007 01:07:24 -0400

The growth of the netroots and the fact that there are many more over 40 than anyone suspects is a problem for Hillary. her low approval is coming not just from activists of the 20 something group but, from her own baby boomer group.
Some of the most vitriolic posts come from the older readers. male and female. All democrats. I think the dislike is stronger on the left than on the right.
And with so many people of all groups online and growing more and more everyday, this will cause a problem for Hillary in electability. I have posted on blogs that concidering the hate on the right, the not so excited of indies and half the democratic base refusing to vote for her, she would lose in the general.
She is riding high on the so called experience but, Clinton does not wear well. people are reminded of why they dislike after awhile. That is why she lost so much support before the debates. After them she got a bump from undecideds. This shows soft support.
The netroots dislike her for more than the war. Alot of the article was correct in the feelings towards hillary. She is concidered DLC corporate and phoney. Pandering. Republican lite. Nafta is held against her and especially with Penn as her closest advisor. Her throw back to the early 90s in her retoric and promise them whatever and outright lying. Being the ultimate insider. Her sins are very long. It's been discussed to do a Liebermann on her. Take her campaign down. Obama supporters and Edwards supporters joining forces to take her down.
She is very disliked and not trusted by the netroots and she needs them. They are the political junkies and they are the ones who actually vote in the primaries.

Maybe, maybe not

Micah L. Sifry — Fri, 11 May 2007 13:15:52 -0400

David--

Good question. My sense is that while Hillary is indeed the weakest of the leading Democratic candidates among netroots activists, the Democratic base online will mostly unify around whoever the party nominates.

As for making it through the primary...there are just too many variables at play to make a blanket statement.

By the way, I know most people who are political junkies obsess about such things as who the parties will nominate. Frankly the more interesting trend to me is in who the politicians have to answer to. That clearly is changing right now, in subtle ways yes, but in general to the detriment of old insiders and to the benefit of new networked outsiders.

Micah

Hillary has a netroots problem. Does it matter?

David All — Fri, 11 May 2007 10:15:08 -0400

Sam Stein pens an op-ed in today's Politico on Hillary Clinton's "netroots" problem.

As an outside observer of the netroots movement, my perception is that the base of the Democratic Party is increasingly being pulled to the Internet - and therefore to the liberal netroots movement. The "power" if you will, is transferring from traditional Democratic base supporters like unions to online activists. If it's not completely shifting, it's at least balancing even.

That being said, could a Democratic candidate actually make it through a Democratic Primary without the support of the netroots movement?

techPresident - Hillary has a netroots problem. Does it matter? - Comments

I have no doubt...

Netroots are growing

Maybe, maybe not

Hillary has a netroots problem. Does it matter?

Let's dig in...