Friday, July 14, 2006

Gunners

Josh writes:

Sorry to the gunners on both sides. But there aren't enough bloggers or blog readers in Connecticut to pull an unknown challenger to even in a primary challenge against a three-term incumbent senator. This is about Connecticut.


But who on my side is making this claim? This is part of why all this discussion has been so silly. No sensible person believes that bloggers have this power, and no blogger has been making this claim.

Look, liberal bloggers have been making the case against Lieberman for some time, crafting a narrative which has been entirely absent from his mainstream media fan club. But it isn't a narrative we invented, it's been based on Lieberman's words and deeds and it's something people who don't read blogs may have actually managed to pick up on themselves. In steps a candidate and campaign who understands that basic narrative. They do smart things. Lieberman does everything wrong. Lamont gets an incredible 35% delegate support at the state convention. Suddenly, we have a very real campaign.

Absent nudging the initial conditions, the real contributions from bloggers have been from the local Connecticut bloggers who have been very successful at influencing the local campaign coverage. But no one thinks that bloggers in isolation can win a race like this. It's a silly straw man, but one which is believed by Lieberman supporters. And that's one reason they have a big problem. Recently Lieberman was whining about "attacks from the blogosphere." He thinks that's his problem. It's not, and no sensible person ever thought it was.