Whenever Ezra goes on TV, even though he’s shouted down or ignored by Chris Matthews, he’s pretty clearly the only rational human being on the show. Problem is, if you don’t read his site, he’s just some smartass kid.

But I still believe
And I will rise up with fists!!

in what way does speaking/shouting with a bobblehead fascist make a difference in the “real world?” i’m asking for something tangible.

If I hadn’t chanced on a discussion group of bloggers and put my toe in the water and got bitten gently, I wouldn’t be a blogger today. Now, I’m not going to say that’s an unalloyed good thing. But I want to see sights like Kos totally romping on stupid points of view and diversionary arguments like he did yesterday. It raises the value of our blogging communities, and diminishes the standard poseurs that are usually on the panels of MSM.

Ruth

Alas, the only way to do that is to appear in their venues.

Clinton did that, and, clueless Dems, they didn’t take the cue, except for Dodd recently.

No authoritarians were tortured in the writing of this post.

political blogging. i’d like to think i’ve changed a mind or two, and as little as that may weigh, it’s something.

i’m just worried that as more and more bloggers get sucked into the TV universe, they will be forced to play by the rules there. which are nasty, as nasty as is found in any corporate environment where backstabbing and selling out are required. to me, the whole point of the open source media movement is to replace them, not to join them.

and while i agree that they do need to be refuted, publically, i worry that eventually refutation will not be what happens. again, in order to be a repeat participant in our media, you must become a “brand.” it seems to me that the use of bloggers on TV advances those shows and producers, but i’m not clear on what impact it has on day to day issues.

Win or lose, for progressives to appear on TV is a good thing. Most people don’t want to be on the fringe or part of the crazies, but are in fact more progressive than conservative. The appearance of people stating what they themselves believe validates their beliefs. It’s not just the supposedly rational argument that counts, but the presence of normal people against the reactionaries.

O’Reilly really did look like the lunatic asshole that he indeed is. But it takes a foil, someone to burst the image.

No authoritarians were tortured in the writing of this post.

And Kos made pretty clear what he stands for yesterday, I think.

Hey, check out this short, satirical “You Tube” video blasting O’Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and other right-wing pundits. You’ll love it! And, it’s done by an evangelical pastor!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hh3xwuH-rE

As in how many people can you reach with a certain medium.

The overwhelming majority of US citizens has absolutely no idea what blogs are about and what the hell “Daily Kos” is.

The TeeVee is the biggest megaphone around and reaches pretty much everybody.

So it is very helpful to use the TV medium to carry (like a virus) even a watered-down progressive message, and if nothing else the very concept that blogs are something to be taken seriously.

Some percentage of TV viewers will go look up some blogs on the internets after these appearances and that adds to the blogosphere’s reach.

Yes, getting on the TeeVee probably does require some compromise, but the added reach is a net benefit to the blogosphere and the progressive movement, IMNSHO.

Blogs will never replace corporate media, but if we can use their expensive infrastructure to spread our message and bring more attention to blogs, all the better.

I watched Kos smack Ford around on MTP yesterday. It was quite enjoyable. And there he was, a blogger on Meet The Press!