chronic.linguist

Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas founded two of the most influential political blogs in cyberspace—they’re called MyDD and DailyKos, respectively, and are part of an Internet-based grassroots movement (fondly referred to as the “netroots”) which has begun to revolutionize how progressives organize. Their book—entitled Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics—might just as well have been titled A Guide to Taking Back Our Democratic Party So We Can Take Back Our Country.

It makes the case for a democratically-organized Democratic Party, and it does so passionately, persuasively, and concisely. They attack what they characterize as a clumsy and antiquated (1970s-era) party apparatus on the Democratic side, contrasting this woeful state of affairs for progressives with the nimble, 21st-century conservative machine which has been frighteningly effective in turning out Republican dollars and votes. Some of the biggest shortcomings of the Democrats, according to Markos and Jerome, include: a historical reliance on a few wealthy donors to the alienation of grassroots activists; the fragmentation and short-sightedness of single-issue groups; the increasing focus on a few races and swing states to the detriment of the Democratic image elsewhere; a reliance on Washington consultants who profit from connections rather than performance; the lack of investment in progressive infrasture (media, think tanks, and young activists); and the disjointed laundry list of policy stances that is our message. This tough and honest assessment of our current weaknesses comes with suggestions on how they can be overcome, with netroots-style populism obviously playing an important role.

Maybe, as a techie and one of the million or so daily visitors of DailyKos, I’m a little biased, but I think these guys are right on the money. (My only criticism of the book is that it spends too much time harping on the consultants, and too little time on message.) To most Americans right now, Democrats are the party which exists to oppose Republicans, not to promote its own agenda. A large part of recent Democratic failures are is due to our inability to modernize our own strategy and message to counter the conservative apparatus. But this is slowly changing, and the YearlyKos convention this month showed that the fledgling netroots, if still relatively small, are by all means a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully, this book will help convince Democrats to get their act together so these changes happen sooner rather than later. Lord knows what America will face if we don’t.