Letters to the Editor
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I'm not so sure
I enjoy your columns, Farhad, but I respectfully disagree with your analysis. I believe one can construct a fairly straightforward timeline of events that show the web to be a tool of happenstance - not of cause.
1. Richard Nixon southern strategy: flips solidly Democratic (but very conservative south) to GOP using original wedge issue: civil rights (Johnson Act)
2. Lee Atwater refines the southern strategy and pushes it outside of the south (Bussing, desegration nationwide, affirmative action, etc) This is the first instantiation of litmus politics, but albeit on amorphous issues. Incipient right wing talk radio (the Democrats were blind to the unintended consequences of dropping equal time)
3. Reagan pushed litmus and builds coalition of single issue voters (Wall Street (Rich), Anti-Abortionists (Evangelicals), Military (or 2nd amendment types).
4. Under Bush 1 and Bush 2, defunding of the left occurs. Tom Delay, Rove, push it to the extreme to starve the left of funds. Democrats source of labor funds removed, McCain-Feingold campaign reform actually hurts Democrats more than Republicans.
5. Lack of media relief for left, center-left views, Rise of FOX.
Bingo, internet becomes the place to comiserate. Act Blue, MoveOn, DailyKOS, fit Democratic members better (is there something to conservatives being followers and not leaders in opinion -ating? (or bloviating?) Ask Dan Bartlett.)
The internet is the RESULT of the closing of alternative methods of promulgating a loyal opposition. I think Norquist & Rove really were surprised that there was an alternative technique of organizing and the the left would be soooooo good at it.
I think that this reminds me of what someone once told me in my youth, "People excel when limits are placed on them."
Thanks!