Risch Doesn’t Heart Blogs
Posted by Adam Graham in : Idaho Conservative, TheFrom Eye on Boise:
At their press conferences yesterday, both Republican Jim Risch and Democrat Larry LaRocco were asked if they read blogs and if they pay attention to the comments posted on them. Risch’s answer: “No and no.” Though he did say, “I do, however, have to tell you that from time to time friends of mine will put the printouts in front of me. Some are amusing, some are not so amusing. Blogs are a lot like letters to the editor, they’re people’s own personal opinions.”
Mountain Goat Report being the good partisan that she is made hay about this, as she should. Is Risch wrong on blogs? Definitely. As MGR points out the GOP as a whole is not too keen on new technology and new tools. Part of the reason is illustrated by Larry LaRocco’s answer:
“I read blogs. Blogs are important. Let me remind you that (U.S. Sen.) Jim Webb in Virginia raised 60 percent of his funds on the Internet. It’s an attempt to democratize what’s going on in America. It’s a very interesting phenomenon in the United States right now.”
The reference to Webb’s fundraising says a lot. When he sees blogs, partially Larry LaRocco sees dollar signs. There hasn’t yet been a Republican effort to match Actblue. Even a longshot like Jim Hansen raised $10,000 off that site last session. Republicans haven’t had near the success from blogs that our colleagues on the left have, though we are working on it. There are no less than three different organizations at least (Right Roots, Slate Card, and Big Red Tent) that are different stages of trying to create that online machine.
Now, I’d add that I don’t necessarily agree with labeling the blogs letters to the editor, as after all I’ve done some pretty hard-hitting stuff: such as exposing Larry Grant’s big out of state donors, the phony Republicans for Grant, and the low wages Jerry Brady paid his call center workers $7.50 an hour while advocating good paying jobs. The question, though is whether this will hurt Lt. Governor Risch in his Senate campaign. My brief answer is no. The liberal bloggers who are so angry about this weren’t going to back Risch anyway. I’m not angry just concerned because eventually we HAVE to get past this ignorance or Republicans will pay a price. I fear that there’ll have to be some election lost because of a refusal to address this technology.
There is hope as quite a few Idaho Republican politicos do appreciate the efforts of conservative bloggers and are increasing their understanding as time goes on. We need to have that trend accelerate for the sake of Idaho Conservatives long term success.
Comment by BillH
we’re still in a place where most politicians on both sides think only of money and power, not what their constituents think and want them to accomplish. the internet is about raising money for most of them. it’s surprising, after this summer’s amnesty fight, that they can still be so clueless. yes, the masses still look to the local newspaper and the evening news for information, but they only wield their power every few years when they cast a ballot. but there are fast growing numbers on both sides that have gone beyond the pap available in traditional media, and those people are better informed AND more politically active. yeah, some of them can be annoying and wrong-headed as well, but I agree with you Adam, blogging and other uses of the internet will (and should be) increasingly important. Risch’s answer indicates that with his 1997 attitude towards the internet, he’s not as ready for primetime in 2008 as he thinks he is.