Digital divide separates GOP from Democrats

[EV_Ares]

Republicans playing catch-up in Internet strategy as disparity grows

When David All, a former Republican congressional aide, launched a blog recently that he hopes will spur his fellow Republicans to bridge the digital divide, he did his best to sound upbeat. "Today our Revolution begins," he wrote. "Tomorrow we fight."

But implicit in his cheerleading was the acknowledgment that there is a widening gap between Democrats and Republicans on the Internet, and that his party will have to scramble to catch up. "For the most part Republicans are stuck in Internet circa 2000," he said in an interview.

Another Republican -- Michael Turk, who was in charge of Internet strategy for President Bush's 2004 campaign -- puts the problem his party faces more bluntly: "We're losing the Web right now."

'The Republican noise machine'
Moulitsas will concede the influence of conservative blogs and Web sites in the successful attack on Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) during his 2004 presidential campaign, when he was accused of exaggerating his service record during the Vietnam War, and on CBS News for its reporting on Bush's war record. He also concedes that Republicans have their own popular blogs, such as InstaPundit, RedState and Michelle Malkin's -- sites, he asserts, that are parts "of the Republican noise machine, affiliated to talk radio and Fox News." Malkin, the doyenne of the conservative blogosphere, is a frequent contributor to Fox News.

"Sure, conservatives can point to the Dan Rather controversy and the Swift boat episode as a measure of their success online. But that's it," Moulitsas said. "Progressives can claim to an actual movement that raises a lot of money, that helps put politicians in office. . . . Progressives can claim to actually having communities online, where an average Joe can have a voice, and not just a radio personality who happens to write a blog, too."

Moulitsas was referring to Hugh Hewitt, a blogger and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show." His blog is on TownHall , one of the most popular conservative sites. The site is owned by Salem Communications.

Story continues below @ link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18774299/

[crikkett]

1. dupe...

[EV_Ares]

3. Haven't seen it, sorry for the dupe if it occurred. N/T.

[nxylas]

2. "Republicans are stuck in the year 2000"

Only because they didn't have the Internet in the 1950's, when the Republican clock stopped in every other respect.

[Arugula Latte]

4. What....Church bulletins not doing it for ya, repukes?

:rofl: