Glenn Reynolds notes some interesting MSM pushback against the Kossacks and the “netroots” on behalf of The New York Times. Apparently leftyblogger Jerome Armstrong (of MyDD) has a long and rather sordid history as a paid shill – as he remains under investigation by the SEC for astroturfing stocks online. The Times also notes how Kos and MyDD push candidates who happen to be paying Moulitsas/Kos and Armstrong, such as Howard Dean and Mark Warner. Despite the fact that Warner is part of the Democratic Leadership Committee that Kos has publicly vowed to “make radioactive”.
Which just proves that not only are Moulitsas and Armstrong hacks, but shills as well. The only “gates” they “crash” are the gates of those candidates who fail to pay them their protection money. I had pegged Kos as a raving ideologue – but I’m wondering if I wasn’t underestimating him. Moulitsas gets to command a digital mob of often barely-literate but intimidating “netroots activists” and gets to play kingmaker in the Democratic Party – and undoubtedly makes a metric crapload of cash while doing it.
It’s a nice job, if you can get it.
Of course, should that be true, that means that the Kossacks are all getting played for chumps, and the “netroots” is really more of a digital mob, with Kos’ Kids paying their protection money to avoid ending up like Joe Lieberman. All a candidate has to do is keep Kos in his/her payroll and say the right things to the base, and they get instant “grassroots” support. That’s why despite The Daily Kos’ readership is relentlessly ideological, their chosen candidates aren’t always. Other than his position on the war and dislike of Bush, James Webb has almost no left-wing credentials – he doesn’t need to if he’s paid his obeisance to the Kossacks. Likewise the centrist Mark Warner gets the Kos seal of approval despite the fact that he’s barely different from Hillary Clinton, whom the Kossacks loathe beyond all belief.
The fact remains that Moulitsas has burned a number of bridges with the Democratic establishment, and there are undoubtedly many in Democratic circles who think that he will make the Democratic Party “radioactive” – and for good reason. It doesn’t help that he and Armstrong are right that Democratic Party operatives are often cynically bilking Democrats out of millions for dodgy advice. It would be convenient for many in the Democratic establishment, especially the Hillary camp, to see Kos simply fade away. Unfortunately, the Kossacks are nothing if not persistent, and they’re capable of tearing the Democrats apart if they’re not paid their danekosgeld.
For the GOP, they can be thankful that the Democratic Party is so deeply divided – a division that could be seen clearly in the difference between the Senate and House voting patterns on the Iraq War resolutions. However, I have a theory as to who could be the real winner in all of this, and it could spell trouble for the GOP in 2008…
People like Armstrong make me sick. I’m an investment professional and we constantly battle scum like him, who get paid to pump a stock artificially. He belongs in jail.
Please don’t turn the light on in the Democrat’s boilerroom. All that toil and trouble is good for producing the most assinine, delusional responses to current affairs as ever has been conceived. The GOP couldn’t make this stuff up if it tried. Retreat to Okinawa indeed. Not “cut and run” but “cut and jog.” Hillary, the centrist. Russ Feingold.
Shhhh….quiet, please. Busy minds at work. Brilliant!!