Are bloggers gaining influence and conflicts at the same time?
Three of our former guests on Pundit Review Radio are having an interesting conversation about the recent Blog Summit in which the GOP invited select conservative bloggers down to Washington to cover the Alito hearings.
Danny Glover from National Journal’s Beltway Blogroll maintains his healthy skepticism about bloggers in his post The Courtship Of The Blogosphere,
Still, I recoiled at much of the content written by the GOP-approved bloggers last week. Why? Because the content they wrote from Washington, while being feted by the Republican Party, did not pack the same punch as their normal fare. Too often, they sounded more like unofficial stenographers for the GOP than the passionate, independent watchdogs that they normally are.
Matt Margolis from Blogs for Bush and GOP Bloggers disagrees in a post titled Hitting Below The Beltway Blogroll,
Despite the impression given in Glover’s rant, bloggers did not simply throw softball questions at the Senators who spoke with us. I was determined to find out why Alito’s hearings were delayed until after the New Year, despite the fact President Bush wanted Alito confirmed before then. Believe it or not, I actually found myself satisfied by the answer given to me by Senator Frist, and one of his staffers. We constantly wanted answers about what Senate Republicans would do if the Democrats filibustered. Captain Ed was determined to find out why the NRSC was going to spend money on RINO Lincoln Chafee, instead of supporting his conservative Republican opponent in the primary. I don’t know if Ed ever ended up being satisfied by the answers he got from various people he grilled on the subject, but Glover is wrong to infer that the event last week was a love fest. Many contentious issues came up time and time again. Cherry-picking laudatory blog entries from the event hardly gives an objective view of what happened and what our coverage was like.
Veteran newspaper man turned blogger Mark Tapscott provides some interesting insight and perspective that only a 25 year veteran of the print media can in his post, Are Bloggers ‘Kept Sources’ When Blogging at GOP Sactioned Events?
Put otherwise, transparency is the key consideration in evaluating the credibility of a news voice. As long as the RNC-sanctioned bloggers disclosed the nature of their connection with the GOP, there is no reason to assume they ceased being able to talk about what they saw and heard in a maner that provides value to readers. Readers simply need to remember there are other voices, some of which may well possess greater credibility.
This issue is not going to go away anytime soon because the Blogosphere is at such an early stage in its development as an information and opinion source for vast numbers of people around the world. I expect Glover will have more to say and I know I will.
Stay tuned.
I do have to say that I disagree with Danny Glover on one point he made,
The sessions revived, and arguably legitimized, criticism that at least some right-leaning bloggers are tools of the GOP.
Sure, that is what liberal bloggers like Kos claim all the time. The facts however tell a different story. One of the great thing about conservative blogs is that they are a forum for ideas. There are numerous times when conservative bloggers have ‘gone off the reservation’ as they say. Just ask Harriet Miers if that is true. She was nominated by W. and taken down by conservative blogs. Many conversatives objected to Miers not because she wasn’t conservative enough, as the liberals claim, but because she wasn’t qualified enough. In the wake of Roberts and Alito, is there any question that those who opposed Miers were right?
You could point to this post as another example of whacking what you think is wrong, no matter where it is coming from.
More recently, what about the treatment of Julie Myers, daughter of Gen Richard Myers, who was appointed head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement? She was savaged as yet another crony, unqualified appointment by conservative bloggers like Michelle Malkin, Debbie Schlussel, among others.
The battlefield of ideas is alive and well in the conservative blogosphere. I think the
fact that the national party is recognizing and courting bloggers to get their message out is far more positive than any alleged conflict of interest among those invited. These concerns will dissipate over time, in my opinion. Soon, bloggers being invited will be the norm, not the exception. It is the content that matters. The blogosphere is one of the few meritocricies left in this world.
January 16th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
Thanks for joining the conversation, Kevin.
My “tools of the GOP” point was only to say that the behavior of the bloggers last week revived that issue in some people’s minds — and gave them more ammunition to make their case. See some of the comments at Captain’s Quarters and Press Think for the evidence.
I certainly don’t think bloggers in general are tools of anyone, for the very reasons you stated, and that extends to bloggers strongly aligned with the GOP. They have proved themselves willing to buck the establishment, even when the party worked diligently to woo them (as happened with the Miers nomination). I just think they let their guard down a bit too much last week.
I also agree with you that the courtship of bloggers by the parties is a good thing. I hope both major parties — as well as minor parties and maybe someday a new, emergent third party inspired by bloggers — do more of it. And I hope bloggers keep walking through the doors that are opened to them. But I would hate to see them walk through those doors and become just like the people on the other side.
January 16th, 2006 at 9:36 pm
Danny,
My pleasure to chime in and add to your excellent post. Your blog is a consistent source of balanced insight into the blogs and their impact on Capitol Hill.
You make some great points above. Like anything else that is new, it comes with a certain level of excitement that will wear off over time. As these invitations become the norm, I think the shine will wear off these events and it will be business as usual, at least I hope so.
The idea of a blogger inspired/driven third party is very interesting. Who knows what the future holds for blogs? The possibilities are endless, unless as you say, they “walk through those doors and become just like the people on the other side.”
That would be good for nobody, except the elites. And we don’t want that!!
Kevin
January 17th, 2006 at 1:15 pm
I think there’s a difference between how the left and right bloggers treat “their” politicians.
Right bloggers will criticize on policy and, when necessary, personal behavior or out-of-bounds comments.
Left bloggers will go after those who wander from the reservation on policy (e.g., Liberman), but will not criticize their out-of-bounds activities (e.g., getting Steele’s credit report in Maryland) of the out-of bounds comments and rhetoric of pols whose policies they are OK with.
Latest example:
Paul Hackett (media darling this past summer in Ohio’s 2nd District Congressional race who lost to Jean “don’t cut and run” Schmidt, and who is now running in the OH US Senate Primary) essentially called the 62% of OH that voted for the traditional marriage amendment in 2004 and those who are religious “nuts” and other things:
Hackett said…. What?
http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2006/01/hackett-said-what.asp
Hackett Said It, and He Meant It
http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2006/01/hackett-said-it-and-he-meant-it.asp
The list of Dems who will criticize his out-of-bounds comments will be very short to non-existent.
BTW, guys, there’s a story about Hackett’s loss that you might want to hear someday.
January 17th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
Tom,
Don’t be a tease.:) Fill us in on the ’story’. Thanks.
Kevin
May 5th, 2006 at 2:30 pm
Your site is very cognitive. I think you will have good future.:)