Make no mistake, Time’s article about how bloggers pulled off the upset of Joseph Lieberman in this week’s Democratic primary election for US Senator in Connecticut is spot on…
The much-hyped Internet activists of the Howard Dean presidential campaign, liberal blogs like Daily Kos and activist groups like MoveOn.org had generated lots of buzz, but few results at the ballot box until now. But in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, the bloggers didn’€™t just get a win, but a victory no one could have expected even four months ago. Joe Lieberman wasn’t just a three-term Connecticut Senator, he was only a few thousand votes from being the vice-president in a Democratic administration six years ago. And despite almost the entire Democratic establishment supporting his run against a virtually unknown businessman named Ned Lamont, including former President Clinton campaigning for him in Connecticut, the bloggers and Connecticut voters have essentially kicked Joe Lieberman out of the Democratic Party.
Many bloggers were involved in this campaign officially or unofficially – Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos, the MyDD gang, and the MoveOn.org folks.
The 2004 President elections were the first that blogs truly played a significant role in influencing the election. Howard Dean was the first candidate to truly capture the heart and soul of how political blogging could work.. Who can pull this together for the fall midterms and the upcoming 2008 presidential election?
