Michael Barone: Whither the Netroots?

Nick Gillespie | August 19, 2009

For all the MSM fears about astroturfed resistance to President Obama and the Dems, Michael Barone in the DC Examiner notes the watchdog that isn't barking so much any more:

The netroots, once almost totally preoccupied with the war in Iraq and suffused with hatred of George W. Bush, have now moved on.

They show little interest in Iraq, now that Obama is seeking (though carefully refraining from using the word) victory there, and little more interest in Afghanistan, where Obama has sent more troops and installed a new commander to pursue a new and, the president hopes, more successful strategy.

Instead, the netroots say their chief goal is "comprehensive health care reform." No. 2 is "working to elect progressive candidates" in 2010.

To me this looks less like conviction politics and more like team ball.

Whole column here.

Comments

Kyle Jordan|8.19.09 @ 9:47AM|#

I can tell you that I am incredibly surprised by this turn of events...

|8.19.09 @ 9:49AM|#

Apparently the soldiers in Iraq are no longer dying for a lie now that Obama is the C-in-C.

Citizen Nothing|8.19.09 @ 9:52AM|#

Go Bucks!
No wait, Go Bengals!
No wait, Go Tribe!
No, wait. Go TEAM BLUE!!! That's it. Go TEAM BLUE!!!

Xeones|8.19.09 @ 9:54AM|#

Yo, fuck the netroots.

PR|8.19.09 @ 9:57AM|#

joe had to moveon.org

|8.19.09 @ 10:07AM|#

Cindy Sheehan, who is if nothing else sincerely committed and consistent in her opposition to the war, went from being hero mom to nonentity in just one election.

There is a place for an anti-war movement. Wars are nasty things and should not be entered into lightly. There is nothing wrong with having people who argue against such things if for no other reason than to make people think long and hard before getting into one. But thanks to these assholes trading in all of their moral and political capital for Obama mania, we no longer have an anti-war movement. In 2013 when a Republican retakes the Whitehouse and these assholes rediscover the fact that maybe wars aren't such a good thing, is anyone going to listen to them with a straight face?

|8.19.09 @ 10:23AM|#

Sports bar politics. Go team go!

As much as I deride the sorry state of the Libertarian party, I have to admit the both Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root received plenty of flack from both radical and moderate libertarians here.

This kind of honesty and conviction is sorely lacking in places like Redstate.com and Dailykos.com.

I asked yesterday for links to anti-war protests since Obama's inauguration and the silence was deafening.

|8.19.09 @ 10:28AM|#

Go Bucks!
No wait, Go Bengals!
No wait, Go Tribe!
No, wait. Go TEAM BLUE!!! That's it. Go TEAM BLUE!!!

What, the Bluejackets? Hockey and Ohio just don't mix.

The Angry Optimist|8.19.09 @ 10:28AM|#

I have to admit the both Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root received plenty of flack from both radical and moderate libertarians here.

Yeah, and look how productive that was.

The Angry Optimist|8.19.09 @ 10:29AM|#

John-David, you are nuts - I don't even like hockey and a game at Nationwide Arena is a blast.

|8.19.09 @ 10:33AM|#

a game at Nationwide Arena is a blast

Yeah, you can stretch out across all those empty seats and totally relax. Nice and quiet too...

JB|8.19.09 @ 10:46AM|#

Fucking Obama zombies.

Assurances Maladies|8.19.09 @ 11:06AM|#

"and little more interest in Afghanistan, where Obama has sent more troops and installed a new commander to pursue a new and, the president hopes, more successful strategy"

Godddam chickenhawk!

|8.19.09 @ 11:08AM|#

You may be right, TAO, for the fun aspect of going. I remember having a blast watching the now-defunct Cleveland Lumberjacks at the Gund Arena (now, Quicken Loans Arena). The thing that would make me take that back is if they play cornhole at any time during Bluejacket home games.

Rhywun|8.19.09 @ 11:12AM|#

"Quicken Loans Arena"? That just rolls off the tongue.

|8.19.09 @ 11:13AM|#

Actually, around here we call it "The Q".

hmm|8.19.09 @ 11:13AM|#

It was always team ball. The conviction was just conveniently a part of the team strategy.

proud libitard|8.19.09 @ 12:03PM|#

John,

It's similar to how the Repubs are now screaming about fiscal responsibility. Where were they under the previous administration? They're all fucktards...

Rhywun|8.19.09 @ 12:07PM|#

Actually, around here we call it "The Q".

Well, you probably paid for it, so you should be able to call it whatever the hell you want.

|8.19.09 @ 3:05PM|#

It's similar to how the Repubs are now screaming about fiscal responsibility. Where were they under the previous administration? They're all fucktards...

Yeah, well, so are voters. They voted to re-elect the fiscally irresponsible GWB, but voted heavily against the Senator who opposed almost all of those fiscally irresponsible plans (such as the drug benefit), in favor of a Senator who voted in favor of most of them and proposed even more spending.

And from this politicians are supposed to conclude that fiscal responsibility is popular?

Oh right, party labels. And of course foreign policy is too important to make light of this way.

B|8.20.09 @ 11:12PM|#

"This kind of honesty and conviction is sorely lacking in places like Redstate.com and Dailykos.com. "

Yeah, and I just bet you are a regular reader of those blogs.