Ben Smith has an intriguing new article chipping away at a mystery website that's been captivating political insiders for months:
On the pink pages of HillaryIs44 - named for the hope that Clinton will be the 44th President - Barack Obama and John Edwards are "muggers." Obama is guilty of everything from "lying" to "gay bashing." And Hillary can do no wrong. The Clinton campaign says it has nothing to do with the site, and there's no evidence linking them to it.
Political junkies have been buzzing about the site's muscular advocacy for Clinton and pointed attacks on her rivals, including a stream of opposition research and falsehoods. Last week, for example, the site posted a detailed 2,100-word attack on Barack Obama, assailing him for everything from not voting to defend MoveOn.org during the "Betray Us" fracas (true) to "never" being there in the battle for civil rights (false). One part attack ad, one part stump speech, the post repeats the refrain that "Obama is Never There When You Need Him" in bold text:
So who is behind it? Smith offers a few details suggesting the site is run by a knowledgeable political insider, blogging from a "Verizon DSL line in the Washington, D.C. area," with access to The Hotline -- a DC tip-sheet that costs $4,000 a year and is read mostly by "political professionals" in the Beltway. Smith also thinks the blogger is probably a female, or a man who happens to quote from the Nancy Drew books ("read mostly by girls"). But in the end, he's unsure whether it matters:
It's unclear whether the site should be considered a success, in political terms. It is rarely linked or cited by other political blogs, and it hasn't entered the mainstream of the political conversation.
For all its lies, bias and negativity, though, Hillaryis44 is effective. It is discussed by political and media types, offering a harder edge than the campaign's official site. I first heard about it from a cable television host who enthused that it was like "Hillary's war room," echoing Peggy Noonan. (Again, there is no evidence that the campaign is involved, but the site cultivates that kind of insider aura.) It already popped up on Meet the Press. Reporters and bloggers have discussed it for months, and its lively comments section shows it has traction with a regular audience, (more than most anonymous blogs can claim).
Unfortunately, this is the dark side of Internet politics: smears and anonymous attacks. But it's also worth stressing that all signs point to a traditional insider who has decided to upload dirty politics -- not an outsider crashing the gate. And to their credit, most Democratic bloggers, ranging from Clinton supporters to Clinton detractors, have largely rebuffed the effort. The website is almost never cited by other liberal blogs, presumably because the mix of smears and advocacy is rightly considered over the line.
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This post originally appeared at The Nation.