Markos, John, & Elizabeth: How Daily Kos Keeps Swallowing The Kool-Aid

It wasn't just 'old media' or 'mainstream media' who ignored the John Edwards story or got it wrong. Unfortunately, it was also the left-wing blogosphere who overwhelmingly let their readers down. Many sites didn't cover the story until it burst like a dam last Friday on cable news but I know of only one that censored it; the popular Democratic blog The Daily Kos.

I don't know Markos Moulitsas Zúñiga, the founder of Daily Kos. I'm still banned over there for discussing the Edwards story and I get letters and tweets asking me if I'm unbanned yet. I wrote Kos days ago to see if he thought banning me was a good idea and I haven't heard anything.

Up until now, I've assumed it wasn't personal with Markos. Then tonight, I remembered that Kos himself actually had written about the Edwards story on DailyKos before I did.

Now I think I know why I'm still banned. It's not just that I got the Edwards story right. More significantly, Markos got this story totally wrong and his wrongness set the tone over at Daily Kos for everyone who attacked me and who continue to attack me to this day.

Look what the leader of Kos told his followers...

Seriously, I can't believe this is even subject to debate, but for the crazies, no source is too disreputable if it validates their warped world view.

Daily Kos: Why won't the "MSM" cover Edwards love child story????

It's telling that Markos quoted Richard Blair from All Spin Zone and that Mr. Blair has done something Kos still has not; admitted he was wrong about Edwards.

Blair wrote...

I'm sad about this, because I was and am a very firm believer in the issues on which John and Elizabeth Edwards have led, especially since his first run for the presidency in 2004. I'm further saddened because no doubt their voices will now become silent. They have more important things to attend to.

I'm disappointed - no, hopping damn mad - about this, because I've been a supporter since 2004. He's received my very vocal support, as well as financial contributions.

All Spin Zone

No such reality from the Markos community. While mainstream news outlets are at least trying to think about about their handling of the story, Markos just published a new front page diary actually congratulating himself and the whole community for being so darn swell to Elizabeth Edwards. It's stunning that the Kossacks are so happy that their echo chamber got the story so wrong both factually and in terms of the wider implications for Democrats.

No wonder the Edwardses chose the Daily Kos as the place to launch her homespun manipulative PR deception piece, which helped push the falsehood of the 2006 'no affair anymore' date four times in three short paragraphs. She knew she'd have a receptive audience of Kossacks whose critical thinking skills have atrophied but whose high five reflexes were keen.

In the middle of the Kos groupthink hug, someone brought up unbanning me. That didn't go over well.

Here's a typical comment.

Stranahan is the worst kind of so-called journalist. He only wanted to be right, and to "break" the story. Markos has a great site here, inspiring thought-provoking, reality based discussions. The community banned Stranahan because he was an idiot opportunistic jerk. This site has made such a difference and serves as a community townhall, and we (the community) need to keep it humming.

When Markos brought up the Edwards scandal he wasn't an idiot opportunistic jerk and even though he mentioned the story first he wasn't trying to break it, correct?

The commenter is right. I don't belong in the Daily Kos community. I only wanted to be right. Guilty as charged. That's exactly what I wanted. Now if only we can figure out what Daily Kos wants to be.

Comments

[tjwdraws]

Oh my goodness. Daily Kos can decide who and what it allows to post. So can Huffington Post. I've had some of my fairly innocent comments blocked here but I carry on. It sucks and isn't very nice to be censored but really it isn't that big of a deal. Post post post when and where you can but sour grapes won't solve any problems. :-)

[LaFilleEnRose]

Isn't Kos a Hillary backer as well. He doesn't get it right most of the time apparently.

[Malarcus]

I guess I will never get a satisfactory answer as to why the Edwards story matters to anyone but him and his wife. Outside, of course, of it being a lovely gotcha moment for all of his detractors who didn't like his hair and/or what he had to say about poor folks.

[MPCarr]

Here's another headline that everyone can ignore:

"Plame Lawsuit Against Cheney Et Al Dismissed..."

I didn't see anywhere yesterday.

I can only imagine how it would have been reported if the court had allowed the case to go forward.

[rangem]

come on edward s you said you would take a dna test so do it take her to court and get a court order to compair dna then everyone would know the truth and not until then so what do you say mr edward s are you still lying are not

[sweetpaws]

I read and post comments on Daily Kos all the time. I saw Lee's posts on Edwards and simply took them under advisement until further conclusive evidence was found. I'm sorry you were treated poorly. There are some really nice people on the site and its often a good source of information, but I agree that too often discussions can turn into a pissing match.

[Lee Stranahan - Huffpost Blogger]

Yeah, there are some great people there....

[1question]

Mr. Stranahan,

I am very familiar with your dKos contribution...to the point of having previously saved several of your diary(s) on my dKos "hot list".

I think your work on this story has been notable. I have added you to my HuffPo Favorite Blogger"s list. You have so much upside. So don"t become a one trick pony.

But I am absolutely certain your on-air radio [i.e. The Young Turks / Air America] interview on missed the mark.. After the interview, I still don't know "why you were banned".

It would help if you
1. ...literally answered each question asked
2. ...keep and answers and responses shorter
3. ...eliminate all the parenthetical information
4. ...allow the interviewer to interview i.e. ask the questions
5. ...calm down...chill

Your writing is great. But...in short, maybe you are not ready for prime time.

I await your next post NOT just about Edwards. or dKos.

[Lee Stranahan - Huffpost Blogger]

The Edwards story isn't over, unfortunately. It's what I'm working on right now.

Not sure what questions I didn't answer. I've done 3 radio appearances in the last week. I'll probably get better.

Here's a piece from the L.A. Times -

[Ndw]

It's creepy that they'll turn from an assessment of the truth, even if it's a sex scandal, to 'we're above that!' (unless some Republican has been caught with his pants down --- or shoes off.) Suddenly, we're to be reminded of all the important things going on, as in, we shouldn't pay attention to this innocent little affair. Well, the thing is, I, for one, am quite capable of following more than one story. To vilify any reporter who pursued this story is no different from those who vilified someone pursuing the truth behind our Iraq involvement. (sad to say, not many did - or worse, not many were heard) We weren't supposed to ask, because it was 'unpatriotic.' Now, we're not supposed to question whether this annoyingly sanctimonious 'family man' politician was a hypocrite, because it's... what? Unpatriotic to the Left?

[Michale32086]

Very well said...

Especially this part:

}}}}}}}}}}}}
It's creepy that they'll turn from an assessment of the truth, even if it's a sex scandal, to 'we're above that!' (unless some Republican has been caught with his pants down --- or shoes off.)
}}}}}}}}}}}}

Michale.....

[liberalgirl31]

Mr. Stranahan:

Daily Kos is supposedly the most popular liberal website, yet I only go over there if there's a link from another blog. People get really nasty over there and curse a lot. The all the four-letter words make the bloggers sound like a bunch of immature teenagers.

I don't care much for Street Prophets, either. The guy that runs that site, Pastordan, can get nasty with anyone not deemed sufficiently "left" enough for him. He kicks around Jim Wallis, Amy Sullivan, and Mara Vanderslice for not being properly "liberal."

I am sorry for you that you were treated so badly by Dkos.

It IS kind of authoritarian over there, where they knock down those that don't agree with them.

[MaryscottOConnor]

Street Prophets is a subsidiary of Daily Kos.

[MaryscottOConnor]

Just finished listening to your YoungTurks interview; well done, pal.

You sounded a mite befuddled as to the particulars of your banning. For the record -- you were autobanned. It's Markos's "plausible deniability" ploy. He gets to shrug and say he didn't actually ban you -- it was "mob rule."

Never mind that he set up the system that allows it to happen. And note: he ain't rushing to reinstate you.

In my case, he actually DID ban me. And with a totally bogus non-infraction, to boot. But that's another story.

[Badbone]

Sorry you got banned, but the bottom line is, it's their site. They can allow or ban anyone they want, for any reason they want. Sure they drank the kool-aid. They can drink anything they want.

The great thing about the internets is, you can start your own site, and drink or not drink, post or not post, ban or not ban as you see fit.

[ronito6]

Yeah but....

Stranahan was proved right. The only right thing to do is to let him back on.

Daily Kos ...FREE LEE!

[poeticsinger]

Mr. Stranahan,

You got it right. I'm sorry that some people were forced to acknowledge that John Edwards isn't the man they thought he was....Daily Kos should get over themselves.

Keep up the good work.

[laminator]

Finally the left wing blogosphere wakes up and sees Napoleon (MMZ) leading the charge!

DailyKos shares so much with authoritarian right wing thinking, primarily an allergic aversion to dissent.

Snap out of it, Kossacks! You've become what you set out to defeat.

I never was banned. I left before I got the honor. The place is run by a bunch of twelve year olds.

[Lexie]

You really don't know what you are talking about. Everyone over there has been arguing for days. Instead of engaging in stupid stereotypes, why don't you go and see what we talk about? (But try to go without your silly preconceptions.) Good grief.

[Roger]

Yup, you were right about a man cheating. Wow, maybe you'll get the pulitzer. Again, get over it and get over yourself - it's not all about you.

[Lee Stranahan - Huffpost Blogger]

And it is all about Kos?

[strifeknot]

No. So why do you keep harping on it as if it is?

[dutchess2]

I adultry a way to decide if a man is POTUS material?

Do you think if he breaks his vows to his wife he will be less than honest with us?

Do you think if he can get distracted into a flaming affair with another woman he may not have
all that much interest in the job?

John McCain and Cindy were shackin up way way before he told his wife he was leaving.. That's lying to her, to the kids, to the world, that's major lack of trusting, that's major unfit for POTUS...

Where is the outrage?