Don't Bother Waiting for Bloggers to Get Credit for the Public Option

A year ago, in a very different October, as we hurtled toward a historic election, I wrote a post titled On November Fourth, the Netroots Should Be More Than an Afterthought:

In the final days of the campaign, the netroots, whose ranks (and influence) have swelled since 2004, will redouble their efforts, working around the clock to elect Obama and expand the Democratic majority in Congress. They will attack McCain and Palin, fact-check the press and help lift Democrats to victory in races across the country. In their role as a central conduit of political information and opinion, they will calibrate, amplify, and disseminate the messages and themes that shape people's beliefs and bolster their convictions, providing the impetus for organizing, fundraising and GOTV. They will serve as the media's validator of first and last resort, confirming or denying traction on a daily flood of stories. And on November 4, 2008, eight long years of doing battle against the excesses of the Bush presidency will come to a triumphant conclusion.

In that seminal moment, much will be celebrated. And much forgotten. One thing that shouldn't be overlooked is the tortured path to that day and the ragtag group of activists who, from the fear of knowing that America had taken a terrible turn at the dawn of a millennium, embraced a new medium and labored tirelessly, thanklessly, defending the Constitution and the rule of law. Day after day, they congregated on websites, blogs, message boards and any other online forum they could find to write, debate, argue and resist a radical administration and a lockstep Republican Party. Mocked and feared, dismissed as 'angry' and treated with disdain, they fought their opponents, fought their own party, fought the media, fought one another, all to a single end, the defense of inviolable American ideals against a brazen onslaught from a shameful and shameless administration.

Not surprisingly, despite lots of buzz about the use of the Internet as a fundraising and organizing tool, the outsized role played by blog denizens was buried in the gush of excitement that followed Election Day. Ultimately, that relatively small band of online progressives received very little of the credit they deserved for changing the course of American history.

Now, a similar dynamic is playing out. Although it's far from clear what the final health care bill will look like, especially the public option (opt-out, trigger, etc.), there's absolutely no doubt that it is alive primarily because of the vigorous efforts of online progressive activists and bloggers on Huffington Post, Firedoglake, Daily Kos, TPM, Think Progress, Media Matters, Salon, AmericaBlog, Crooks and Liars, and hundreds of smaller sites (not to mention MoveOn).

But don't hold your breath waiting to read about the netroots' pivotal role in forcing the inclusion of a public option -- it's just not the way things work in our current media and political world. Instead, at most expect to hear vague allusions to the 'left'. Or even more likely, the credit will go to liberal-leaning legislators and will reference "public support," neglecting the fact that it took bloggers to draw attention to the polling that showed a majority favored the public option.

Case(s) in point:

Mr. Reid's outlook was shaped, in part, by opinion polls showing public support for a government insurance plan, which would compete with private insurers. -NYT

Liberal senators have urged Mr. Reid to include the public option in the bill he is putting together, working with versions approved by two Senate panels. -NYT

Just weeks ago, the prospects for such an approach seemed remote, reflecting all-out opposition from conservatives to what they considered an excessive government role in the economy and a lack of enthusiasm from many moderate Democrats. But the idea has consistently drawn strong support in national polls, and it has backing from President Obama, though he has not insisted on it. -NYT

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid announced Monday that he will include a government-backed insurance plan in the chamber's health-care reform legislation, a key concession to liberals who have threatened to oppose a bill without such a public option. -WaPo

Reid's decision is a major victory for the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party. -CNN

The modified public option, which gained momentum in recent days, immediately drew praise from liberal lawmakers..." -USAT

Notice that even though these quotes may be factually correct, the articles are omitting a major, newsworthy fact about the public option: that it is alive because of progressive bloggers.

Perhaps the netroots should take more -- and more visible -- victory laps. After all, they have their own megaphone, albeit still smaller than the powerhouse combo of traditional media and political establishment.

Or maybe they're waiting to see what the final health care bill looks like -- there's certainly much more work to do. As Jane Hamsher wisely writes, "no chicken counting going on here yet."

That said, at some point, it would be nice to see the netroots given due credit for their truly indispensable role, their sophisticated political insights and their strategic acumen, rather than dismissed as a raging group of greenhorns.

Incidentally, in many ways, the same holds true for conservative blogs. Although I'm diametrically opposed to them ideologically, I think their role is also minimized by the wider punditocracy, traditional media, political establishment, etc. It shouldn't be.

In the end, I guess the early impression of angry, pajama-clad bloggers is more deeply entrenched than we can imagine. Tragically, this false image has real-life consequences. The Iraq debacle -- and the rivers of blood shed as a consequence -- might have turned out differently if the netroots were treated more seriously.

Follow Peter Daou on Twitter: www.twitter.com/peterdaou

Comments

[MaryscottOConnor]

You are correct, Peter. And probably the non-internet-based media neglects to acknowledge the role of bloggers because of a combination of disdain, fear and jealousy. I'm not in this for credit. I am, however, in this for influence -- and if getting more credit would get me more influence, then perhaps agitating for more credit is the way to go... so keep it up.

[zuzuzpetals]

Great points.

And this is what it looks like as a movement builds. It took the religious right 40 years to get to where they are.

Let's hope the netroots is long on patience and self discipline.

[hexenpants]

Thank YOU for giving credit where credit is due. It is nice to have your hard work acknowledged.

That said...

I don't mind being mocked by a White House aide and ignored by the MSM. I am very okay with working behind the scenes. Getting credit is not why we do what we do. As long as our efforts are effective, that is what matters. That is our thank-you.

[dhentrich]

You could be right. But your writing, which is long on 'absolutely no doubt' and short on how blog influence is measured is mere assertion.

Where do I go to find an objective measure of how blogs affect politics. For that matter, where do I go to find out what effect guys like me who take the time to talk my favorite political point at the bar or grocery? Are blogs more effective than emails to my congresscritters? Who can say and how to measure?

I really want to know.

[bascombe]

there will be no real reform in anything until campaign finance is reformed.

[wonketteRAWKS]

Opt-out and triggers? Who wants credit for something that is not REFORM!

[Walter Chessy]

Don't count on getting CREDIT of any kind! Time to get started on financial reform. GRRRRR!

[bighat]

It can be amazing what gets done when no one cares about who gets the credit.

However, in this case we all knew from the beginning that whatever form of healthcare passes one group of politicians or another would take credit and they will use it in their next campaign.

Ask me they are all a little wishy washy. They need money for their campaign war chest so they take money from lobbyists. But when the bloggers make such a stink that the politician thinks he may not get re elected he/she may get off the fence and do what the people want. This is what we should remember.

We should run people in the primaries against every incumbent. The members of congress need a wake up call and be reminded of who they actually represent. Nothing like a tight congressional race to make the politicians think of their constituents.

[oscar99]

Here's the truth........there will not be a public option, bottom line, this is just a way for Reid and others to say " look, we put the public option in a bill and we did'nt have the votes , so , here's this piece of garbage of a health reform bill" . We will lose in the end, like always....­...Congres­s is Corrupt!!!

[Mach8]

I don't know how many times I've come on HuffPo to see threads hijacked by Republican­/conservat­ive shills. Sometimes it's me, sometimes someone else, but generally the only way to put these folks on their heels is to get in the trenches on message boards and establish a meme that allows people to counter conservative propaganda.

While the bloggers set the tone, I think it is the educated foot soldiers in the trenches that make sure a message takes root. Conservatives use every trick in the book (Alinsky, logical fallacies, etc.) and it takes focus and the ability to stick to a message to expose them. I've found that the best way is to get them talking about their "solutions"... which works great because most of them have none. The ones who do usually attempt to regurgitate right-wing talking points in pseudo-intellectual ways that make them seem rational to the ignorant or uneducated. Some plain english and a few links usually shuts them down or reverts them back to their fear-based tactics.

So pat YOURSELVES on the back. If a decent healthcare plan comes out of Congress, it is likely because you guys fought for it with facts. Hypocrisy and misinformation are the real enemies... if they can be beaten then real progress is possible.

[lynettema]

First of all, we don't have ANYTHING yet. So why are we caring WHO gets the credit? We can pat ourselves on the back, congratulate ourselves when it happens. When you start doing good things to be recognized for it, then it loses something. Let's do this for the common good. And we can't yet let up. I work for Democratic candidates even at the local level even though they may not be perfect. I know that people with conservative politics will be worse until they change their politics.

[Dude77007]

Everyone can stop patting each other on the back. The PO has gone from a PO for EVERYONE to a PO for the UNINSURED. It's bait and switch. The surveys for the past 10 months favored a PO for everyone not just for the uninsured. We have been had by our own party, again.

[vintagefunk]

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is working to ensure that we get a universally available public option. Let's support him in that, be his megaphone as Peter says.

It ain't over 'till it's universally available with no opt-out.

[MaryscottOConnor]

It's a start. And frankly, since I just might BE one of the uninsured one day, I don't mind that start.

[Charlotte Bloebaum]

The public option would not at all have been possible without bloggers and all of the grass roots folks who actually put President Obama in office. NO ONE in poltics wants to admit that us little folk have any say in our country. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer - my dad used to say -"Them that has gits". He was so right. I am getting old and these things are important to me now more than ever because we do not value elders in this country. As our physical bodies fail us - and they will as time goes on - it is terrifying to be in a position to not be able to pay for medical expenses our our home for that matter. Yet that is exactly where we are today.
I have believed in President Obama's Change we can believe in from the time I read his books. My husband warned me that he is first and foremost a politician so not to expect much. I argued and argued that this was not the case - sadly, this administration is proving him right. I have fought for health care via my community organizing group here for several years. Why do we have to fight so hard for our rights as human beings and our request to uphold the constitution. President Obama, you are a big disappointment so far. We hope you will pull this off.l

[lyta]

I think there is two valid sides to this, praise or ignore blogs for bringing the public option back to the table better stated in previous posts than I could. Conclusion, best at this point the best of the bloggers who have continued against all odds to help all of us to keep on fighting for the public option accept the accolades amongst themselves and those of us who paid attention and made many calls, wrote many letters and emails, editorials in local papers and learned as much as we could to be educated consumers of insurance and other important issues before us, simply take satisfaction in a job well done, with more needed for the next issues. Yes Progressives do tend to lose more because as stated, we lack a single unifying theme, like the three Gs on the right, therefore we tend to be all over the place in sometimes seemingly infinitesimal increments apart but argue as if they were widely apart. Often times arguing simply to flex intellectual muscles. Impatience also takes it's toll. Hopefully we have all learned from this and improve, learning to squabble with an eye to refining our points and ceding those areas that simply are not critical in the interest of keeping ourselves as one voice though greater for it's harmonics.

[slr51]

"bringing the public option back to the table"

except that it NEVER left the table except in the imaginations of "news" organizations trying to gin up controversy and the whining from the left blogs when they did a chicken little act on every damn rumor!

Obama has consistently said he supports a public option. This hasn't changed - so how on earth can anyone claim credit for a change THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

[iridium53]

The so-called "public option" is an illusory scam.

The "public option" is no such thing - it simply shifts accountability from the Federal legislature, and the Obama WH, to the states.

It's an illusion because it does not necessarily mean that individuals will ever get a real "public option."
It is an intentional misdirection. A lie.

I wouldn't advise trying to take credit for an illusion and a scam.

[Aaror]

Of course big media is not going to give any credit to bloggers:
1. Bloggers are the media's biggest competition right now.
2. Bloggers don't work in the interests of the mega-corps that own the news. Giving them praise or credit would give them more influence, and allow more fact checking of the lies we are being fed. Leading to...
3. Media hopes that if they keep ignoring bloggers, the bloggers will get tired of not getting credit and go away, leaving the Media back in charge.