A Cheap Shot Versus Twitter in The New York Times

I hope James P. Othmer's forthcoming book is better than his column in today's New York Times.

The headline in my paper copy reads: Don't Tweet About Health Care.

The author informs us that the President was wise to use TV as his platform to address Congress last week. Fine. Duh.

Then, to hang this truism on something provocative, he suggests that using social media to get his message out won't work this time around. He notes that there are opponents of health care reform online. This is also a truism, but his advice is entirely wrong.

The health care reform battle will be won online. Mr. Othmer does not offer a shred of evidence to back up his thesis that it won't. He says there are a lot of opponents online. He does not indicate that there are widely effective pro-reform activities going on all the time and growing in intensity and effect.

It is columns like his that add weight to the scales I look at in my mnd's eye when evaluating the future of the Times. It is a pebble added to the side that moves downward.

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