Does the Internet Push Democrats to the Left?

Does the Internet Push Democrats to the Left?

Oh, I sure hope so.

Mickey Kaus seems to get it but doesn't like it:

"It used to be that at this stage, opposition party leaders would be making conciliatory noises in an attempt to please voters, and conservative or centrist noises in an attempt to please business lobbyists and PACs. But maybe the amount of money that can be raised over the Internet from Democratic true believers is now more important than PAC money. And if you want to draw a Dean-like share of this Web loot, you have to be ruthless in bashing Bush. Not all the consequences of Internet politics are benign... P.S.: Note that this theory explains Barbara Boxer's behavior too."

The thing about Howard Dean that really scared - and scares - the Beltway crown is that back in the glory days of The Bat, Dean proved that you can finance a campaign at modern, admittedly obscene levels without heavy-hitter donors, 20 and 50 and 100 bucks at a time. That's why they strangled the baby in the cradle.

Politics