Commonweal Institute Blog

Chris Bowers has written an interesting new piece about the progressive netroots:

As someone known not only as a prominent figure within the progressive netroots, but also as someone with a tendency to base much of my writing on quantitative research, I have often been asked to try and measure the positive impact of the netroots on the Democratic Party and the 2006 elections in order to counter these arguments. This is not an easy thing to do, but I believe there are a number of more or less objective ways in which the contribution of the progressive netroots to the Democratic victories in 2006 can be documented. Taken together, these contributions reveal just how mature a political force the progressive netroots have become, and how indispensable they are to continued Democratic success in the future.

The areas of netroots that Chris discusses are:
1. Closing the fundraising gap
2. Campaigning on Iraq
3. Keeping the base motivated
4. Influencing establishment media coverage
5. Stretching Republicans' resources thin
6. New infrastructure, new ideas

These are exciting times. Let's hope the major political donor community begins to recognize more generously the efforts of individual progressive bloggers, who are a not-insubstantial part of the netroots community. Many individual bloggers are living a hand-to-mouth existence. Think how much more these dedicated activists might be able to accomplish if they didn't have to worry about paying the rent and their lack of health insurance.

The contemporary progressive movement is evolving as a networked phenomenon, rather than a hierarchical stack of major institutions. Good ideas can originate anywhere within the matrix and be amplified by other parts. The netroots are a prime example of how effective this type of entity can be. Forward-thinking donors will recognize that support for the progressive network implies support for its component nodes, including small organizations and even individuals.

Forewarned is forearmed. A new MSNBC report predicts that 2008 will see continued cyber attacks, and better organized ones, that threaten individuals, businesses, and governments.

Progressives have special concerns in this regard. We at the Commonweal Institute consider Personal Choice and Privacy to be one of our core principles. The Internet is a commons, shared by all (well, all who have access to it), which needs to be protected from those who would use it maliciously, as well as those who use it dishonestly for commercial or for political/social control purposes. Use of taxes to support detection and enforcement mechanisms to protect all of us from cyber attacks may be one of those issues that could attract wide support, not limited to progressives. The advantage to having such policing done by a government agency, rather than a private corporation, is that the U.S. government belongs to We the People, so we can demand openness and accountability. I’d sure trust a government agency more than I’d trust some contractor like Blackwater.

The looming threat to social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn) and other social network-facilitating communication methods (e.g., cell phones) described in this article will be of particular concern as social networking continues to grow exponentially. As more progressives join such social networks and get their friends and colleagues to do likewise, the opportunity for detailed mapping of the progressive political network rises as well. Such maps could be used by adverse political elements who would target progressives. Of course, network mapping could also pose risks to the broader society, not just progressives, if done by the intelligence or military agencies, military contractors, foreign governments, or terrorist groups.

Moral of the story? Be alert, be careful, take precautions.

Valdis Krebs and other social network analysts attribute the outcome of the Iowa Republican presidential caucus to use of social networks to develop support for winner Mike Huckabee, in contrast to greater reliance on conventional campaign techniques by his nearest competitor, Mitt Romney:

The common wisdom in politics is that money wins -- s/he with the biggest machine marches on. Since Huckabee couldn't outspend his rivals he had to out-think them. Huckabee chose to network his way to success. […]

He found local social networks of conservative Christians, gun owners, home schoolers and tax reformers. It was in these networks that Huckabee's message caught fire and spread to other networks that intersected with these. Soon Huckabee had large clusters of interconnected supporters, all reinforcing one another -- friends talking to friends.

Meanwhile, Romney and the others where following common campaign wisdom and setting up phone banks, canvasing neighborhoods and spending money in the mass media -- strangers talking to strangers.

Why does this work so well? Consider the social aspects of voting:

Messages to people alone on the phone, alone in the car [radio], alone on the couch [TV], alone with the newspaper, alone with the computer, don't STICK the same way messages conveyed in a group of trusted others. Alone, we hear the message, forget the message, make the promise, forget the promise. In a group, we hear the message, discuss the message, internalize the meassge, make the promise to the group, keep the promise to the group.

The close ties between the Republican Party and strong social-networked groups such as evangelical mega-churches and the National Rifle Association – even Chambers of Commerce – have been used for years to develop support for conservative candidates.

Progressives who want their preferred candidates to win this year would do well to learn and act on this lesson—social networks work in politics. We can work our own networks to increase the likelihood of voting as well as influence people to vote for progressive candidates.

How can we do this? Think of the social networks you yourself are in—at work, in recreation, at your church or temple, with your neighbors, even online. These are all places in which you can talk politics and encourage your friends, relatives, colleagues and acquaintances to vote. We should use every possible network connection we have to mobilize the forces we'll need to turn our country around.