Honest, it doesn't surprise me. None of it. I've been around the blogosphere long enough to have seen it. Like the hated MSM, the first rule of the blogosphere is
Tell 'em what they want to hear. The second rule is
Don't talk about the first rule.
At this blog, at this moment, that translates into: Don't criticize Democratic involvement in the Abramoff scandal. Even though the Abramoff keiretsu gave one-third of its money to Democratic candidates, officeholders and organizations, you've got people on this blog busy making every excuse they can for it.
Not only making excuses, but using the rating system here to impose
de facto censorship on anyone who departs from dKos orthodoxy on the issue. In one day, as the result of my persistent criticism of the Democratic Party's participation in the corrupt Washington lobbying game, I've lost my "trusted user" status and have seen several of my comments on the issue rendered invisible.
Believe me, children, not participating at dKos ain't gonna be the end of my world. I've been here less than a month, and I "get it." Like Free Republic.com, the rightwingnut "milblogs," and Democratic Underground, this is an echosphere as opposed to a site where any sort of truth is hashed out.
When it comes to the Internet, I am as libertarian as it gets. I think dKos should be able to run its own ship however it sees fit. Just like the guy in FL who ran the blog that published gory military photos should be able to do his thing without the liberal blogs teaming up with the rightwingnut prosecutors to throw the guy in jail and then abandon him. So I'm not questioning your right to do it this way, I'm just pointing out what you're doing.
(As an aside, the ACLU finally decided to get involved in the FL case, and that guy was sprung from jail by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals -- much to, I am sure, the consternation of the liberal blogosphere that wants gory military photos published only if accompanied by mawkish antiwar rhetoric.)
Anyway, back to the main points. Here is what's to say about the Abramoff scandal:
- DeLay is toast. Be we knew that anyway. Satisfying as it will be to see him hauled off in handcuffs, it's a blip on the radar screen.
- Because Democrats took one-third of the money, it's not a partisan scandal. It's one of those perennial government process scandals.
- In time-honored Washington style, both parties and the lobbyists will circle the wagons to protect each other. You can already see signs of it if you read The New York Times closely.
- The scandal will hurt Democrats more than Republicans, because both parties are involved, the public will see both parties playing CYA and therefore turnout will decline on the margin. Anything that cuts turnout hurts the Democrats more than the Republicans.
- It will be another lost opportunity for the Democratic Party, because Democrats are just as addicted to political bribery and corruption as the Republicans are. The main difference in this regard is that the Republicans are better at the game. But that doesn't keep the Democrats from playing it.
- Kossacks are showing their true colors. When it's all said and done, you're just as comfortable with this bullshit as anyone else, and dKos is no different than the rest of the echo chamber. It's a little sad, but frankly in today's environment not exactly a shock.
- Finally: The entire political class in this country needs to quit talking just to itself and about itself. American politics is rapidly becoming a joke. We're not a whole lot different than Italy or Argentina. dKos, you're part of the problem, not the solution.
SAYONARA, folks.
p.s.: I won't be responding to comments with comments of my own due to the ratings issue here. dKos enables easy censorship of discordant comments, so there isn't any point.