I religiously run through the diary entries in the Daily Kos most days – to be informed. By doing so I have been able to access reliable information about important stories unadulterated by the deceit, hypocrisy and double standards of Republican spin.
Yes, I had my preferences and opinions re subject matter, logic, tone and style of individual bloggers. But I never felt the need to “log in” and weigh in on any particular matter until October 6, 2014.
I was surprised and concerned to see campaign ads for the Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial candidate on the DK website. You have to “log in” and participate to be heard on an interactive internet enterprise and this makes sense. But how do you effectively communicate a serious criticism of the DK’s editorial policy? You really can’t or so it seems to me.
Via the DK’s general inquiries mailbox I explained my bewilderment that the DK was permitting the Baker campaign to advertise on its website given the imprimatur of the Daily Kos.
Republicans, even the best of them, must account to a national party consumed with hatred for liberalism or what Markos Moulitsas calls “core Democratic values.”
I did not receive any response until I raised my concerns in response to Rockymtnhigh’s thought-provoking piece titled: Dirty Koch Money for the Arts and Charity.
And sure enough when I logged on and commented the DK Partners and Mentors Team responded immediately: The “Daily Kos has no control over the ads that run on the site, so don’t take those as endorsements.”
The DK Partners and Mentors made reference to various resources likely to clarify the rules of the road so I consulted the Community Guidelines and found under DON’T, Number 14:
“Daily Kos is dedicated to building a stronger, more progressive Democratic Party from the outside. We are not a party committee we are base Democrats pulling the party to a more populist mainstream orientation. As such, we do not allow advocacy for any other party, whether it's the GOP, or the Greens, or anyone else. The exception is in states with fusion voting, where third parties are working in concert with Democratic-party endorsed or nominated candidates. But any party looking to harm the electoral prospects of Democratic candidates run counter to our mission, and must take that advocacy elsewhere. Lucky for them, it's a big internet.”
On the very same day I posted my comment, I was referred to the Guidelines and read them, I received an e-mail which reported the “Daily Kos had 7.35 million unique visitors in September…Facebook likes are at 619,000…” – all making my question more precise and direct and me disgusted and disappointed:
How does it not harm the prospects of the Democratic candidate to be elected when campaign ads for a Republican candidate pop out and settle into and around the content of the “largest progressive political publication in the country” without identifying him as a Republican?
Charlie Baker’s campaign is running negative and deceptive ads on the networks, and at the same time is advertising on the Daily Kos with text and images right out of the “hidden persuaders” playbook! The Baker ads have dominated the banner and front page of the Daily Kos for weeks and stand out in comparison to any other advertisements which are passive. The Baker ads are not passive and are supplemented by running text stating
Join Charlie’s team, Charlie Baker for Governor, Charlie Baker for Mass and so forth in addition to the use of a frame from a television spot as a print advertisement (Charlie Baker: Independent Leadership for Massachusetts).
If Charlie Baker was disaffected by the core principles of the Republican Party, he would have run as a Democrat. He is a proud Republican who started his political career establishing the Pioneer Institute, a cornerstone of the State Policy Network. Charlie Baker is a Republican ideologue who believes in limited government and market forces. What could possibly be worse for social and economic justice?
Meanwhile, the Daily Kos has moved the Massachusetts gubernatorial race from its “safe Democrat” category to “leaning Democrat” column on the basis “an upset victory is (now) possible.”
Massachusetts is not afflicted with a Scott, Walker or Le Page – but Charlie Baker is no Independent and he is not independent from his party.