After giving it a few days and observing the response we've received over the Gannon affair, I think it's time we moved on to bigger and better things. We simply aren't going to get the reception from the mainstream media that will push this story where it needs to go, and we should learn from it.
First off, we're pushing a story that makes the media look really bad (after all, everything happened right under their noses) which dings their credibility. It showed that their institution is crumbling, because everyday people (Gannon) can infiltrate their "holy grail" and be effective (or not). The country doesn't really need them, both sides hate them for being biased, and they are trying to protect themselves at every turn. This includes not being tougher on Bush, as to avoid pissing off the 49% of morons who still think Bush is good for America. Last but definitely not least, it showed the true power of the blogosphere and our ability to provide where the MSM fails. They simply will not run with a story that serves up a left-right-left TKO. More...
The story did provide us with an opportunity to pioneer something that will probably become standard issue. A collective investigative network that can quickly parcel out functions and very rapidly produce real results. This is a logical extension to what Trippy/Dean built, and what Kos himself has so painstakingly built. We need to run with this opportunity and push hard, but we need to do it in a way that coexists with the realities on the ground. First off, let the Gannon thing die as far as the MSM is concerned. We can look into it all we want and publish results if something really big breaks, but until then we should take our victory and back off. Second, I think we should focus on some issues that
are very relevant to everyday Americans. How many times have you felt like the bushies are lying and the press isn't challenging them on it? That is a perfect opportunity for us to step in and exhaustively research until we
prove the lie, then go public with press releases and everything. Every single time these guys get on TV and lie, we should be there within a day to prove the lie.
As a side note, this approach will fit better into the big picture, given Dean's desire to focus and get on the same page, and Drewthaler's excellent article on Steve Jobs and the Dem Party parallel. We must work smarter, and focus on the big fish, not petty issues like Gannon (though it was pretty tasty, wasn't it?)
As always, this is just my opinion. If you don't like it, say so.