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I've been going to a lot of blogs lately in my efforts to promote the March 19 Blogswarm Against the Iraq War, and I have noticed a very bizarre thing.
Some supposedly liberal/left blogs are supporting a right wing Republican: Hillary Clinton.
They aren't just supporting Clinton; they are parroting Clinton campaign talking points, even the most absurd, in a completely uncritical way. They are demonizing Barack Obama, a centrist Democrat who agrees with liberals and progressives on more issues than Clinton does, in the most bizarre ways. What do these blogs have in common?
They seek and run advertising.
It is no secret that corporations and their owners prefer Clinon over Obama, since she has dedicated her life to promoting corporate power and corporate interests. Someone who was on the Board of Directors for Wal-Mart and who has consistently supported the Iraq War has passed the corporate loyalty test. Clinton's vote authorizing war with Iran was gilding the lily as far as corporate interests are concerned. That's why Clinton is getting more money from big donors than Obama is.
Guess who pays for most advertising.
This is why people need to be savvy media consumers not just when they read print media or watch TV, but when they read blogs. Blogs that are commercially driven face the same pressures that MSNBC and CNN face. Making money promoting a liberal agenda is a terribly difficult thing to do. For some, the pressures to sell out are just too great.
Psycho Woman Throws Knives At Children
13 years ago
Well, that's why I don't have ads on my blog. You can't choose what ads they place. If you have a political blog, they will place political ads, for everyone!
I may link to a site that sells Marine Corps goodies because I was a Marine and many of my readers were too. But I won't accept advertising that I can't control.
Thanks for stopping by my place and commenting. I'll blogroll you now, but understand that my blogroll is a mess, I need to organize it better. Hopefully I'll get to that soon, but since I'm going back to work shortly, that may take a while.
I'm also going to investigate this Blogs against the war thing you have going on. I just can't promise I can do a post by such and such a date. My work days can run to 16-18 hours and that leaves me time to eat, shower, sleep and get up for work again.
Anyway, good job here. Hope to see you again.
d.
Please provide LINKS to these "A-list blogs on the left." The top progressive blogs have Obama banner ads, such as Huffington Post, AmericaBlog, Talking Points Memo and RawStory, all of whom have millions of visitors per week.
FWIW, AmericaBlog is run by two gay men. Also, the largest gay run blog, Andrew Sullivan, while conservative, is a virtual Obvama love fest.
I read all the progressive blogs and haven't seen any recent advertising from the Clinton campaign.
BTW, why was my previous comment deleted? I'm not a racist, and, as a gay man, it wasn't "heterosexist."
The reason why I didn't provide links is that the point of the post was to encourage people to be skeptical media consumers, not to get into a pissing contest.
I've not been in the blogging world very long at all, so perhaps it isn't fair of me to question this: I'm not sure I like the idea of blogs making money?? I can see asking for donations...please enlighten this naive soul. I just don't get it.
pagan: Some people want to make a living with their blogs. In theory, that is perfectly reasonable. The problem is that depending on advertising means depending on corporations whose agenda is very conservative.
I'm with the naive bunch. Yes, Hillary is a corporate whore. The same is being said about Obama.
From the Left has been saying the same thing I am reluctantly accepting : there are no representatives for the people in this sham of a 'representative government'. It's just more "American Puppet Theater" : the home version.
Check out BradBlog for a serious job of reporting on part of the problem.
I don't have ads either. Funny how my old blog got 'disappeared'.
oldephartteintraining
Thank you for posting this.
One of my pet peeves is bloggers who have their paw out begging for a donation from their readers.
As you may or may not know, I have no advertising on From the Left and I never ask for, or would I accept, a donation. On my blog I have an Obama button I obtained free of charge. I support Obama but I am not on the payroll.
One of the worst examples of this is AMERICA Blog. It's an endless, shameless exercise in pleading for donations from its readers. The bizarre thing about AMERICA Blog is, it's just a rehash of the mainstream media sites and their articles. I was going to write a piece about bloggers who beg for cash and several readers brought this to my attention.
But linking lefty blogs to advertising and thus controlling content is a connection I hadn't before made.
It's troubling to see regular, working people donate $20K to blogs like AMERICA Blog, who in turn promises a "new, interactive community," and then never delivers. I would strongly advise people to instead donate to a charity that deals with HIV/AIDS, or homelessness, or domestic violence, or the American Cancer Society.
Just don't fork over cash to lazy "A" - list bloggers who can't or won't hold down a 9-to-5 job.
I deliberately have never had ads on my blog. I'm just me, making sense of it all my way, and deciding who I like based on what I believe in, which seems mostly to fit what Obama and Kucinich have to say. I'm not paid by anybody to have my own thoughts.
I guess I'm lucky I haven't needed the money.
LOL. Obama and Clinton wouldn't be a degree either side of each other politically. Obama wasn't around for teh Vote. And you'll note, he doesn't say he would have voted against. He covers all bases.
And at least Clinton isn't talking about appointing Chuck Hagel to her cabinet.
Dr. Zen:
You have been deceived by Clinton's rhetoric. The Clinton's always campaign from the center and govern from the right.
Clinton may be co-opting the centrist message of Obama, but she wouldn't take any of that seriously if she actually were able to get into the White House.