[lbo-talk] so much for the new coalition...

Marvin Gandall marvgandall at videotron.ca
Fri May 9 10:50:21 PDT 2008


Shag writes:

See, Barack Obama has mobilized people, even if he hasn't mobilized the netroots. He's brought in students, African Americans, and apparently, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKsoXHYICqU>young females. These are groups that are relatively apolitical. That's why when you loosen the likely voter screen just a little, Obama does a lot better.

But for all that they celebrate bringing new people into the process, the fact remains that Obama's voters are not the netroots. Demographically, the netroots are older (45 is the median), whiter, and more academic. They are fairly conventional liberals and "supervoters" ­ turning up in every general and most primaries. Obama's voters are not. Not only is Obama not talking to the netroots; like Hillary, he has made a calculation that he does not need the netroots. ==================================== I don't follow. Younger people - Democratic activists and the previously apolitical - weren't attracted to Obama through the internet, and aren't using it to fund and organize his campaign? Maybe you have in mind a narrower definition of the "netroots" than I intended.



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