Democrats not playing ball with new media

According to a recent Washington Post article "New Media A Weapon in New World Of Politics," Republicans have welcomed new media with open arms while Democrats have faltered in figuring out how to use non-traditional media to their advantage.

In the day of new media, politics and, more precisely, politicians' antics are fair game for analysis and scrutiny 24/7.

Need I mention Mark Foley?

Republicans have embraced new media - for better or worse.

During the last election, leaking information to the Drudge Report was standard operating procedure for the Rove contingent. They tried to create a public image of John Kerry before he could do it for himself.

RNC staff members leaked everything from Kerry getting expensive haircuts to controversial quotes from his days protesting the Vietnam War.

One suggestion for why Democrats aren't as new media savvy as the Republicans is that the left wingers are holding on to a sanctified image of the media.

"We're all that way, and I think a part of it is we grew up in the '60s and the press led us against the war and the press led us on civil rights and the press led us on Watergate," former president Bill Clinton said. "Those of us of a certain age grew up with this almost unrealistic set of expectations."

Clinton regards new media with disdain, evidenced most recently when he lashed out at Chris Wallace.

On the flip side, Dick Cheney said he welcomes the breakdown of what he called an old media "monopoly."

He said politicians need to develop "thick skin" to weather the barrage of attacks and name-calling that are now commonplace in politics.

So what do you think? Should Democrats get on board and wage war new media style? Or are the Republicans sleezy? Or are they super smart?

Thoughts, questions and concerns welcome.

Here's the full Post story http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/05/AR2006100501811.html.

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