The Washington Post covers how the Yearly Kos convention has expanded and become Netroots Nation, but Kos himself knows it’s Obama’s World:
“It’s not a question of who needs whom. Fact is, the Netroots are not going to be the decisive factor,” Kos says, fidgeting with his iPhone as he sits on a lounge chair at the Hilton, across the street from the convention center. “But having said that, we’re an activist set of people: We’re engaged, we give money, we put boots on the ground. That’s why when many of us had a genuine disagreement with Obama on FISA” — Obama voted for a bill that provided retroactive immunity to telecom companies — “we let him know about it.”
In a ten-minute video shown at the conclave Obama promised he’s listening — perhaps like Dr. Frasier Crane, perhaps like he promises to listen to conservative views before doing what he wants. Lefty bloggers like Kos, Josh Marshall and Matt Stoller have noted that the Obama campaign did not do much blog outreach in general. Chris Bowers noted it in December 2007, in a piece also noting early instances of Camp Obama attacking friendly media (an increasingly common event).
None of which stopped Obama from blogging at Daily Kos, telling the Kossacks that he does not see America embracing progressivism, even as he reminds them he voted against Chief Justice John Roberts, who was confirmed in a 78-22 vote.  Combined with the video appearance at the convention while out of the country, Obama still seems to feel some sense that he must at least schmooze a community known for vile hatred.
But the bottom line is suggested by another telling nugget from the WaPo coverage of Netroots Nation:
As in any community, as in many high schools, Netroots can appear both self-segregating — black bloggers at one table, Latinos at another and gays at the next — and not diverse enough. After the “Ask the Speaker” session with Pelosi, in which the first questions asked were about impeaching President Bush and Vice President Cheney, the FISA bill and abstinence-only education, some black bloggers complained that they weren’t enough questions on the economy, about rising gas and food prices.
We already knew the proggosphere is segregated online; it seems to be the case in real life, too. That the black bloggers were concerned about the issues that top Americans’ concerns these days, while the pasty folk peppered Pelosi with issues that are at the Left fringe of American politics, might explain why Obama just isn’t that into them.
Is it possible that the netroots are becoming the 21st century’s version of “the black vote?” They appear to be morphing into a position of screaming irrelevence.
The sumptuous irony makes me giggle like a Japanese schoolgirl.
I just heard on MSNBC that O! is driving foreign policy right now! He doesn’t even need to be president, why would he need the netroots?
The nutroots drifted into irrelevance shortly after they declared themselves to be relevant.
Welcome to Snit-Driven Politics.
They’re too available! O! knows they’ll answer the November 4th booty call, then he can permanently disregard them.
Ten bucks says that Markos’ feet couldn’t touch the ground while seated in that lounge chair.
…we put boots on the ground.
That’s even sillier than football players calling themselves “warriors.”
Along with the upgraded name (don’t you love it, Kos gets the marginalization treatment?) there was an exciting new award presented at Nutroots Nation… the “Gilly Award”.
I felt that award as depicted just wasn’t naturalistic enough, really. Fixed it for ’em.
I know…must.self.denounce. ;D
I think the American left believes in Marx lite. True Marxists believe in the necessity of bloody revolution and work fervently towards radicalization of the masses when the uprising will become unavoidable due to the forces clashing in the dialectic.
When you crave air-conditioning and fresh linen, a hot breakfast and HDTV, booze, and ear-blasting nightlife, manning the barricades is just too much damn trouble. Better just to be angry and hateful about everything. That way, the dialectic won’t get too topsy-turvy.
Ah, well, the press is just that into Obama. Over at Time’s Swampland, Karen Tumulty has written at least 4 posts in 2 days about the trip…and she hasn’t even left for it yet. She’s posting about her preparations for the trip. The latest one describes the new Obama plane as she sits on the tarmac. She’s a serious reporter, and she’s anticipating this like a giddy schoolgirl.
RW:
I’ve been down lately, but I lost bladder control upon reading your 8:23 comment. The picture you describe is remarkably vivid. Thank you.
Hard-Left Bloggers Prepare for Democratic Victory…
Moulitsas is modest about Netroots influence, and while Barack Obama snubbed the group this summer, the presumptive Democratic nominee, while not always appreciative, is well integrated with the left-wing bloggers……
Nine Percent Nation: We put Birkenstocks on the ground.
“…..She’s a serious reporter…..”
Ah-Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
Treacher!
Time still has “serious” reporters? Who knew?
Without any data whatsoever, I suspect that the white lefties are uniformly wealthy or grew up wealthy and are living off of the kindness of strangers (enforced by gunpoint) but black lefties know poverty and are in touch with actual poor people. The GOP, were it in any way intelligent, could have leveraged the minority bloc away from the Democrats long ago by acting on this, but they’re so hapless and idiotic nothing gets done.
That was a nice read.