Customer Reviews

Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

It's a great look behind the curtains of Democratic politics. It's not so much about the Republican problems - or at least that material is covered in so many books these days - but it details the peculiar weaknesses of the Democrats. I wish there were a few more details about how to cure these ills, but they are pretty obvious: more shoe leather, more Internet fund raising, etc.

Great for those who are "inside-politics" junkies, as well as those who aspire to be part of the netroots and the next wave of political power.

But after reading this outstanding evaluation of what ailes the Democratic Party, it is pretty hard to see what was so good about the last 30 years.

The authors do a very good job of laying out exactly what is wrong with the Party. My anger over the leaches pulling the Party down grew as I turned each page.

I am even more dtermined than ever and plan to redouble my efforts to reform this party.

The only drawback to the book is the almost complete lack of any discussion of solutions. These were peppered throughout the book as a contrast to the very real bad things going on in the party. Perhaps the authors would consider allowing several movers and shakers who are accomplishing things out there in the hinterland to add a chapter or two in the second edition to give us some sort of blueprint of how things get done.

My copy of Crashing the Gate arrived on a Saturday afternoon. I picked it up late that night and found it hard to put down - and ended up staying up till 5AM.

Other reviews have pretty well laid out the topics covered. I'd add that the historical information on the Conservative movement and the rise of left wing netroots via the Dean Campaign was interesting, a lot of it I knew, but a lot of it I didn't.

The strongest portion of the book (which I went back and read a second time) was the section on Media consultants and their roll in the failure of Democratic politics. Not because it tells us who to blame, but how we might do better. The thing that hit home for me is that the Republicans have a huge advantage over us in advertising because they have figured out that a political ad that pulls on emotional strings is much more effective than trying to layout a policy position or quote statistics. I think Jerome and Markos nailed that.

Even though the book is targeted toward Democratic party folks, all 3rd parties and activists who come from every point on the political spectrum can feed off this book equally. Crashing the Gate champions outsiders, grassroots efforts, common sense, and a model of a true Democratic Republic that the Bush Republicans have trashed in favor of a Unitarian Executive that uses Congress and our Elections Process as footstools. Crashing the Gate will make you cry, make you think, and then get you motivated to remove the D.C. insiders that are cashing in on politics at the expense of our freedoms!

I will admit that I am a partisan and have been a member of the DailyKos website since its inception. However, I have not always agreed with Kos and was somewhat skeptical about the fact that he was writing a book. It looked to me like maybe he and Jerome were trying to cash in on the popularity of their blogs. Nonetheless, I supported their efforts and bought a copy of the book. I took it with me on the subway to read for the last week or so, figuring that if it were a huge waste of time, no big loss.

So I was hugely and pleasantly suprised to see not only that it covers a lot of new ground, but also that it was a fast, entertaining, and enlightening read. I was particularly intrigued by their discussion of the Republicans' lead over the Democrats in data mining and in other structural issues relating to campaigning. I also liked their concise coverage of the history of the netroots over the last couple of years. Although I have had personal involvement in this, I have not had the opportunity or the inclination to sit back and think about the trajectory of this mini-revolution.

Bottom line: I would strongly recommend this book to anybody who is interested in either political blogging or the history and future of the Democratic party. If you are not interested in either politics or blogging, do not bother.

In the preface to their new book, "Crashing the Gates," Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas Zuniga acknowledge that last fall they took a long look at everything they had put together for their book to date, realized they were lost, chucked it all and started over.

After reading the book I can understand what fostered this sentiment. They had taken on the extraordinary difficult task of wrestling all the flailing tentacles of the right wing machine, as well as the horrible legacy of the past four years of George Bush's imperial reign, and tried to hone it down to a simple, direct message that was focused through the lens of their formidable online experience to forge a blueprint for the future of netroots activism. That they would suddenly find themselves sitting in a pile of unwieldy information is no surprise. That they would have the courage to throw it all out, regroup and refine their narrative to a 183 page dagger that cuts to the heart of the system most certainly is.

The book is a gem, a must-read for anyone contemplating the future of online activism, a subject that is certainly consuming pages and pages of blog space these days. Their outline of the extremely deep and well-developed GOP message apparatus is fascinating, and their examination of it as it worked to shape public perceptions around many events that should have played well for the Democrats is both enlightening and daunting.

But perhaps of even greater concern is their depiction of the DC Democratic consultant/interest group nexus that could really not do a better job of keeping their party in the minority if they tried. As disheartening as these details are to read, however, the book gives a clearer picture than anything out there to date about exactly what we're up against, its architecture and its weaknesses.

Crashing the Gate is way ahead of its time; you'll no doubt see copycat tomes just catching up to it years from now. It does presume familiarity with a lot of events, personalities and online conventions that might make it a bit challenging for people unfamiliar with the blog world to fully understand, but it is so engaging and well-written that I don't think that would be a problem for any intelligent person whose first exposure to the world of political blogging and online activism came with this book. I myself really appreciated the respect for the reader that this style of writing displays; I didn't feel like I was always trying to scan through pages and pages of exposition that I already know all too well.

Sometimes I feel like I get lost in the day-to-day aspect of blogging and never step back to take the long view of what we're engaged in. This book does this superbly and if you're on my birthday list this year you now know what you're getting.

These guys, a couple of bloggers on the internet, are proponents of what they call direct democracy. The idea is that people, thousands of ordinary people, should be the ones calling the shots in a democracy. Pretty radical . . . sounds almost like "we the people" doesn't it? This book focuses on the idea that the internet can be an organizing tool for wresting control from political hacks and consultants, making the issues that drive the government agenda those of ordinary people, not corporations or professional politicians. Truly an insightful and thought provoking call to action.

Markos and Jerome have written a challenging and exciting book. But note this---if you are looking for a Bush-bashing battleaxe, you should look elsewhere. Despite the rightwingers weird obsession with Markos, this book is not about them. This book is about how to make the Democratic Party both more responsive to the concerns of Democrats and more likely to be successful in elections against Republicans.

Markos and Jerome offer several things which distinguish the manner in which the right and the left operate. It boils down to the fact that rightwing groups are more willing to work together and put the movement over a specific interest. One example is the full push for the Contract with America by the Christian Right despite the fact that none of the points mentioned their specific concerns

Leftwing groups, however, often fracture and snipe at each other rather than acting in concert. Its indisputable that a Democratic Senate would be more protective of reproductive rights than a Republican one. Despite that, groups like NARAL undermine Democrats who are pro-life, as is the case with both Rep. Lagevin in Rhode Island and Bob Casey in Pennsylvania.

This disunity is also shown by the fact Republicans rarely attack the Republican 'brand', even if they are supposedly more moderate. Some Democrats, meanwhile, make a living out of tearing down the party as a whole with attacks (with Sen. Lieberman being the ultimate example).

The book also details the hopeful signs on the left, including the netroots activists pushing aside the same party guys who had lead the party from 1993-2004 by putting in Howard Dean as DNC chair.

The other thing is that this is the only book like this that I've seen. Other books, like the one by Carville and Begala, are written by insiders who helped craft or influence the policies that brought the Democratic party to its present state.

Progressives and liberals should read this for a path to victory. Rightwingers might want to read it because it notes the innumerable areas where Republican campaign and organization tactics have been superior to their leftwing counterparts.

Ben Chandler, Stephanie Herseth, and Howard Dean (for DNC) would all credit their wins to the netroots. This book is about how to make those victories only the start.

I just finished reading the "Progressive Partner Limited Edition" (Early release) of this book. Markos and Jerome are to be commended for being willing to buck the system with this book. It is full of fantastic ideas and lots of tough love. They do not parse words. They said what needs to be said.

My hope for this book is that the Establishment will read it and really hear the message. The Democratic Party need a good swift kick in the rear, and this is definitely it.

I highly recommend to anyone who is involved in progressive politics and would like to understand how to better help the party evolve into the 21st century.

Markos and Jerome put a great deal of thought into this book, and it's clear from page one that they've come up with some very strong ideas. It's not a 196 page ad for either of their sites. They discuss some of the key disadvantages progressive candidates and activists face in today's political landscape and some of the changes that should be made to even the playing field. While I was familiar with much of what they discussed, I thought the chapter on media consultants and the relationship between the DNC and those consultants was very interesting and illuminating. As a donor to both the DNC and Democratic campaigns, I certainly agree that more transparency and accountability is necessary in spending by the party.
"Crashing the Gates" delivers exactly what it promises--an organizing manual for 21st century campaigns and activism. There's not any wishy-washy language or halfway ideas--there's alot of stuff in there that will probably make people uncomfortable. The discussion of advertising is particularly interesting. If you're interested in politics and you're a progressive-minded person you really ought to pick this one up.