Netroots Rising: How a Citizen Army of Bloggers and Online Activists Is Changing American Politics (Hardcover)

by Lowell Feld (Author), Nate Wilcox (Author), Markos Moulitsas Zúniga (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“Starred Review These two Democratic political consultants offer a rich, even gripping narrative, well sourced, of our century's transformation in political engagement by means of "netroots." The "Deaniacs," the draft Clark effort, the campaign against Tom DeLay, and Jim Webb's unlikely victory (Feld coordinated Webb's online fundraising) are among the stories told here. Feld and Wilcox are not sure what the future holds for the netroots phenomenon, but their book has long-term value for large public and undergraduate libraries.”–Library Journal

“Their survey offers insider and first-hand accounts of the power of the netroots to determine political outcomes and also offers chapters covering how activists build movements and insiders kill them and how the passage of time affects political and internet movements. A "must" for not only computer libraries, but any collection strong in social sciences.”–Midwest Book Review/The Bookwatch

“When Lowell Feld and Nate Wilcox speak, political activists everywhere should listen. And luckily for us, they've come together to share their vast online organizing experience....in the splendid Netroots Rising, a chronicle of war stories and lessons learned from the trenches of the nascent online movement. Make no mistake: This book is simply the best account of the origin and mission of the netroots out there, bar none, in any medium....What pushes the book into "must read" territory for the practical progressive is their interviewing prowess with all manner of people associated with both the netroots and traditional campaigns....The diverse opinions and experience the authors sought out really lend a richness to this book........Netroots Rising is a tour de force--comprehensive and interesting, full of character, personality, passion and commitment....a concrete resistance to "mass media passivity" that cannot be more strongly recommended.”–American Nonsense/Daily Kos (http://americannonsense.com) (http://www.dailykos.com)

“Blogs have changed the dynamics of campaigns forever in just a few short years, and they've opened up politics to a whole new wave of grassroots activists. Lowell Feld and Nate Wilcox take us behind the scenes of this new phenomenon, revealing the virtues and, yes, the vices of the blogosphere in some of the hottest contests in recent elections. One thing's for sure: politics will never be the same, and people who don't have a handle on blogs won't understand the campaigns of the future.”–Larry J. Sabato, Director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Netroots Rising offers a gripping insider's account of the most important new political movement in America today. If you want to understand how online activism and activists are changing the Democratic Party--and the country--you'll want to read this book.”–Matthew Yglesias, Associate Editor of The Atlantic Monthly

“Two histories are emerging for our country's past decade. One is in the headlines and the network newscasts and it consistently misses the profound political changes washing over American democracy. Nate Wilcox and Lowell Feld, however, are leading thinkers in the gathering army of citizens determined to use the Internet to return our democracy to its founding principles. And in Netroots Rising, you will read the story of all the bright young minds who have found a new way to water the roots of our tree of liberty. America is still in good hands and you can see its bright future reflected on these pages.”–James C. Moore, Author of Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential

“Nate and Lowell do a bang-up job of capturing the progressive spirit of the netroots sweeping the nation, reaching even into red state strongholds like Texas and Virginia.”–Amanda Marcotte, Publisher Pandagon.net

“There's a reformation of the Democratic party underway. This book tells of the sparks that set off the cannons, firing the opening salvos in the movement to create a progressive majority.”–Jerome Armstrong, Co-author Crashing the Gates and founder MyDD.com

“Lowell Feld and Nate Wilcox have put together an engaging and exciting book absolutely brimming with essential information for any progressive seeking to compete in--or even just understand--the electoral landscape of the early 21st century. The two of them have vividly brought to life, in a thoroughly engaging way, how American politics have been impacted by technological advances that are reshaping the way we pick our leaders. It is virtually impossible for a serious candidate to expect to win elections without understanding the message Feld and Wilcox elucidate in NETROOTS RISING.”–Howie Klein, Chairman of Blue America PAC, Former president of Reprise Records

Book Description

Veteran online campaigners tell the inside story of the revolutionary challenge to traditional top-down broadcast politics being made by bottom-up political bloggers and netroots citizen activists.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 230 pages
• Publisher: Praeger (June 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313346607
• ISBN-13: 978-0313346606
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #245,376 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating window into new media politics--penned by two of the best, July 13, 2008

By	Jeffrey Feldman - See all my reviews

For people involved in the tsunami of online political activism over the past five years (a.k.a. 'The Netroots'), Lowell Feld and Nate Wilcox are household names, and reading through their fascinating new book, *Netroots Rising*, reveals exactly why that is. Part social history, part activist manual, part political biography, *Netroots Rising* is--at its core--a first-hand description of the 2006 Virginia Senate race, wherein the Democratic Party candidate Jim Webb out hustled and out smarted the incumbent Republican George Allen, thereby giving delivering a new Democratic majority in the Senate. If ever there was an election tale that could make even the most disengaged reader jump out of their chair and shout, the 2006 Virginia Senate race was it. *Netroots Rising* is a perfect case study for college courses and field trainers alike. But what makes the book so rewarding to read, however, is more than just the tale from the trail. It is the masterful way Feld and Wilcox put their experiences in Virginia in the big-picture context of a shifting reality in American electoral politics. Insiders will relish the chance to read Feld and Wilcox' version of 'L'Affaire Macaca'--wherein George Allen insulted a Webb field staffer with an obscure, but well-documented, racial slur. Newcomers to the netroots will devour the brilliant genealogy of online politics that Feld and Wilcox lay out starting from the presidential bid of Gov. Howard Dean. In the end, Feld and Wilcox walk their reader from an election culture of flipping pancakes and soulless media buys purchased by shadowy consultants, to a brave new world of open-source campaigning, tech-savvy staffers, and engaged citizen journalists who take on the most powerful politicians with little more than a hand-held video camera, a laptop computer, and a fearless turn-of-phrase. Want to know how U.S. politics changed over the past five years, who changed it, and how you can join the fun? Stop listening to the pundit-rubes who litter the 24/7 network and cable shows and pick up a copy of *Netroots Rising*. And while you're at it: buy a few copies for your friends and family, too.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Progressive Blogs Transform Political Landscape!, July 7, 2008

By	Peter F. Rousselot (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The American political landscape has been irrevocably altered by the rise of progressive bloggers and online activists. In Netroots Rising, Lowell Feld and Nate Wilcox have provided a gripping insiders account of this phenomenon. Every campaign manager and Party Chair in America needs to read this book.
Peter Rousselot ,Chair, Arlington County Virginia Democratic Committee

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars sign me up, August 16, 2008

By	Andrew R. Wright (Columbia, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book analyzes, through narrative, anecdote and commentary, the convergence of grassroots organizing/activism with the decentralized power of mass communication available through the internet. The stories are great and provide a unique perspective on recent political events. More significant perhaps is the identification of this emerging reality for political campaigns at all levels -- the reality of a newly democratic process, of citizen activism making a difference. The issues involved are reminiscent of the growth in community organizing in recent years through organizations such as the IAF.

By the end of the book, I had a renewed sense of possibility, if not hope, for local political activism. Perhaps citizens can influence candidates, campaigns, and, ultimately, policy. Now that sounds interesting; sign me up.