Quite awhile ago, I came to the conclusion that whatever gets published on ASZ (or anywhere else in the blogosphere) doesn’t make a whole lot of difference in the big scheme of things. My ego isn’t big enough that I feel as if anything that I write in this space ultimately makes any impact on anyone, anywhere in the world, in terms of political discourse and shifting of opinions. In fact, the ASZ charter makes it quite clear:

…let’s be quite clear about something. What you find here is worth exactly what you paid for it ($0.00), and we encourage you to form your own opinions based on the links and stories provided. We claim no particular expertise with or education in any topic on which we comment. Caveat Emptor. Your mileage may vary.

There are more than a few blogmasters in both the left and right blogosphere who feel like their opinions are sacrosanct, and indeed, that their opinions and online activism actually makes a shitpot’s worth of difference in the big political picture. In terms of energizing a small base of readers to actually make phone calls or drop an email to their local congresscritter, perhaps. In terms of providing an echo chamber for like minded, wired in-duh-viduals to get together and express a collective rant (or rave), absolutely. In terms of actually influencing the vast majority of people in their day-to-day political decision making process, eh, no so much.

That’s one of the reasons I find the current online Dem candidate wars to be absolutely specious. In the real world, most people flat out don’t give a shit. For those of you who are tuned into this blog (and presumably others of a similar political slant), this might a shocking realization - just kidding - but it’s reality.

The vast majority of the A-list bloggers have rewarded themselves with a sense of self importance that is way above and beyond the true worth of their impact. And now, there’s actually some polling to support my inherent wisdom on this topic:

A majority of Americans do not read political blogs, the online commentaries that have proliferated in the race for the U.S. presidency, according to a poll released on Monday.

Only 22 percent of people responding to the poll said they read blogs regularly, meaning several times a month or more, according to the survey conducted by Harris Interactive…

…While blogs are largely considered the realm of young people who are most Internet-savvy, only 19 percent of people ages 18 to 31, and 17 percent of those ages 32 to 43, regularly read a political blog, the poll said…

I have no need to be humbled. There was never a question in my mind that whatever I write here is largely for my own benefit. If others find my writing style engaging, or my opinions infuriating, well, that’s sweet ((sniff sniff)). But I do find it just a little bit amusing that many of the “alpha dog” blogs take themselves a bit too seriously, and believe that what gets written online makes a tremendous difference in the big scheme of political things.

When I first discovered the world wide web back in the mid-1990’s, I foresaw the medium as a potentially great tool for organizing like-minded people into a cohesive voice. As the web (and more particularly, the liberal blogosphere) has matured, it’s become clear to me that much of the top level is occupied by those who are more interested in carrying their own brand (and ad dollars) forward than actually arriving at a national consensus on a path forward for this moribund country.

I guess that’s not so much unexpected. The stirring of the pot in the current Dem candidate wars is, at least on some level, a product of a somewhat targeted effort to drive traffic to particular sites. Think of it in terms of how Fox News uses hyperbole, lies and slant to drive their own audience numbers. Rupert Murdoch has pulled the ultimate scam on a politically gullible viewership - creating controversy where there was none; playing to partisan biases to inflame the viewers - and laughing all the way to the bank as the ad dollars roll in. Ask yourself a question: why was Murdoch so willing, only six months ago, to break bread with Hillary Clinton? And contribute to her campaign? Because it was good. for. business.

What do you think is happening in the blogosphere? The same type of thing. A-list sites are a-list for one reason. They get a lot of internet eyeballs. How do they get the eyeballs? By fomenting controversy; by picking a side (whether Dem or GOP) and stoking the rabid (but finite) activist base of the political parties.

About six months ago, I started writing a post with the title that this one bears today. I gave it up at the time, because it was more targeted toward the monetary rewards of running an A-list blog. I’m glad I didn’t post it at the time. Having followed the Dem candidate wars through various iterations at this point, I’ve come to the conclusion that it wasn’t necessary to piss off my blogosphere colleagues based on financials…

…because they’re doing it largely on vanity at this point. Vanity that what they say, what they publish, the mission that their sites espouse, actually make a bit of difference in the larger picture. Here’s the worst kept secret in the world - like Faux News, many of the A-listers are in it for the buckage first, and secondarily to affect actual political transformation. But that shouldn’t come as news to anyone.

In the mid-1970’s Paddy Chayefsky probably couldn’t have envisioned the impact of the world wide web when he wrote Network, but let’s pretend for one moment that he was writing the script for a 2008 audience. It might go something like this:

We deal in illusions, man.

We’re all you know, and you look to us as political oracles; as change agents for a system that is hopelessly broken and corrupt.

You’re beginning to believe the illusions we’re spinning here; like venting your outrage with a keyboard really matters and makes any lasting difference. You’re beginning to think that the blogosphere is reality and that your own, street-level activism isn’t necessary to change the world.

You swallow whole whatever your favorite blogs tell you, many times without a moment’s worth of critical analysis. You eat your dinner with one hand, and post your political diaries with the other. You think like a blogger - even if you’re not one - that this stuff is worth more than a bucket of warm spit. This is mass delusion — you maniacs! In God’s name you people are the real thing, WE are the illusion…

Listen, unlike Howard Beale, I don’t want you to turn off your computer. It’s a necessary tool in wading through the multiple layers of multi-colored bullshit that are being slung through the toobs of the internets. What I do want ASZ readers to understand is that I do understand - and I ask you to understand me - that there is an evil among us.

This evil does not carry the surname of Obama or Clinton. And I trust that you, as a valued reader of All Spin Zone, are intelligent enough to figure it out from there.