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2 Opinion Clackamas P Wednesday, Feb.6, 2008 ‘E-roots’ evolution revitalizes electio Online coverage brings voters’ grassroots opinions Kenton Benfield The Clackamas Print Although the freedom of tiie press, and corre spondingly of speech, are protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution of tiie United States, it is a well-informed and non-apathetic citizenship that is the ultimate defense of liberty. The politics of a democracy - Greek for ‘ ‘rule of tiie many poor” - is dependent upon the quality of tiie information available to the people. The Internet is more than just the latest form of media and entertainment; it is a revolution in democratic information exchange, and it is hav ing a major impact in politics. As Matt Ostergren, a philosophy and political science major, put it, “The Internet gets around media sources ... it allows for peers to organize regardless of geography ... lots of grassroots movements are popping up around ideologies.” There lies a key distinction between main stream media and the Internet, specifically in the democratic exchange of information that is accessible to historically unprecedented num bers of people, hi terms of politics, this opens up the floodgates to a wider range of information and opinions that originate from the grassroots, or “e-roots.” Over time, the temptation by those in power to usurp the media for political propaganda and “info tainment” has undermined legiti mate reporting. “It lulls people into a stupor,” Ostergren explained. “This requires bright colors to wake them up.” ‘A double-edged sword’ Photo illustration by Kaylà Berge Clackamas Print The mainstream media “estab lishment” has undergone heavy consolidationunder larger and larger corporate structures, such as Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. This conglomerate owns FOX News, The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones and MySpace, just to list a few. These organizations are private enterprise entities, whose primary interest may be to make money, not to provideublic awareness. “It’s no longer about money [on the Internet],” student Mike Takeyawe said. “We can get peo ple’s opinions without them being paid on TV.” According to Political Science Professor Dean Darris, this is a positive trend. “In short, the Internet, through the democratization of information, has broken down the stranglehold that the corpo rate media has over political information. I think that is a very healthy thing,” Darris said. “... It is a double-edged sword... given the feet that there is no editing mechanisms o£ say, editors or fact-checkers, it can also be a vehicle of disinformation. “We’ve got to be careful that we maintain the baby and throw out the bathwater. The baby is democratized information allowing people to express themselves absent the control of the cor porate media. The bathwater is the feet that... so much on there (the Internet) is simply not worth the time and attention it takes to read through it. But that’s true of mainstream media” The online campaign The Internet creates a very powerful system with which to organize people, even those who fight for ideas that may be under- or misrep resented in the more traditional media With a presidential election year in full swing, this has not gone unnoticed by those who desire the vot ers’support. ‘Tor example, the Ron Paul movement is very popular among college students,” Ostergren added. Although not the first, the online campaign of United States Congressman Ron Paul, R-Texas, has been the most successfill in the short history oflheWeb. Due to the mediocre media coverage of his message, the Internet has stepped in as an interactive source of information that would otherwise be buried. The success Ron Paul has enjoyed online provides an excellent example of what the Web could do for politics in the future. For example, the fundraising efforts have hit record numbers while being completely organized and promoted by the supporters, or “e-roots”, not the official campaign. “Web 2.0” social networking sites, such as YouTube.com and MySpace.com, have allowed for the mes sage to spread and the money to flow in, often through PayPal.com, a Web-based payment system. On Nov. 5,2007, a supporter-organized fund- raising drive that began only a few \va playing off of tiie Guy Fawks holid movie “V for Vendetta” as themes, $4.3 million in a single 24-hour peri« This “Money Bomb” was the recc for online fundraising in any Republii States presidential primary for a s Supporters paid an average of $1001 accumulating total was reported in j first, on the campaign homepage, Roi com, alongside the name and city of tors. Due to the unexpected success, I porters organized another similar eve on Dec. 16, tiie anniversary of the I Party in 1773. On this day, the cam not only their own previous recon produced the world record single-: fundraising result, beating John Ki million in 2004 with a surprising hai $6 million. Making it fit The question remains, and may ed soon, if Internet-based support c translate into electoral support in i votes. The same Ron Paul campaij pulled in record fundraising online win a single state in the primaries, all eight states have been decided so f exception of Super Tuesday. “The two entrenched parties (Det Republicans) are way too adapted their message fit whatever media,”! “You will find that those that practici spin doctoring and stagecraft; they ca media fit their message. “At tiie same time, it does all with dissenting opinions like Ron P; Hopefully, eventually, this media (ft will no longer be the tail, but the d the tail.” If a “no-name” candidate, as I the mainstream media pundits, can Internet and build enough support, the will have truly shifted in how the i about political power and those who! Mitt Romney: fiscally responsible savior or money-hoarding scroog Education: Harvard Business School, M.B.A, 1975- Harvard Law School, JD. 3 Brigham Young University, BA., 1971 Cranbrook School Public service: Governor of Massachusetts, 2003 to 2007 Chairman, Republ ican Governors Association Private experience: Bain Capita 1, founded by Romney n'19M Salt Lake Organizing Committee 2002 Winter Olympics Bain & Co. vice president, 1978 to 1984 Editor's note: This will be part of a continuing series featuring all current, viable presidential canidates. The Clackamas Print The Clackamas Print 19600 S. Molalla Ave. Oregon City, OR 97045 503-657-6958, ext. 2309 Book(s): ‘Turnaround: Crisis. Leadership, and the Olympic Games” Pros: Of all the presidential candi Editor in Chief: Megan Koler Copy Editor: Colleen Watkins News Editor: Lydia E. Bashaw A&C Edjtor: Emily Walters Sports Editor: Andrea Simpson Feature Editor: Kyle Steele Photo Editor: Kayla berge Photo s^psociate; Mistymarie Wilks- Salguero News Associate: Matt Garrison dates, Romney best exempli fies the term “self-made man.” Academic recognition, success in business and his popularity as a Massachusetts governor are mere ly three of the areas where he has excelled. Romney scored top grades and graduated with top honors from Brigham Young University, was a Baker Scholar, graduated i n the top 5 percent of his Harvard business class and graduated cum laude from Harvard Law. Within a few years of graduat ing, he rose to prominence with management consulting company Bain & Co. While there, he gained a reputation as a master of the busi ness turnaround. He was involved in the creation or revitalization of hundreds of national companies such as Staples. Domino’s Pizza and the Sports Authority. Of all the candidates, Romney is tiie only one who can be said to have made real, measurable and definable changes in America. He A d M anager : Meredith James S taff W riters / P hotographers : Dale Balbi, Armondo Borboa, Kenton Benfield, Helen Conley, John Hurlburt, Nick Komafel, Genyva Laubach, Riley Lundgren, Christina Maggio, John Shufelt is responsible for the creation of millions of dollars of wealth and the long-term creation of jobs and businesses. In addition to his time as the Massachusetts governor, he is well-known for his turnaround of tiie 2002 Winter Olympics. Nearly bankrupted and scandalized by a corrupt steering committee, the Winter Games were saved by his efforts. Romney’s other endeavors include many charitable organiza tions. He has served as a bish op and a stake president for his church, and has been involved in other civic organizations such as tiie Boy Scouts of America. Cons: Unfairly or not, Romney’s Mormon faith is seen as a major handicap to a wide swath of his potential conservative electorate. His personal fortune is also quickly becoming a point of con tention from his political rivals, P roduction A ssistants : Dusty Ragsdale, Chris Young D epartment A dviser .- Melissa Jones D epartment S ecretary : Pat Thompson with accusations that he is a ing to buy his way into th Horse. Also, it is very pq times of economic dowri the poor and struggling to their troubles on the rich. Romney has no exp in foreign policy arid hat served in the military, twor that might hurt him on the i stage. Analysis: Mitt Romney is a achiever. He has enjoyed in almost every endeavor put his mind to and has pet helped to create thousands: Due to his innate ability, glow and overcome no nn situation, Romney would shore up the national a and create prosperity. With strengths and few weaknes would make a first-rate pre Grade: A- G oals : The Clackamas Prin to report the news in an ho» unbiased, professional mam The opinions expressed do, necessarily reflect those of 11 dent body, college administ its faculty or The Print. E-m comments to chiefed@dack edu.
