internet and voters

[radfringe]

my partner and I were discussing expected voter turnout in this year's midterm.

She thinks the turnout will be slightly higher than previous mid-terms due to the need to "change the course" - on the other hand she could go with the theory of repubs staying home as a silent protest against the repubs and this could cause the turnout to be average or lower...

from there we discussed the power of the internet to motivate people to pay attention/get involved in politics..

While I don't think the internet has become a super-power in motivating people - it has had an effect, and will continue to grow. I'm thinking there will be a real explosion of internet political activity in the 2008 season. By political activity, I mean, more forums/discussion groups on both sides of the aisle.

A few questions for you:

1. If you "lurked" before "leaping" into the DU forums - what motivated you to lurk in the first place, how long did you lurk, and what finally made you "leap"?

2. Prior to lurking/joining a group like the DU - how closely did you follow or were involved with politics/issues?

3. in rough percentages - how much and where do you get your news?

[fasttense]

1. I was going to ignore your post but the questions you asked are

intriguing.

I hope others answer your question because I would be curious to see the results.

My answers are:

1. I lurked because other supposedly liberal sites were filled with rabid repukes waiting to jump you the moment you said anything slightly liberal. I lurked to make sure DU was really a liberal site and not a kill the liberal site. I lurked for about three months. I leaped in and registered when I felt comfortable that the majority of people on DU wouldn't jump down my throat for my views.

2. I followed the news and attended a few pro-choice protests. In 2000, after the dancing supremes selected our pResident, I became addicted to political discussions but all I could find on the mass media was repuke stuff, so I listened to that.

3. I watched CNN about 50% of the time then listened to Fox/ABC/CBS/NBC about 20% and "Christian" Radio - Limpball, Dr. Laura and David Ramsey, about 20% and Public radio about 10%. I almost kicked in my TV and threw my radio across the room several times.

[murielm99]

2. My brother showed me this site.

I lurked for three or four months. I began to discover that although I had always considered myself well-informed, there was much that I could learn from DU. I joined to keep learning. I don't always like the way people treat each other here, but at least they get rid of the trolls. It really IS a site for Democrats,.

I have always been involved with politics on the local level. During the years I was raising my children, I paid a little less attention to world and national politics. I began to pay more attention again when they started persecuting Clinton.

I used to get most of my news from sources like Newsweek, newspapers and television. But then, I am a boomer, and these sources used to be more reliable. I still read The Nation. Once in awhile, I look at a weekly news magazine. But now I get most of my news from the Internet. I read DU, and Politex, Bush Watch. I read local and regional newspapers for local and state news.

[radfringe]

3. my answers to my own questions... :)

1. I came upon the DU in a round about route. i always had some interest in politcs, but aside from getting news from TV/radio/newspapers there wasn't much else out there which offered discussion...until the internet.

I first stumbled across a few websites which invited 'comments' back in the spring of 2000. Seemed to be someplace to connect and discuss, so I joined, on my first comment I was "flamed" and "ridiculed" immediately. Now this particular place was open to all posters, it wasn't one where just one end of the particular spectrum posted.

The flame fanned my flames - I was determined to be better informed, get facts etc. The more you know... I continued to post, armed myself with facts but consistently found myself fighting the kindergarten mentality. My posting on that place dribbled off, and I went in search of other alternatives. Eventually, Will Pitt showed up on one site, and recommended the DU. I checked it out, lurked for a couple of hours and signed up.

2. Prior to 2000 - I did follow politics to a lesser degree. Watched the news, read the papers, but the depth I was looking for was missing. When I first went "on-line" in 1997, there was other things going on in my personal life which had me distracted from delving deeper into the news.

3. 80% from internet sources (on-line papers including Washington Post, NY Times, LA Times, Chicago Sun/Tribune, Boston Globe, DU, Buzzflash, Google news etc), remainder is split between CNN, MSNBC, C-Span

[acmejack]

4. I Found DU through Google News.

Early on, before I participated in any discussion boards. I lurked for a long time literally years. I was intimidated a bit by posters like Will and Mary Scott whose work I read at places I considered major venues. It wasn't until 2003 that I took the plunge and jumped in.

I was involved in politics in 2000, albeit not nearly to the extent I am now. I got a lot more & more involved after the 2000 farce. Then I got seriously ill and started watching C-span all the time & became a political junkie.

I have been a computer industry person for years and always used the Internet very intensely, so following the news on the internet internationally was a natural for me, I quit using the TV as a source of news years ago. I knew our news was BS quite a long time ago.

[xiamiam]

5. real news from the internet...forget mainstream media

1. This was the only place to find sanity after the second election was stolen by Bush. I had lurked before that...but during that time frame..I thought I had lost my mind..I could find intelligence and truth here...even believing with others that Kerry was going to fight...I maintain that I was the last person to believe the vote would be overturned...hopeless believer at times...

2. I've always been a liberal...I was more than comfortable with Clinton and Gore...the Monica all the time thing turned me off but I didnt grasp the religious right backward thinking momentum which would set this country back about 200 years...BUT..when I watched the supreme court assist in stealing the election from Gore...my life changed......I was glued to the tv for that entire time frame...mouth agape and shaking my head that Americans could be so stupid...I guess that was the turning point for me...

3. I start my day with DU, huffington post, and rawstory, truthout...I follow the links in those sights for credible news..I begin before dawn and check several times throughout the day...I watch Olbermann religiously...my housemate watches mainstream news...which we always fight about...because I just cant stand the lies and spin...