VI Day!

By abandoning the internet, Republicans are continuing a long string of actions to alienate every constituency that is not specifically rich, white, Dominionist, and male.  Two weeks ago, we stood aghast as the Republicans ignored the NAACP's debate invitations.  Meanwhile, the immigration debate has devastated Hispanic party membership, and the future looks even worse for the Gerrymandered Obstructionists.  Young people are both supremely interested in 2008 and "profoundly alienated" by the Republican party, and Women got fed up long ago.

The fact that two of the the leading candidates, Romney and Guiliani, couldn't make time to face the internet constituency is bad enough.  Much more striking and permanently damning is the fact that the RNC has failed to endorse the debate.  This may go down as the specific moment in history that the Republican party nationally abdicated a willingness to fight for the Internet, in the way  Hirohito gave up on WWII with the Potsdam Declaration.
The Democratic CNN/YouTube debate was an overwhelming success.  It was entertaining, informative, and it forced all of the candidates to face real questions from real voters.  It also spurred 2 solid days of coverage for Clinton and Obama. Because the DNC endorsed the event, every Democratic candidate had to face the music and Internet activists pierced the media curtain .

By yesterday, partially because of the RNC's failure to endorse the Republican CNN/YouTube debate, only three candidates had confirmed for the debate, it's been officially canceled, apparently with some reschedule planned for the future. 

So, go ahead Republicans, you don't need young people.  You don't need Hispanics.  You know you'll do anything to make sure African Americans don't vote.  And you don't need to listen to your own (increasingly rare) supporters on the internet.  In fact, you pretty much don't need anybody.  You've got K-Street, Rupert Murdoch, and the Dominionists, in short you're the party of rich, white, Dominionist, males.  Good luck with that.

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