How much credit do you give the Internet for passage of Heath Care Reform?

[Tony_FLADEM]

The Internet has allowed people who support HCR to interact more with Congress and this has helped them follow thru on passing this bill.

Also, people have been able to organize and discuss this issue and research this issue.

In the past you didn't have this.

[Frustratedlady]

1. A ton of credit. Same with elections.

Look at how quickly people can search archives and bring up comments for rebuttal when the Repugs swear they didn't say something or do something during their reign.

With the Net, they can't hide a lot of the stuff they got by with in prior years. Besides, any alert flies over the Net in minutes.

It beats having a bunch of tin cans/wire going throughout the land/world.

[applegrove]

5. And studies show that people are spending as much time on the internet as they

do watching the TV.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Hard to tell, because we've had so many on the Internet

griping relentlessly about this bill, probably more than anyone actually helping its passage.

When one combines the Right and those on the left that complained endlessly and nothing more,
they probably did more harm than good. So on balance, the Internet was as much a factor
in demonizing this legislation as it was a factor in helping pass it.

I just hope that at this time, and because the bill has passed, those who make it a pastime
of doing nothing but ragging and dogging this bill and this President, over and over and over again will realize that the part that they have played ain't exactly been all that helpful.

Even now, instead of us strategizing how to hand the Republicans their ass on election 2010, many are still whining and crying and complaining and being more focused on what's not in this bill, as opposed to what's in this bill....to the point that I almost believe that this bill passed despite those who'd rather see us have nothing as long as they can feel that they are and have always been right. Too bad they don't also realize that being right about nothing means nothing, and in fact at some point starts to take away.

Anyways, sorry for that rant, but you asked a question...and that's my answer. :shrug:

[WI_DEM]

3. Agreed.

[Oregone]

4. None. People can Google and find out it was actually a Republican plan

So it was just DLC versus the informed people in an echo chamber. Big fuckn deal

[HughMoran]

7. I like eggs

[HughMoran]

6. Some

It has been clear for a long time that TV pundits get good ideas for their from scanning the internet. Some use the blogs as a gauge of public opinion - I think that's pretty questionable.