I was just trying to get a picture of the blog swarm around Karl Rove. Googling, I found this, from the Swing State Project, from back on June 23, predating the connection of Rove's name to the Plame story. What was happening back then? Rove said something that supposedly "us[ed] September 11th as a political wedge issue." The Hotline Barometer thought this was going to be really big. The Swing State Project enthused: "The Rove Must Resign blog swarm is gathering momentum quickly."
Way back in February, Polipundit wondered "Will a Blog Swarm Follow?" a Little Green Footballs story about the theory that "the fake CBS memos were planted by Karl Rove to discredit Dan Rather, and divert attention from President Bush’s 'draft dodging.'" Since bloggers of the right formed a successful swarm that brought down Rather, it's understandable that the left would want to do a good swarm of its own. How elegant it would have been if the swarm-worthy evidence had come from the fake CBS memos.
Then there was an actual physical "swarm" of people -- WaPo used that word in a headline -- around Rove's house back in March, 2004. Remember that? People were banging on his windows and chanting "Karl Rove ain't got no soul." What was that about? Not Valerie Plame, of course.
What comes first, the evidence warranting swarming, or the person you want to swarm? And how many times can you try to get up a swarm that fails and then believably call for a swarm when some entirely new story breaks? At some point, you're the boy who cried "wolf" -- or should I say the blog-hemisphere that cried "swarm"?
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6 comments:
While the target may be Rove the actual game is the president. If Rove should resign does anyone seriously believe that the swarming would end there?
Frankly, I don't care which party is doing it. I'm damned tired of government by impeachment.
Dave: I think these swarmers are the type who've always regarded Rove as Bush's brain -- his alter ego. So to attack Rove is already to attack Bush directly.
They're reading (and believing) their own press releases.
Ann- The swarm is like a bunch of bees going back to the hive only to see it has been moved or destroyed.
The gig is up!
tony, if you want to impeach Bush because Karl Rove didn't out a CIA employee who wasn't undercover, by all means go for it. But don't expect a Democratic president or Senate or Congress for a few decades.
Actually, the last president was impeached - for lying under oath.
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