alimarko

thesoapboxschtick:

I really believe the internet is going to contribute significantly to the end of the GOP as we know it. Their leap to the far right side of the far right is what put the noose around their neck, but the internet is going to kick away the chair.

In December, Rick Perry put out his “Strong” ad. By the next day, it became one of the most disliked videos on Youtube, spawning several parodies, a meme, and tons of public criticism (…And everything he said was in the mainstream of GOP beliefs). 

Last week, Todd Akin makes his outrageous “legitimate rape” statement on KTVI, a news channel in St. Louis, Missouri. The video is online at 11:24 AM on sunday… by late afternoon Monday the President of the United States had condemned his remarks, and his own party was calling on him to “exit the senate race.” It’s a moment that in pre-social media days would have gone unnoticed by most and ignored by the media. But it gets uploaded to the web and presto! (…and, again, it was a common republican stance on the issue).

Within hours of a politician saying something blatantly offensive or stupid, even when speaking in private, there’s a good chance it will be uploaded, up-voted, reblogged, liked, and trending for all to see.

Which is bad news for a party that finds reality optional and facts inconvenient.