Are we entering a new era of digital democracy—or just being conned by a bunch of smooth-talking geeks? That’s the central question behind Mother Jones‘ Politics 2.0 package, which went up on the home page today. (Monika’s and my ed note on the topic can be found here.)
In it we explore whether A-list netroots bloggers are acting more like political bosses of old. And chart the GOP/Pay-Pal connection: a bunch of Silicon Valley conservatives now trying to build the right-wing MoveOn from the top down. In light of the Supreme Court’s campaign finance decision yesterday, our piece on how despite the advent of viral video like “macaca” and “Hillary 1984,” the 30-second TV campaign spot ain’t going anywhere yet seems more pertinent than ever.
And we published great excerpts (and full interviews) with 27 netizens, digerati, and politicos including Lawrence Lessig, Esther Dyson, Jimmy Wales, Howard Dean, and the “Hillary 1984” guy.
Oh, and I interviewed Digg founder Kevin Rose to get the scoop on whether his site can be gamed, and what’s up with those Ron Paul supporters, and the perils of making video while drinking heavily.
