"Democrats Become Progressive"

Matt Stoller:

There is no Dean this year. Neither Obama, Clinton, and Edwards are operating with the level of transparency that Dean used, and they are all drawing support from large donors first. Support from the internet is split, and an entirely new slice of the public is going to engage in internet politics. Still, the blogs are focusing a generic progressive push on every candidate that is coming from the progressive activist base.

For instance, Clinton and Obama's weak responses on homosexuality were not be tolerated for very long. Every candidates' ability to freeze out and marginalized right-wing propaganda outlets like Fox News is enhanced - Edwards raised a lot of money off of Ann Coulter. Democratic candidates can hit back against the Swift Boat for Truth Veterans if they want, as there are now progressive surrogates. But if they do not act aggressively, they will be criticized.