If this is any indication of what the 2008 presidential campaign will look like, we are in for some netroots drama. Tim Grieve from the War Room on Salon reports that John Edwards has indeed fired two liberal bloggers he hired to reach the progressive online audience. Right-wingers dug their teeth into Amanda Marcotte (Pandagon) and Melissa McEwan (Shakespeare’s Sister) due to “anti-catholic” comments they had both made on their own blogs.
An article in the New York Times, this morning, reported that Edwards was asked by Catholic League president Bill Donohue to fire the two women, calling them “anti-Catholic vulgar trash-talking bigots.” I can only imagine Amanda and Melissa’s comments were less offensive. There is even a news release on the Catholic League site demanding the two women be fired. It seemed according to the Times, the two had not yet been let go, but Salon claims they have been. Over at Pandagon, they are discussing how Edwards caved and the fact that depending on where you are surfing, the two liberal bloggers have either been fired, have not been fired or have been fired and now rehired.
Regardless of the outcome, this is not the first web blunder for Edwards. Must we recall his eloquent presidential candidacy announcement that was scooped by his website. But all web jokes aside, if Edwards wants to realistically utilize the powerful tool of netroots, he surely needs to grow a thicker skin.
