An overview of net activism from MoveOn.org to Sanders 2016 in connection with interview of Professor Matthew R. Kerbel, who is the author of the newly released Next Generation Netroots: Realignment and the Rise of the Internet Left on Cyber Law & Business Report. https://cyberlawradio.wordpress.com/2016/07/06/clbr-227-matthew-kerbel-on-netroots-activism/

1. A Short
History of
Net
Activism
1

2. 1998
MoveOn.org founded, delivers
500,000 signatures in
opposition to Clinton
impeachment. Creates PAC to
target pro-impeachment
leaders.
2

3. 2000
John McCain raises $500,000
online in 24-hours following
New Hampshire primary win.
John McCain raises $500,000
online in 24-hours following
New Hampshire primary win.
3

4. 2002
Daily Kos founded by Markos
Moulitsas, who would go on
to be among the first bloggers
given press credentials to
cover the Democratic
National Convention.
4

5. 2003
Howard Dean’s presidential
campaign draws huge crowds
using Meetup.
5

6. 2003
BushLies.net launches. Site
was credited by Columbia
Journalism Review for being
one of the first media sources
to have framed the [Niger]
uranium deceptions as part of
the President’s familiar M.O.
6

7. 2004
ActBlue, a clearinghouse for
fundraising for Democratic
campaigns. It has raised
$1,198,272,426 to date.
7

8. 2004
Rock the Vote campaign
registers an estimated 1.2
million new voters.
8

9. 2005
YouTube and Huffington Post
launch.
9

10. 2006
Netroots Nation conference
debuts as Yearly Kos in Las
Vegas with 1,200 attendees.
10

11. 2006
The importance of YouTube
becomes evident when Sen.
George Allen (R-VA) called
opposition campaign volunteer
S.R. Sidarth “macaca.” The
video went viral and is seen as
a major turning point that led
to Allen’s defeat and the
Democrats retaking the Senate.
11

12. 2007
The beginning of the
presidential race saw new
innovations – Money Bombs,
the use of Ustream to live
stream events, the first
YouTube debate and the
expansion of the race into
social media.
12

13. 2008
Americans For Prosperity
launch Right Online in effort to
match Netroots Nations.
13

14. 2008
“Yes We Can,” the will.i.am
video for Senator Obama was a
viral sensation with over 21
million views by July 22, 2008.
It won will.i.am a Webby Award
for "Artist of the Year“.
14

15. 2008
The Obama campaign
introduced the first campaign
mobile app and text
messaged its selection of a
running mate.
15

16. 2008
Senator Obama dominated the
internet, raising over $500 million
online.
He had huge advantages in support on
Social Media:
Facebook - Obama has 380% more
supporters than McCain
YouTube - 905% more viewers than
McCain
Twitter - 240 times more followers in
Twitter than McCain
16

17. 2009
Obama administration
partners with Change.org.
17

18. 2012
Internet Blackout to protest
Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA)
involves 70,000 websites.
Triggers 10 million petition
signatures, 8 million calls and 4
million emails to Capitol Hill.
As a result, 19 Senators came
out against legislation including
7 former sponsors.
18

19. 2012
Romney 47 percent
comments captured on video
and goes viral.
19

20. 2012
President Obama continued his
digital domination, raising $690
million online.
Expanded use of social media, to
organize events, hold town halls.
The tweet to the right was the
most retweeted of the year.
20

21. 2014
John Oliver’s Last Week
Tonight rant on Net Neutrality
encouraging viewers to
submit comments to Federal
Communications Commission
causes FCC website to crash
after 45,000 comments the
next day.
21

22. 2016
Bernie Sanders retained
Revolution Messaging led by
veterans from the Dean and
Obama campaigns.
He matches Dean in drawing big
crowds.
While Sanders does not match
Obama’s level of fundraising, he
nearly matches Clinton in
fundraising – raising $216
million out of approx. $230
million total online.
22

23. 2016
Sanders most ardent online
supporters earn the moniker
“Bernie Bots” or “Bernie
Bros” and actually become a
campaign liability.
23

24. 2016
Sanders is not able to rebuild the
Obama coalition, however, as his
strength online does not translate
into support with traditional
Democratic constituencies who
largely back Hillary Clinton with
Sanders main edge being among
white males. .
24