BuzzFlash Reviews

February 23, 2006

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything (Hardcover)
by Joe Trippi

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The changes being brought by the Internet move so rapidly that Howard Dean's campaign -- the one that made history in terms of harnessing this powerful new technology -- almost seems like ages ago.

Yet, Joe Trippi, Dean's savvy campaign manager (until he was dumped), made history by using the tremendous capacities of the web to catapult Dean to the "surging" candidate in the early Democratic primary race.

Dean's campaign ultimately faltered for a number of reasons, but the strategy of his run for the White House made revolutionary use of the democratizing, energizing and fundraising capabilities of the Internet.

As one description of this personal account by Trippi of the groundbreaking Dean campaign observes: "When Joe Trippi signed on to manage Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign, the long shot candidate had 432 known supporters and $100,000 in the bank. Within a year, Trippi and his energetic but inexperienced team had transformed the most obscure horse in the field into a front-runner, creating a groundswell of 640,000 people and raising more money than any Democrat in history - more than fifty million dollars - mostly through donations of one hundred dollars or less. This is the story of how Trippi's revolutionary use of the Internet and an impassioned, contagious desire to overthrow politics as usual grew into a national grassroots movement and changed the face of politics forever. For those who thought the Dean campaign ended with a screaming speech in an Iowa ballroom, this book is a wake up call. Joe Trippi explains how - right now - Internet democracy is transforming every aspect of American life by evenly distributing power."

Progressives are still struggling with the missing link: how to translate Internet generated energy into feet on the ground on election day. But revolutions often come in stages, and Joe Trippi turned a high-tech tool into a galvanizing force and political fundraising machine. It was a phenomenal feat.

Back in 2004, after the debacle of another Presidential election, one reader of "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" wrote: "I consider myself to be exceptionally knowledgeable about how politics works in this country and therefore highly cynical. This book, however, was very inspirational and provided a persuasive case for why internet communities and the new transparency of information the web produces has great potential to produce better outcomes for America and the world. Trippi has a gift for capturing the reader's attention and inspiring creative thinking. I had a tough time putting this book down. Thanks, Joe. I love politics, and you've made me excited to be alive at a time of great promise for the revitalization of our democracy."

Perhaps that is why big media, the telephone companies, and the ISPs are out to stifle the freewheeling pro-democracy freedom of the Net. What is now the vanguard of a political revolution could also become the vehicle for a consumer uprising against corporate control of our lives and our politics.

The Internet has not yet fully counteracted the broad reach and propaganda success of largely Republican status quo television "news." But if the Net were to be "reined in," we would truly be abandoned to an Orwellian world of "the truth according to the Busheviks."

Joe Trippi understands the promise of the Net. It has grown even more powerful since he wrote this book.

And that is why the Bush Administration is watching the web very closely, just waiting to drop an iron curtain across the ethernet.

Due to a special purchase, BuzzFlash is able to offer "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything" at a reduced price.

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