OP-ED | Dodd, Former Online Hero, Plays the Villain on SOPA
by Susan Bigelow | Jan 20, 2012 11:16am
(5) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Opinion
Former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd is taking a beating online lately, and for good reason. In his post-Senate life Dodd heads up the Motion Picture Association of America, a highly influential Hollywood lobby, and has become the face for proponents of the badly flawed anti-piracy bills SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act).
Both acts, charge critics, are written in such a way that legitimate sites would be in danger of being shut down, and are therefore major threats to free expression and the exchange of ideas. Dodd has rapidly become one of the most hated men on the internet thanks to his lobbying for the bills, and this statement from the MPAA with his name attached to it issued in response to ‘blackout’ protests by some of the web’s major sites doesn’t help matters:
“It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on them for information use their services. It is also an abuse of power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace today. […] A so-called ‘blackout’ is yet another gimmick, albeit a dangerous one, designed to punish elected and administration officials who are working diligently to protect American jobs from foreign criminals.”
Dodd’s remarkably tone-deaf statement was immediately panned all over the internet, including by Markos at Daily Kos, who found Dodd’s characterization of shutting down websites for twelve hours to protest a dangerously flawed bill as an “abuse of power” baffling. Another major Daily Kos poster took Dodd to task for his condescending tone, among other things.
It wasn’t always this way. Daily Kos has long been one of the banner sites for progressive politics online, and during the early stages of the 2008 presidential campaign Dodd found a much different reception there. “Chris Dodd stood up for us in a way we haven’t seen from anyone else,” one poster said after Dodd went toe-to-toe with Bill O’Reilly in defense of the site. In fact, Dodd found a surprising amount of support on progressive blogs and other sites during the campaign. A November, 2007 mass email from his campaign touted strong online fundraising and the “spike in traffic and mentions on progressive blogs” the campaign had received. This was due in part to an innovative social media strategy and the presence of forward-looking campaign operatives like Lamont 2006 veteran Tim Tagaris, and in part to a focus by Dodd on issues online activists cared about.
In fact, Dodd’s attitude towards the online world in general has shifted mightily in the time since his doomed presidential campaign. In 2007 Dodd spoke to Google employees about the need to protect the internet as a tool of free expression and criticized the company for allowing censorship in China, and in 2009 Dodd spoke out on the need to support net neutrality, saying “I will continue to fight to expand broadband Internet access – and the free flow of information – to every community in America,” in a press release. SOPA/PIPA critics charge that the bills would amount to censorship of the internet (a charge Dodd bats away without much consideration) and the MPAA has taken a stand against net neutrality as being favorable to piracy.
It’s a remarkable turnaround, and a sad epilogue to a largely stellar and noteworthy career in national politics. Dodd’s rush to embrace the MPAA mere months after promising not to become a lobbyist followed by the heated controversy surrounding SOPA/PIPA has left a sour taste in a lot of people’s mouths. The entire affair is a testament to the warping effect and crushing influence powerful lobbies have.
Dodd isn’t finding a lot of support these days as public opinion turns against the bills, even from members of the Connecticut congressional delegation. Several members, including Reps. Jim Himes, Rep. Joe Courtney, and even his former chief of staff Rep. Rosa DeLauro have come out against the legislation, and others are keeping quiet. The MPAA and Dodd in particular are the focus of a huge backlash online, and plenty of people who once sang Dodd’s praises are instead voicing their anger at him.
He should be tempted to wonder if it was all worth it.
Susan Bigelow is the former owner/author of CTLocalPolitics.com. She lives in Enfield with her wife and cats.
Tags: Chris Dodd, censorship, SOPA, PIPA, Internet, Susan Bigelow
(5) Comments
posted by: ... | January 20, 2012 6:45pm
When even the top GOP candidates have stated their opposition against it, whether genuine or pandering, is evident of the unpopularity of this bill. But it also highlights the need for a better educated and net savvy set of legislators to undertake this legislation, rather than be pushed around by any industry. Either side is throwing around the word ‘jobs’ as though this is the only argument that could scare them into blindly passing or completely dismissing any legislation on the matter.
posted by: GoatBoyPHD | January 21, 2012 9:21am
Chris Dodd’s reply: “I’ve always represented the top 1% of the top 1%. Even the slowest Progressive Democrat should know that the greatest increase in wealth disparity occured on my watch during the Clinton Dot Com boom from 96-99! Get a clue kids. Get a clue! You really need me to spell out the branding and marketing of Chris Dodd for you? I’ve got an Alpaca Guano Farm to sell Progressive Dmemocrats if they want it. Organic Fertilizer! You want to hear the sales pitch as I lobby for tax credits? How about the 2:00 AM infomercial”
posted by: Disgruntled | January 21, 2012 10:53am
The beating that Dodd is taking is well deserved and waaay overdue.And way too light.
You fail to mention that he left office in disgrace (like his father)and probably should be doing serious prison time. He would be,but for the fact that justice is about as lax as regulation is in our markets.
Dodd has much in common with Bernie Ebbers and Bernie Madoff and should be sharing bunks with them.But for every Bernie jailed thousands have been let off the hook,including Chris. This legislation was totally expected although I was surprised by the support it garnered,but money gets you anything in DC,more so now than ever before. And the best bills are ones that do not see the light of day.
Expect more of the same,and worse, when Dodd’s two year limit is up and he can actually lobby with the big boys. In the meantime look for Chris at The Frolic Room,or some other dive plotting to make his return from this minor setback at our expense.
