News Hounds takes on York's Vast Snow Job To Discredit Democratic Groups

News Hounds: York's Vast Snow Job To Discredit Democratic Groups: "Byron York in the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy says that Democrats tried to organize in 2004 not just to win an election but, as his subtitle put it, 'to Bring Down a President.' How dare they try to get George Bush out of office just because his term was up?

Using similar rhetorical tricks throughout his book, York tries to make something sinister out of the new organizations and tactics that grew up to support the Democratic ticket in the last presidential election -- groups like Moveon.org, the Center for American Progress, Air America radio network, and America Coming Together, and tactics such as voter registration, guerilla documentaries, and Michael Moore movies. York�s main storyline is that Democrats in 18 months copied the array of think-tanks, media, and so on that make up the Republican echo-chamber, which Senator Clinton labeled a 'vast right-wing conspiracy.' York's story, of course, loses some of its sinister sheen since the Democratic effort did not succeed. But he uses Kerry's loss to show his other point -- that the Democratic groups were only the radical fringe preaching to the choir and never appealed to the mainstream. Well, 59 million voters is a pretty big fringe group."

Newshounds takes on York's book in detail.