This reader raises an interesting point. Maybe the Greater Internet is like a microwave oven which can cook ideologies in half the time as conventional ovens. I kind of doubt it — in part because ideas need to seep into the public consciousness — but I think it’s a really interesting question to ponder. Anyway, from the reader:

Jonah:
I appreciated your post on Matt Yglesias’ piece. But I have one
question: Are we SURE that the maturation of a new political movement
can’t happen overnight? Everything is faster these days, thanks to the
Internet and other means of communication. Information can be
disseminated and processed in greater volume and frequency than ever
before. I’m not sure that comparing Moveon.org to the Goldwaterites of
1964 is apt given the huge technological advances in between. Did the
Goldwater/Reagan movement require decades to mature because it required
slow chin-pulling? Or would it have matured much faster if All the Young
(Conservative) Dudes had had wifi networks to hash over all this stuff
24/7? Food for thought.