[the_drunkard]

> receives any power from a free online publishing tool

i respectfully disagree. imagine FDR without his radio fireside chats, JFK without his television appearances, or even Trump without Twitter.

the usage of media platforms and ability to communicate directly with constituents is a source of power.

[poulsbohemian]

As I noted, you realize the federal government has a nearly inexhaustible source of funding, right? I bet they could build a twitter clone if they were really worried about it.

[daniellarusso]

So, the first two examples are one-way broadcast mediums using the public airwaves.

If you had said HBO and Sirius radio, I would agree.