Regarding your second choice, I think you're slightly misinterpreting Chait.  What he means is that the verbal tactics used by prominent netroots activists--for example, the use of "chickenhawk"--are (in his opinion) not internally consistent or legitimate; he sees them as not being "fair play" in the intellectual debate.  The netroots response, meanwhile, would be "Who cares? The goal isn't fair intellectual debate, the goal is to win."  That's what Chait means when he says propaganda--using arguments not for their own sake, but rather for the pursuit of political power.

I don't agree with this perspective, just wanted to shed a little light on it.

Whatever Leon Wieseltier might say, ideas and consequences are essentially and enduringly linked.  As William James might have said, ideas are different only if they produce different consequences.  A distinction between ideas and consequences is untenable.  To be interested in one is to be interested in the other.  

Chait's contention that the blogosphere is involved in the "propaganda" misses the most important thing about the blogosphere - the interactive nature.  The most useful/entertaining parts of mydd and dailykos are the comments sections, where I ordinarily find information and links that deepen and change my understanding of the issue.  (Of course, sometimes I find trolls, hijackers and random double posters).  The whole point of propaganda was the centralization of the message, which was then to be drummed into the masses.  

Chait's idea that all blogs on the progressive side march to a called tune simply is wrong.  As much as Mickey Kaus would like people to think that there is a secret e-mail of the day which is spread to the progressive blogs, the stories that get pushed are the stories that engage the readers/commenters.

The only thing that I think Chait got right is that there is a difference between electoral blogs and wonk blogs.  Outside of election season (post-Labor Day plus four weeks into local primaries and four months into Presidential Primaries), I am more partial to talkingpointsmemo and washingtonmonthly, because I am very happy to read progressive substantive articles/threads.  On the other hand, mydd does a much better job of covering labor/union issues then anyone else.

His main point is that the netroots is interested in political victories first and ideas second. Well, yes, I'll plead guilty on behalf of the sphere. You know why the netroots is interested primarily in political victory? Because it's a political movement, not a political science debating club or a magazine. Chait wants this political movement to be something that, by definition, it is not. As political movements go, however, it cares a great deal about the truth, especially compared to counterparts on the right.

A second gripe: At times he shows a strange ignorance. For example, he blasts the netroots for using the term "chickenhawk," saying it's hypocritical because most liberal bloggers support some wars, like Afgahnistan, and most never served, so they are, by their own terms, chickenhawks. But the term isn't applied to people who merely support wars: it's applied to people who demean the patriotism, decency, and courage of those who don't. While it's true that some liberal bloggers support some wars, none would demean those who oppose a military adventure. That's because we're not hawks, or chickenhawks.

But he makes a couple good points. For example, liberal bloggers are loath to criticize each other--a chuminess that could lead to intellectual laziness. And on a related note, the main way that liberal blogger become known and gain a following is to be linked by a well-known blogger; thus it's in the interest of up and coming bloggers not to, say, blast Atrios. I'm not saying that liberal bloggers would be kind to bloggers who kissed their ass-they're more likely to be swayed by good writing--but the gateway role played by the biggies leads to a gentleness toward Kos et al that doesn't lead to a vibrant debate. The sphere is too incestuous and clubby, but we all knew that, right?

I'm a hack AND a wonk.

(and a dessert topping).

I don't know about the netroots in general, but Daily Kos is certainly a progaganda outlet, proudly so in fact. Ironically, Talking Points Memo is somewhat the opposite.

Propaganda is a strange word to choose.  Technically, he is correct as the word does not actually mean anything untruthful is being promoted.  However, since WWI the word has been used primarily in the pejorative sense and Chait darn well knows it.

Overall I thought the article was pretty good, though I don't agree with it all.  What is missing (moveon, interactive and inclusiveness, etc.) is more glaring than what is incorrect, imo.