Jenkins Chapter 6

In Chapter 6 there is a quote from Howard Dean's campaign manager Joe Trippi that says, "While TV was a medium that rendered us dumb, disengaged, and disconnected, the Internet makes us smarter, more involved, and better informed."

I have a few questions based around this quote.

First, Do technological mediums really "make" or "render" people to do something? Isn't it the audience participation that determines the outcome or success of the medium?

Second, just by saying that "the internet makes us..." he is taking the power out of the hands of the consumer and into the hands of the medium. Is he implying that he has duped people into supporting him by using the internet? Does he really think he is smarter because of his use of the internet during the campaign? Isn't it possible to use both TV and the Internet n a way that makes people smarter, more involved, and better informed?