(cross-posted at Daily Kos)
This diary stems from an idea I had a month ago or so, after which I sent an email to kid oakland, whom I know is a big proponent of blogging at the local level. At this point, conventional wisdom is not if the Democrats will take back the House, but by how much. It's clear that for Democrats, the blogosphere has become a powerful force in pushing the Democratic Party, no matter how resistant it has been, in the right direction. That being said, many of our current representatives and candidates do not truly wield the Internet to its maximum potential.
That's the reason I'd like to start a blog after the election, contingent upon the Democratic Party sweeping to power in Congress. With a working title of 'The Class of 2006', I'd like to create a blog that is national in scale - but one that focuses on the individual representatives at the local level. Follow me below the fold for an elaboration...
It's undeniable how much the blogosphere has been helpful in getting candidates off the ground. Whether it was Richard Morrison in TX-22 in 2004, Ned Lamont in the CT-Sen race, or even a long-shot candidate like Barry Welsh in IN-06, we've shown that the Internet can be a powerful organizing tool. That being said, I believe that the blogosphere, in its current state, is still much more effective at generating noise and fundraising than it is at organizing. In a 'wave' election, we are going to be playing defense in the upcoming years in districts that are much more conservative and where Democrats do not typically win. For those representatives, fighting for re-election is going to be a way of life every 2 years.
That's where we come in. The Class of 2006, in my mind, would be a website for all the newly-elected Democrats in this election. A slogan would run along the lines of 'Not left, not right, but forward', as I believe the progressive blogosphere is not ideologically aligned at the moment except for the issue of Iraq. The idea behind such a website would be to publicize the work of all the new representatives, whether it be what they do in Washington or what they do within the district. In a sense, it would be a form of citizen journalism - reporting on what our representatives are doing to advance the Democratic agenda and how it will help their constituents. Ideally, I would like a local resident (preferably in-district) to be the designated blogger for the district. Additionally, I'd like us to be proactive in contacting newly-elected representatives - call them up, pitch what we'd like to do, and, most importantly, explain why having a foothold in the netroots is going to be crucial for their re-election bids in the future. In this way, we can 'break' stories of our own - if a member plans on introducing a particular piece of legislation, for example - before the traditional media gets ahold of it.
Tip O'Neill said "All politics is local." In the age of the Internet, though, a new paradigm exists, one in which local politics can become national through the power of the Internet. I can't think of a better way than of a unified local blogging effort meeting at a central flashpoint to show everyone else on the Internet that the incoming group of representatives - whom I'd like to think of as the beginning of a progressive generation of Democrats - are a great bunch. Additionally, sweeping up an entire new generation of candidates in the netroots would firmly entrench the blogosphere as a force to be recognized in politics. I can't think of a better way of returning politics to the people, which is what democracy is supposed to be about.
I had planned on posting this idea after the election, but I have absolutely no infrastructure and no bloggers who would be interested in such an effort. So if you are interested in being a part of this project (should enough people join), please post your thoughts, recommendations, criticisms, and any other ideas.
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