At around 8/11/06 11:02 am, Michael Perelman wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 08, 2006 at 10:53:30AM -0500, Julio Huato wrote:
>> This is the time to concentrate in building for the long run,
>> beyond the next election cycle.
>
> Exactly. We don't need to go over how lame the Democrats will be.
>
> The best contribution we could make would be to help to work on ways
> to frame issues -- especially economic issues, given the expertise of
> some of the people here.
>
> Talk about abstract organization is pretty empty. Providing
> assistance to people who are actually out there doing the organizing
> could be useful.
>
The 'netroots' are claiming the Dem successes as [by and large] a result
of Internet activism. How much credit is due to them can be debated, but
I think they have demonstrated strong commitment, collaboration, and
discipline in their efforts over the past 2-4 years.
Those of us who are further left are smaller in number and less
compatible in our views with the majority (at least in terms of the way
the majority perceives it). It seems to me that what is required of us
is not to use this isolation as an excuse for individualistic puritanism
but much greater levels of collaboration and quality of content.
Talk radio is the vehicle that the right has used effectively to gain
and energise a partisan following. While the Internet is not a
controlled medium like radio is, that can prove to be our advantage, as
it grows fast as a source of news and opinion. Presence on the Internet
and effective use of it will be a significant factor, IMHO, in whether
and how we are able to make any progress on the goals above.
--ravi
