POLITICS
Netroots and the Kos
By Sandra Fish, 4-18-06
Call it a Web of conspiracy or maybe just grassroots activism on a whole new platform.
Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, creater of the Daily Kos, is in Denver and Boulder this week, promoting
"Crashing the Gate" the book he co-authored with Jerome Armstrong. In it, he lambastes the old-timers in the Democratic Party and advocates a takeover from within.
After talking with Jay Marvin on AM 760 and podcasting for ProgressNow Action, a group of bloggers got together to chat about blogging, politics and the new grassroots.
Some thoughts from the Kos:
Local blogging is where it's at. "It's going to be far more influential long-term than what we're doing at the national level." That had to please the dozen folks in the room, who included bloggers from Colorado Lib, TalkLeft, SoapBlox Colorado, Drinking Liberally and others.
Primaries are a good thing, even for the left. "I like primaries. I'm a huge fan of primaries." They allow candidates to test campaign strategies, make sure their get-out-the-vote machine works, garner earned media and, most of all, give the perception of a winner when the election is done.
The money is on the 'Net. Kos says one congressional candidate in the Northwest raised $90,000 in a day using the Web, and predicted netroots would work to even out the fundraising deficit many perceive progressive candidates as having while spreading political influence beyond the big money folks. (Jared Polis, one of Colorado's ultimate big money guys and a backer of ProgressNow, nodded in agreement.)
Bloggers can generate buzz. Some big stories in the MSM originated with bloggers who pressed the issues first. In Colorado, progressive bloggers are hoping to keep the heat on the Trailhead Group, a 527 founded by Gov. Bill Owens and some deep-pocket buds. (Check out the parody site.)
Creating a "vast left-wing conspiracy." Kos recommended that progressive bloggers interact, and noted that the blogosphere can coordinate with a political party, unlike the 527 fundraising orgs.
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stateproject-colorado
please email pachacutec01@gmail for an invite to be a blog member.
Thanks for the hospitality of your blogsite for this message.
Kathryn in MA (with a son in CO)
What are the issues that are going to be driving the Colorado b'sphere this summer? Personally, I'd love to see some organization around the anti-gay marriage proposal that has been rumored for several months. I'd love to see some local blogging around making the Centennial State a more tolerant place. (Again with the crazy-calling.)