Kudos to citizen-powered politics
It’s fine to have an upswelling of desire for change in the country, but if you’re not prepared to reap the benefits, it does you no good. That’s why I want to give well-deserved praise to Chris Bowers who called this in 2004:
Considering the wide-ranging focus and the absence of swing states, 2005-2006 will actually be a more national election than 2004. In order to make broad gains, the party needs to be built up in every available locality. For the first time since its inception, Democratic Party Meetups are now the most important type of Meet for us to attend. This is also why we need a national chair, someone like Simon Rosenberg or Howard Dean, rather than someone who seems primarily interested in defending the local and parochial, such as Tom Vilsack. This is also why we need to maintain organizations like America Votes more than ever, but they need to be expanded to a national level, rather than just focusing on seventeen key states.It is time for a real fifty-state strategy.
And against the best advice of the pundits, consultants, and reporters, the 50 state strategy went forward with Howard Dean as DNC chair. Campaigns like Jim Web, Ned Lamont, and Brian Tester popped up and were bouyed by bloggers at the local level, amplified by bloggers at the national level, and funded by small donors from everywhere. These candidates had to win primaries against the Democratic establishment. Congrats to all the folks involved in those campaigns–you were inspiring to watch!
And congrats to all the folks in places like Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska, and so many other states where Republican incumbents were supposed to be unbeatable. Good candidates ran good campaigns and were there to ride the wave.
I’m sure the hagiographic profiles of Rahm Emanuel and Chuck Schumer are already being clicked out on laptops all over Washington and New York, but lets not forget the real heros of this election–the normal folks, with small checks, websites, and a great love for this country. This was truly a citizen-driven election, and a great testament to the power that lies in collective democratic action.
