Just after the Major League Baseball All-Stars competed for glory in New York City, the Netroots All-Stars converged for support in Austin, Texas. Among the 2,000 bloggers and activists gathered to organize for change, over 30 outstanding candidates for Congress, Senate and local office shone brilliantly throughout the Netroots Nation conference. Brian Keeler (dailykos blogger NYBri) and I co-emceed Friday night's candidates celebration, where these new faces of the progressive movement shared their vision, commitment and courage with over 1,000 enthusiastic activists eager to elect more and better Democrats to serve in Congress and work with President Barack Obama. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/8/132839/9061/937/548253
Unlike the MLB All-Stars already blessed with celebrity and cash, our Netroots All-Stars were far more humble with work far more essential to our future: to help take back our country. Young and seasoned, men and women, Latino, Caucasian, and African American, veterans and military family members, they represent the diversity of our country and the commonality of our purpose. They included over 20 Congressional candidates such as: Charlie Brown (CA-04), Russ Warner (CA-26), Debbie Cook (CA-46), Steve Young (CA-48), Mike Lumpkin (CA-52), Hal Bidlack (CO-05), Jim Himes (CT-04), Annette Taddeo (FL-18), Joe Garcia (FL-25), Dan Seals (IL-10), Steve Harper (IL-13), Martin Heinrich (NM-01), Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03), Jill Derby (NV-02), Jon Powers (NY-26), Ms. Sam Bennett (PA-15), Larry Joe Doherty (TX-10), Glenn Nye (VA-02), Darcy Burner (WA-08), and Nick Carter (WY-Sen). When Darcy Burner came onstage just weeks after her home had been burned to the ground to thank people for supporting her family and said "nothing can stop us now!" the entire room shook with thunderous applause.
Our Netroots All-Stars have important work in the countdown to Election Day. As I write in Campaign Boot Camp, www.PelosiBootCamp.comevery campaign is a fusion of a large social movement and a small business startup focused on management, message, money and mobilization in order to win. We have the large social movement -- Americans are hungry for change and eager to be part of something larger than themselves. We need to catalyze the small business startups -- each campaign needs management, message, money and mobilization to win.
Here are four steps you can take to help power our Netroots All-Stars to victory in 2008:
1. MANAGEMENT:
Be part of something larger than yourself.
Join a diverse team of local supporters working for change. Go online to www.BarackObama.com and to www.dccc.org to find the Democratic Congressional candidate in your district and sign up on their website to assist in the effort. Make sure that your particular skill set, rolodex, and connections are empowered to maximum effectiveness.
2. MESSAGE:
Blog, vlog, text, email, call in and otherwise engage voters.
Our vision, as expressed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, "protect the American people, grow our economy and create good paying jobs, strengthen America's families, and preserve our planet and promote energy independence."
Our message: end the war in Iraq, care for our vets, promote health care education and opportunity for all, protect pension and retirement security, and work to reverse global warming by investing in green collar jobs and renewables to fuel America's energy independence, and accepting former Vice President Al Gore's challenge to have carbon-free electricity in 10 years. (text at www.WeCanSolveIt.org)
Our accountability: as Barack Obama told Rolling Stone: "If I haven't gotten combat troops out of Iraq, passed universal health care and created a new energy policy that speaks to our dependence on foreign oil and deals seriously with global warming, then we've missed the boat. "http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/21472234/page/7
Remember, a blog is like a tattoo: present each message with the creativity and civility that will express it well today and wear well over time.
3. MONEY:
Give to your candidates directly or at www.ActBlue.com.
People power trumps big money: we don't have to outraise the GOP; we only have to raise enough money to be competitive. By the time the voters are drowning in paid attack ads, our lifeboats will be powered by neighbors wiling to open their homes, recruit volunteers, and go door to door with truth squads offering positive messages. This takes resources -- so give as if your future depends on it -- because it does! Every donation counts -- even $10 can buy a pizza to fuel a phone bank that will help make the difference.
4. MOBILIZATION:
Get offline and help. Otherwise it's just a conversation -- not a political action.
Recruit, train and mobilize friends to open their homes, talk with their neighbors, make calls and visits to voters, and ensure that votes are counted as cast. Harness the power of the Internet in every community, from rural areas to inner cities, to campaign for support online then schedule meetups, precinct walks, and election protection teams offline where the votes are.
If each of us who has concerns about our future, complaints about the system, or cynicism about what is possible takes these 4 steps, a progressive majority is inevitable. Our Netroots All-Stars have stepped up to the plate to battle those concerns, complaints and cynicism in order to build a better future -- now it's up to us to join the team.