(Please welcome Tim Tagaris, veteran of the Ned Lamont, Paul Hackett and Sherrod Brown campaigns who is joining us today in the comments. He is currently in Louisiana covering the Karen Carter race for MyDD and lighting up Bourbon Street — JH)
Before we start, I am so thankful Jane offered me this opportunity to express the campaign's appreciation to everyone here at FDL for your support of Ned Lamont. That's Jane, Christy, T-Rex, Pach, and YOU.
Thank you … so much. It was a fun ride, wasn't it?
Since the campaign ended, a lot of folks have asked me, "would Ned have won the primary without the netroots?" Here's what I do know: clawing back from a 60 point deficit in the polls was never going to happen unless every aspect of the campaign not only succeeded, but excelled. A lot of consultant types point to fundraising as the be-all-end-all measure of online success in a campaign … and we all thank you for the contributions through the Blue America page.
But what isn't always noted is the impact THIS very community (above-the-fold posters and your participation) had in securing local Choice endorsements, pressuring the HRC, breaking news stories, setting the agenda in the traditional media, and creating a tremendous amount of buzz around the effort that translated into a ton of free media. Additionally, hardly a day went by there wasn't an FDL'er in campaign headquarters making phone calls, stuffing envelopes, fitting yard signs and the dirty work of democracy every successful campaign needs throughout the cycle. So the short answer to the question posed above is, "no, probably not." And honestly, I am not sure Ned wins the primary without this community's participation alone. Please feel good about that. Despite the November loss … I do.
Related posts:
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- FDL Book Salon Welcomes Richard McCormack, Editor of Manufacturing a Better Future for America
- Blue America: Meet Linda Ketner
- FDL Book Salon Welcomes Paul Tough, Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America
- FDL Book Salon Welcomes Paul Starobin, After America: Narratives for the Next Global Age
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Sorry the site has freaked out. I’m sure Jamie will be in to fix it.
Hey Tim!
Hey Tim — welcome back to FDL! Great to see you. How are things going in N’Awlins?
Thank you, Tim, for all the hard work you did.
Here’s a question for you, Tim.
Would Lamont have prevailed if Lieberman had been denied the state Republican ‘mo provided by his paymasters?
Thanks for giving us Ned Lamont, for wrenching the party out of politics as usual and focusing on IRAQ as THE issue.
Thanks for being enough of a threat to pull Rove resources away from crucial races and helping deliver a democratic majority.
Thanks for proving people power is worth fighting for.
Certainly not an end. A glorious beginning.
Thank you very much, Tim, for all the hard work you did. I know that you did amazing work on the Lamont campaign and your willingness to get on the phone and phone bank, and poll watch, was very inspirational to everyone.
How is the Karen Carter campaign going?
Hey Stoller!
heh.
And hey Renee (in the thread below). Let me say this about working for candidates perceived to have no shot like Chuck Pennacchio and Ned Lamont. To me, losing is tough, it sucks, and more often than not when you go all in for longshots, it’s most likely going to happen. But as many of us first learned with the Dean campaign (and I know you were right there, Renee) is that wins and losses be damned — it feels good and right to rally around candidate you believe in … electability schmelectability.
And despite protestations from many in D.C., there is NOTHING wrong with sorting that out in a primary. Support the candidate you believe in, that’s what makes them electable to begin with.
Tim:
If major Democratic politicians like Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer and Bill Clinton had been more visibly supportive of Lamont after the primary, do you think that would have made the difference?
Tim, tell us exactly what is going to happen in N’awlins.
Exactly.
;-)
Hey Tim!
It was a blast to get to work with you if only for a week – and you are sooo right about the importance of working for who you believe in, not who some pundit says is electable.
Hey Tim – so glad you’re stopping by FDL again – you give new meaning to the old saw: lead by doing!
Karen Carter
In my mind, this is a very important race for two reasons. First, let me start by saying there is only one issue to the folks on the ground down here … Katrina. And that is totally understandle. There isn’t much talk about the war, bankruptcy bills, or anything other than helping people get their lives back in order more than a year after the storm and subsequent flood (they are different).
But nationally, this race is important for two reasons:
1.) Because we can send a powerful message to our new Democratic majority that we want a change of course in post-katrina recovery efforts. That the course set by the GOP is unacceptable and it’s progressive to care abut re-building this city, protecting it with safe/strong levees, reforming the system allowing insurance companies to deny claims … (much of this laid out in the Melancon/Taylor “Beyond Katrina” plan.
2.) It signals to the American people Democrats will not tolerate corruption on EITHER side of the aisle. And if we are ever going to convince people we mean to drain the swamp, we have to prove we are willing to drain our own first.
Tim
Thanks to Jamie, we’re back up again.
Now, about Bourbon Street Tim…
Hello, Tim – as one of those FDLers – yes it was a fantastic ride – one i’d do again in a heartbeat. It was worth it to give the nation a look at a really good man, but also to meet up with everyone. Listening to Matt Stoller doing phoning – imagine the recipient of that call getting to ask Matt personally all his questions. It was awesome just to be in the room listening to this end of the conversation.
Tim – I had a chance to talk to Karen Carter – and I had been concerned after all the talk of her DLC connections. But she’s impressive and seemed to be more DLC through family than personal positions. Like you, I think her strong voice for Katrina victims can make a difference.
neurophius @
9
Yes. Joe Lieberman was allowed to fish out of three ponds, and not many folks called him on his Nixonian deception of “wanting to bring the troops home.” I think if those leading the fight against the war from the beginning (and those who came along later) would have called Joe to account everytime he threw the party under the bus post-primary, and when he deceived about his position, that would have made a difference.
Exit polls show that a substantial number of folks disagreed with the current course in Iraq, but agreed with Joe’s position. That just doesn’t jibe with the reality of Joe’s position.
Tim
Siun @
12
Yes, it was a lot of fun to share a desk with you as well those last few weeks. Ummm, my bad for excluding you up top on the list of Christy, Jane, Rex, and Pach. Can someone fix that for me and put you up there too? You were terrific, and helped make primary night sail smoothly for everyone.
Tim
Prof @
10
Fine! Karen Carter is going to win 57-43, Democratic leadership will see the over 100k contributed to her campaign via the netroots and start working on post-katrina aid at the start of the new congress. They’ll do it not only because of our involvement, but because it’s the right thing to do.
Can we tell secrets now? Like about how the time I was doing 90 with Paul Bass and the poodles in the car to get to Lieberman’s press conference and all the wingnuts went nuts and wanted me sent to Gitmo for it I was just trying to follow you?
Kathryn in MA @
15
Yeah, I’ve talked to stoller quite a few times … it’s not all its cracked up to be. =)
I kid, only because I care.
Thanks for making your way down to Meriden to volunteer.
Jane Hamsher @ 20
well, truth be told … you were following me until we got close to Hartford, than you and Paul Bass took the lead breaking speed / cell phone laws. That was a crazy morning. From an anonymous tip in New Haven to “loyalties greater than those to my party” in about 1 hour and 12 minutes flat. Good fun.
And then there was Matt Stoller’s propensity to find inspiration while brushing his teeth. He would then march out of the bathroom in his boxer shorts and let me & Siun know about it.
I of course had a bad habit of walking out of my bedroom in flannel pjs and pigtails to find the BBC with their cameras running.
Sounds good to me, Tim! Glad you are on the scene.
Then there was the time LisaDawn and i were out delivering lawn signs and one guy came out of his house and said he didn’t want one. (very angry) We were totally respectful and in the course of talking, he suddenly figured his daughter had made the request to tease him.
ttagaris @ 22
Only because Bass knew the quickest way to the capitol once we reached the exit. Which we let you know. Via cell phone.
Welcome, Tim.
The access you provided us to the Lamont campaign was invaluable. I felt like I was there. Thank you sooooooo much for that. And thank NED for me, when you see him again, for winning Democrats the Senate. The GOP’s $19,000,000 saved Mr. Hadassah. Without NED, that Mel Sembler, Big Pharma, Big HMO, Rover-directed $$$ would have gone to Ohio, Virginia, Rhode Island, Montana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. It didn’t.
Senators-Elect Brown, Webb, Whitehouse, Tester, McCaskill, and Casey (and newly elected Senator Menendez) have NED to thank — as do we all, as does all America.
I have two questions:
1. Are you reporting on or working on Karen Carter’s campaign?
2. Will you or Tom Swan share information on your contacts with our Senator, Barbara Boxer, pre- and post-primary? Her constituents are eager to know whatever either of you can tell us.
========
Who’s Next?
========
Thanks for all your amazing hard work, Tim. Fighting the good fight over and over must be tough.
If you have a chance, can you speak a little on how Ned and his family took the loss? I hope it wasn’t too devastating. I hope he knows (and you do, too) that his example shone brightly and inspired a lot of people. We need more fighters like that, and I hope that the momentum keeps building. Thanks.
Here was Bourbon Street last night … well at like 6 PM if you consider that night — which I don’t. I just thought this sign was funny and have been looking for an excuse to share.
TeddySanFran @
27
1.) I am reporting for MyDD on the campaign, but like an advocate/reporter. MyDD has endorsed Karen Carter and my analysis/reporting should be seen through that prism.
2.) Swan can share on Boxer. He’s finishing up his own post-mortem I believe.
Tim
the weekend before the primary, RevDeb, selise, LisaDawn and i shared a hotel room. so there were at least 3 computers, 3 digital cameras, a videocam, cellphones, hairdrlers, etc all vying for an outlet – and we all know that hotel rooms are outlet-challenged. A powerstrip should be in everyone’s luggage.
Tim, for pix of campaign, click on my name.
Respectful Dissent @ 28
To be honest, I haven’t talked to Ned’s family since the election. I’ve talked to Ned a few times about taking what we built online and using it in the future (ie. email list, website, etc). When I get back from New Orleans, I’m sure we’ll sit down one afternoon, I’ll register my feedback on the email list and what he can do with it, and he’ll take it or leave it.
But when I’ve talked with ned, he sounds good and proud of what we all accomplished together.
Tim
oops, I’m a day or two behind with my daily affirmation:
my contempt for Joe Lieberman will never subside.
my contempt for Joe Lieberman will always endure.
(feel free to add you own variations).
_______
Thanks for the CT wild ride, Tim. It was an ‘E’ ticket for a while there.
punaise @ 33
My contempt for Joe Lieberman knows no bounds.
neurophius @
34
My contempt for Joe Lieberman is only matched by his own for the voters in Connecticut.
Thanks, Tim.
Indeed, the CT race was bedazzling with the contrast betwee its two contenders. While standing at the polling place at Casimir Pulsaski HS, i was just amazed that not all could see the clear difference!
Do you know if CT has provisions for recalling its Senator?
TeddySanFran @
38
You can’t recall Joe Lieberman.
Tim
ttagaris @ 39
Because of statute or because he’s too holy?
Tim – can you say a bit about intergrating netroots and internet pro’s such as yourself into campaigns? Are there things we can do better to make that integration work to maximum advantage?
We often forget that so many local activists and campaigns are not experienced with the whole idea of netroots – and we need to learn how to approach and work with such folks in the most effective way.
Kathryn in MA @
40
I don’t think you can recall federal candidates anywhere (us house, us senate).
Oh good, Siun. Deval Patrick has said that he will govern from the grassroots and has set up an exploratory committee to figure out how to do that.
You can’t recall Joe Lieberman.
it’s all downhill for HoJo, so twenty years from now we’ll be saying that.
“Lieberman? Nope, doesn’t ring a bell…”
ttagaris @
35
Wow, the search for a fountain of ever-renewable energy is over! That’s some feedback loop.
Hey, Blue Americans! Hey, Tim Tagaris!
Sorry I’m late. I went all stupid about the number of time zones between pacific and eastern.
Kathryn – that’s good news and we should be thinking about how we get a place at the table.
I’ve really enjoyed watching your career thus far. It’s good to see a good guy succeed in the campaign business.
boadicea @ 45
cold few shun
Bravo, Tim, for your efforts on a campaign that set the tone and pace for all other grassroots campaigns across the country. I know we watched it closely here in fly-over country; Lamont’s campaign laid down a lingua franca of sorts, to which disparate folks on equally disparate campaigns could point and say, “Yeah, like THAT, do it like Lamont and his campaign did right there.” I can’t even begin to measure the value this has for concurrent and future campaigns; we didn’t have enough common material from other progressive grassroots races to use in this way.
Thank you again, Tim, and to all the rest of the folks who made Lamont’s campaign a benchmark.
The General is in the House! How cool is that.
Siun @ 47
RevDeb has the inroad
TRex @
46
There are two timezones between EST and PST (CST and MST). Add 1 to that. Then determine the time where you are.
You may use this method without fear of failure.
Siun @ 41
I think part of the reason we were so successful online is because all of the traditional campaign departments recognized there is a role for the internet in a campaign. Whether it’s field, fundraising, comm, research, or any other part, the Internet plays a role. One of the more over-looked roles an internet director plays on a campaign is as a traffic cop between those groups. Fundraising just wants $$$ emails, field wants volunteers, comm wants to further message … so the traffic cop is necessary, especially if you have built yourself a good email list.
As far as integration goes with the grassroots, I think we’re off to a good start. A lot of it is dependent on the tools developed over the next few weeks/months leading up to the 2008 cycle. 2004 we saw a lot of folks blogging and organizing on a national level (a blog is a tool). There’s ActBlue. There was Meetup. There was youtube (citizen journalism) and tools like the family, friends and neighbor program that worked well in 2006. Of course, I’m leaving out a lot of other ways integration, but a lot of it boils down to growing our own audiences, localizing even more online, and creating tools for meaningful participation/integration.
Sorry if this answer is all over the place. It’s getting a bit tough answering all the questions as quickly as I can.
Tim
Kathryn – shoulda guessed!
Tim – were specific tools or things you did with the blog, etc particularly helpful? were you able to measure effectiveness or do you have recommendations to other teams as to where to put the most net based efforts? (besides hiring you which is clearly the way to go – you were amazing!)
patriotboy @ 48
I really do think that much of the money Lieberman was able to raise came via the help of the Carville/Greenberg/Elmendorf consultant class who hated the fact that Ned was not using them to run his campaign. They felt very threatened that somebody did not want to hire them as consultants and instead went with outsiders like Swan, Hillsman, Tagaris etc. Also prompted the Carville lash out at Howard Dean, who wants to spend money building infrastructure and didn’t want to give it to Rahm to give it to Carville/Greenberg to dump down the shitter on Rahm’s crappy candidates.
It’s a mistake to think that Lieberman shares any kind of political outlook with his friends in DC, he shares something more profound that binds them all together: their membership in the Money Party.
Hi Tim and thank you very much for everything that your team did!
It was and is inspiring.
patriotboy @ 48
Give ‘em Zell!
Thank you, General.
Tim
Well, it was a particularly boneheaded maneuver since I use this software with a PST time stamp every day.
So, Tim you have to come through GA on your way back to CT after the Davis race, that is, if you’re going back that way.
Thanks Tim – you answered my second in there as well!
And we do tend to bombard our guests … feel free to pick and chose, and take your time.
Tim, looking at Senators up in 2008, where might you focus your energy? Where might we all?
Democrats
Baucus, Max
Biden, Joseph
Durbin, Richard
Harkin, Tom
Johnson, Tim
Kerry, John
Landrieu, Mary
Lautenberg, Frank
Levin, Carl
Pryor, Mark
Reed, Jack
Rockefeller, John
Republicans
Alexander, Lamar
Allard, Wayne
Chambliss, Saxby
Cochran, Thad
Coleman, Norm
Collins, Susan
Cornyn, John
Craig, Larry
Dole, Elizabeth
Domenici, Pete
Enzi, Michael
Graham, Lindsey
Hagel, Chuck
Inhofe, James
McConnell, Mitch
Roberts, Pat
Sessions, Jeff
Smith, Gordon
Stevens, Ted
Sununu, John
Warner, John
Siun @ 55
I think the campaign blog worked at its best when we provide a window into the campaign and meaningful tools for participation. The former meant a lot of photos/video and abstaining from the personal attacks on Joe that I really really really wanted to make throughout the campaign. We did this a lot better pre-primary than post, but I sense that had something to do with frustration, to be honest.
We were able to measure effectiveness a number of ways. Whether it was traffic to the site, recurring traffic, petitions/sign-ups from the blog, money raised from the blog …
I think we probably had the most visited campaign website during the cycle (alexa, anyone?), and we were actually effective at mobilizing through the site and not just email alone. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact we built an effective blog that people wanted to keep visiting and stay tuned into what we were doing on the trail.
Hope that answers your quesiton.
Tim
You’re doin’ fine. We are particularly forgiving here, having been trained by Howie, Jane, and Christy to be relentless but polite. Just ask any BA candidate, or for that matter, any Book Salon author!
TeddySanFran @ 61
hey Teddy,
I honestly don’t know what’s next for me. I’m going to be in New Orleans for a few weeks and then really spend some serious time thinking about it.
One thing is for certain, the electoral math is on our side in 2008. There are many more vulnerable Republicans in the senate running for re-election than Dems.
Tim
This may have been asked upthread, but what’s next for you T2? Where do you plan to be in 2008? Who do you support for the Dem nomination?
TRex… you got mail
Hey Tim, it’s great to see you involved in this election and keeping us politics junkies up to speed. The Ciro Rodriguez race in TX looks interesting, too.
I hope you’ll be back up in CT for the debut of the BBC/Sundance blogumentary on Dec. 28th. We bloggers are thinking of having a big viewing party, and you’re absolutely required to attend! (I’m sort of dreading it actually; they’ve got WAY too much footage of me to NOT make me look ridiculous if they want!)
Besides MyDD and FDL, are you posting anywhere else these days? Keep up the good work!
Tim, Thank you for everything you did for ALL of us. It was a great ride.
Lookin at that list of gooper misfits makes yer mouth water- How many of em are vulnerable-there are lots ya love ta hate!!
Tim – if you take a break in Chicago, let me know and we’ll arrange dinner, etc.
(Or maybe we shoulda sent you to Tierra with Howie!)
Connecticut Bob @
67
I’m dreading it as well. We might get an advanced copy from James. For sure we’re going to have a party. Maybe we can do it, hmmm, I don’t know where we’d do it, but it should be a fun night.
sullivans! how about there? Anyway, I am dreading it too.
Tim
Lotsa new NEDs needed, too, looking at the top half o’that list….
Some of the southern gooper candidates must be sent ta “dumb” school before they’re allowed ta run. They’ve got law degrees and all- but they adopt the southern dialects heard in trailer parks- an reduce issues to no more than five words of no more than two syllables…
Where the hell IS that school?
Teddy 71 — that’s actually where we need to start. Every single race must be contested; we start by finding out who’s running or recruiting if no one is running. Every single Dem under 50% needs to be assessed for viability, and a primary candidate run if the situation warrants. But this is where we still have a gap in knowledge; even here in the grassroots I can’t tell you who’s a viable candidate for primary, can’t tell you who we’re going to target for recruiting. Somebody might already be working that angle and I have no clue about it.
How do we find out about primary candidates earlier, so that we can help them with fundraising in early 2007 and message in late 2007? That’s the next big hurdle I see for us grassroots-netroots folks.
Not much time left before I gotta head out and take advantage of the sunlight left in the day. Throw some fastballs at me …
Tim
“…I’m dreading it as well. We might get an advanced copy from James. For sure we’re going to have a party. Maybe we can do it, hmmm, I don’t know where we’d do it, but it should be a fun night.
sullivans! how about there? Anyway, I am dreading it too.”
I’m thinking it would be better at someone’s home, where we can watch it on a big screen TV and not have to worry about the public hearing us scream obscenities at those Brits for making us look silly!
We’ll see about securing an appropriate location that has cable TV. Let me check into some things and I’ll keep you posted.
Okay, I’ve had it with this asshole.
http://www.dailykos.com/commen…..1/136#c136
rwcole @ 72
Macacawitz, Virginia, near Breaks.
(warning! WaPo video launches immediately).
Tim, keep up the great work. You’re like an independent contractor who always gets hired to fight the good fight. Unless that sounds stupid, in which case you’re just incredibly talented and unfathomably lucky.
Jane, TRex and everyone else at FDL, I love this place.
Jane Hamsher @ 76
Are some in DailyKos at war with FDL? Had no idea. I thought the leading leftist political bloggers had a civil working relationship.
West Virginia loses to South Florida. I guess I won’t be buying you a martini in Pasadena Christy :-(
Jane – what a fool! glad you called him on it!
We got your back!
Jane Hamsher @ 76
Yeah, but what are you gonna do?
Stupid bitches. If the Left fails and collapses in on itself before we can affect any real change in this country, it will be because of people like that.
FDL racist? Bulls*it. Steve Gillard blogs here, for Christssake.
Biodun – anyone can post a diary at dkos – doesn’t reflect the position of markos, et al.
I remember you told us you didn’t drink when you passed through Indy in June. What is this guy’s problem? He auditioning for Anal Marie Cox’s job?
Here’s the message that went out –
Biodun @ 79
Daily Kos, and Markos, have a fabulous relationship with FDL. Some asshole who volunteered for the Lamont campain (and promptly diaried about secret information, no doubt much to the delight of the Lieberman campaign) has a bug up his ass because he’s a sexist pig and he got called on it, though he’s fond of wrapping it in lofty tones to make it sound like he’s not just a big, arrogant, whiny baby.
Jane, Siun: Thanks for the info.
Sorry I’m late. Thanks so much for joining us Tim. We’d go to war by your side again any day.
Kathryn in MA @
52
Late to the thread. Tim, SO great working with you and all the Ned folk in CT. As Kathryn said, we wouldn’t have traded it for anything!
As for inroads, it is really Dave at BlueMassGroup that has the inroad. He’s been asked to be one of the point people for something called “Civic Engagement” because he’s one of the founders of the blog and he is reaching out to all of us to get involved. I’m just trying to get our MA Roots folk to step up and join in. This could be a really interesting ride and maybe something that we can duplicate if it works.
Pachacutec @
89
Absolutely.
Connecticut Bob @
67
Bob, I hope you will let the MA group know the details about this. I’d bet some of us would want to come down (if we were invited, of course).
Can we also send up a big cheer for Scarecrow, RevDeb, Selise and Kathryn in MA who went to Connecticut regularly and spent their weekends working for the Lamont campaign? They are some of the most dedicated activists I have ever seen and they were incredibly inspirational to me.
Jane Hamsher @ 93
Hear, hear!!
CTBob 92 — Is it going to run on December 28? I had not heard that. Will said that Tim, CTKeith and myself are in it rather prominently though.
****blushes****scrapes toe***
Jane Hamsher @ 76
me too! that was fun, thanks!
blushes indeed. We just did what we thought we needed to do for a guy that deserved better than what he got from the stupid voters of CT. And we’d do it again, gladly.
Jane,
SO glad you put that pic of you and Tim up. It was one of my favorites from primary night :-)
Jane Hamsher @ 93
Hear, hear! Our boots on the ground!
TeddySanFran @ 99
big shout-out!
Tim still here?
Can we best track you and the Carter campaign on MyDD or is there a dedicated webspace for your reports?
Kathryn in MA @
86
This is great – how do we indeed convert the grassroots campaign into a way of governing?
Hey Tim,
Thanks so much for your work. That was a fun night in August – It was a pleasure to meet you, Jane, T-Rex, Duncan and all the others.
Damn f-ing shame how things turned out. Good luck brother.
punaise @ 100
Hey, if we can find a Ned-like candidate to take on Sununu in NH on ‘08 , we will do it again.
The MA Roots folks were amazing and unstoppable! Bravo!!!
Jane Hamsher @ 93
Absolutely! Yeah, they were amazing, and it was a real pleasure to meet them!
RevDeb, you can count on hearing from me when we know the details of the party! I’ll also post details on the blog. But if I’m there, you and the MA crew are totally invited!
Jane, yeah, according to an email I received from James on Thursday, the latest word is Dec. 28th for the premiere. I’ll pester him for more details (including possible advanced copies) as we get well into December.
Hi Tim–
Thanks for your outstanding work. I’ve sent 500 for your candidate thru her website and have added her to egregiousBlue. FDL people: you can donate here for Karen Carter in the Louisiana runoff against Jeffer$on (D-freezer). Let’s show that we Dems care about ethics. In contrast to *cough* another major party.
Also available on this site is the Larry Kissell recount fund.
Thank you for all you have done and for all you are doing now. I hope to support your work in the future as well.
————–egregious
Connecticut Bob @
106
And the Connecticut bloggers, too. Who revolutionized how this stuff is going to get done in the future.
When Stoller put out the ask for $$ to fund continuing organizing work through MyDD right after the campaign, I gave gladly. It was an extra added bonus that it was going to be used for Tim’s adventure in LA. We all need to get behind his work and what Matt and the others are doing at MyDD as well as keep up the quality of what we have here. And then . . . take it to the local blogs where we can really do some face to face work and start the change process in this ridiculous excuse we have for a government.
We are the change we want to see happen. It won’t happen unless we get involved. That’s why when the Roots Project came along I threw my time and energy into it and will continue to do so. I doubt seriously that I am alone in this. Almost everyone that comes to FDL found themselves doing things this election cycle that they have never done before.
I can’t tell you all how grateful I am for this site and this community.
One thing that made quite an impression on me was getting out the vote in a neighborhood that was almost entirely disenfranchised. It was a black neighborhood and so many said they couldn’t vote because they were felons. And as we know, blacks are given harsher sentences than others – another rotten way to suppress the black vote.
And huzzah for Jane!
I thought it was D-Whirlpool?
Jane Hamsher @ 108
Here Here for Bob and Al and Keith and Maura and Spazeboy and Kirby and the whole crew who kept Lieberliar on his toes day after day after day. It was a pleasure to learn from them. They are the model we need to follow as we branch out in the next round.
as a matter of fact, we seriously want Al to give us some tech lessons in using video in blogs…..
Thanks so much to Tim for being here today. We really appreciate your efforts and thank you for stopping by, it was a pleasure. Please keep us posted about what happens with Karen Carter.
Thank you, Tim. Now there’s a Lone Ranger.
Thanks Tim! Give ‘em hell!
RevDeb @ 113
With any luck, I can talk a couple of fellow video blogger people to pile into a car and road-trip with me to YearlyKos. Not sure if anyone will learn anything, but you can guarantee that if CTBob and I are confined together, there will at least be a lot of interesting footage–and heavy usage of the words douche and asshole.
Seriously, do you think we have anything to teach anyone (that couldn’t be learned elsewhere), and if so do you think anyone is interested at a forum like y-kos?
spazeboy @ 118
YES
God, yes. 1) techie stuff 2) brainstorm about a)more campaigns b) how the netroots can contribute to governance….. think of the conversations here….LIVE!
and assholes and douches! What more could anyone want?
Spazeboy,
I think at this point, the MA Ned posse is all planning to go to Chicago for the festivities. I can’t imagine that there would not be interest. Ned’s campaign was an inspiration to so many from all over who could not join in with us but wanted to.
If participating at FDL inspired everyong to get active, imagine what that feeling will be like when we all can meet up, hug, talk, share…..unbelievable.
and i’m always scared teh tooobz will go down – then where will our network be? We need real time connections too. Everytime you meet a kindred soul and want to meet up to pool talent – well, folks, we know the time and place.
spazeboy @ 118
Yes indeedy! This semi-lurker is seriously considering going to YearlyKos (practically in the ‘hood) and would be in the front row at such a forum.
Jane Hamsher @ 87
F-ing great! I wonder if I met him. Virtually all the people I met who volunteered for Lamont were super, super cool folks. So, this person would definitely stand out. Who, though?
spazeboy @ 119
TOTALLY. Be there.
Spazeboy, Ct. Bob, Maura, Ct. Keith, Ct. Blogger, Branford, Matt, Jane, Matt, Christy, Tim and so many others made up the netroots for the Ned Lamont campaign. Their stories and videos on the the blogs educated people so much on what was happening in Connecticut.
You fought the good fight and I truly wish the outcome was different, but we all knew going into this race that Ned was going up against the Political Machine.
Tim’s the hardest working man in cybiz.
a soldier
And if this is The Dad, thank you for The Float sir.
Lizzy @
129
Machine(s) but who’s counting?
The FLOAT !!
Personally I direct a lot of blame for what happened in CT at Bill Clinton (”Its a win-win”), a Democrat I’ve never supported and who I think has been as bad as cancer on the Democratic Party, along with the crowd around him, Carville, Hillary, etc. When people over at ‘Kos refer to Clinton as the “Big dog,” I want to vomit.
From the start, he hurt the Democratic Party. You can go back to the ‘92 campaign and find him promising a gathering of big shot California gays right before the CA primary that he’ll change the military’s policy on homosexuals serving. He only did that to get their support over Jerry Brown in the primary and they went for it, which was pretty crummy because Brown should have had their loyalty. But Clinton corrupted people because they thought he was a winner. Anyway, after the election, when the subject came up again, Clinton’s handling of it hurt the Democrats because he wasn’t committed to ending discrimination, it was just something to use for that primary.
He was awful, IMO; how he annoyed me carrying that huge Bible to church because Harry Tomlinson scripted it for the “Man from Hope.” During the last couple weeks before the 2006 election, it made me worry that Clinton was doing so much campaigning and the national media played it up big.
Lamont lost because he was a bad candidate. He was weak, you could see it in the way that he spoke. He had zero gravitas. The only thing he had going for him, was holy Joe.
Had the grass roots found a better person to challenge Lieberman… say a tough progressive prosecutor, or Iraq war Veteran, they would have had a good chance. Can you imagine if a Jim Webb type had ran against holy Joe? Six more years. Bummer.
thabks everyone. I had a blast. sorry I had to cut out earlier. cpu acting up and posting from my phone now. thanks, jane, forr this opportunity.
Karla @ 134
Jeeez, don’t we get enough “blame Clinton” from the Republicans. Clinton was not a bad president, neither was Bush sr. and this guy is his son. Bottom line, BLAME BUSH, he is the one who has divided the nation and attacked logic. He is the one who has put some of the worst people in positions of power. He is the one who got us into, and then lead, this cluster of a war. Blame Clinton for the worst President ever? NAW!
ttagaris @ 32
I wouldn’t worry about Ned’s family. As Tim said of Ned, they are all proud of the accomplishments of everyone in this campaign, and of Ned. I talked to his Mom and Dad election night and one daughter the next day. Stoic like many of us,it was not meant to be in ‘06. I am sure that at the Thank You Pizza session where each participant spoke of what was most important or gained from their efforts, the 100 comments helped bring to the forefront for Ned how much personal positive impact resulted from this “losing”(?) effort.