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Remeber a couple years ago when the Internet was supposed to change everything we did? We'd buy cars and houses and pets and find true love all with the click of a mouse. For internet site operators, there was gold in them there hit counts and web sites that cost 19.95 to build soon became IPOs worth millions. Then reality set in.
I kinda view the meet-ups like this. It's a great concept and I see it as a great tool in the communications and establishement of long-term networks to ensure party growth and participation, but right now this is way too new to gauge what overall effect on the election process the Internet has. We're going to know a lot more in two years and hopefully find what was effective...especially in the important process we're in now, of learning about our candidates and issues. Certainly we are far more informed in confronting RW jerks through forums such as D.U. where a wide assortment of infomation can be shared and discussed.
If the Democrats are to counteract the money and built-in base (just dream of church busses full of Ralph Reed robots walking into polling places)we're going to have to work real hard on getting those who either don't vote or find it "inconvenient" to do so. There has to be efforts in recruiting voters everywhere and anywhere we can and make sure they get to the polls. What it is folk, is the age-old, elbow-grease working door-to-door and having faith and passion in our causes despite who we are confronted with.
The BushCo junta is giving us great opportunities...the economy, the invasion and so on, but they also have a well-oiled media and money machine that they will turn on full-blast next year to "suck the air" and try to steal another election. We have to meet this tidal wave with strength and full conviction of our beliefs or this country faces 4 years of real peril.
The key isn't getting the message out to ourselves...I can't think of anyone on DU who wouldn't want to go out this very second and cast a vote against the BushCo regime, it's getting others who either don't want to bother or just don't plain know how (and you'd be surprised how many people think the process is far more complicated than it is) to think about what's going on in this country, whose responsible for what's wrong, who can fight for what's right and that their vote is important in bringing an end to this national nightmare.
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