I did it!

[beachmom]

Tay Tay mentioned that the ultimate power of the blogs was when people turned off their computer, got up out of their chairs, and actually DID something in real life (IRL). Well, after contemplating getting involved for over a year, since that e-mail came from Sen. Kerry asking Virginians to volunteer for the Tim Kaine campaign (no I didn't, but it was an idea firmly planted in my mind from that day forward), I went to my local Dem breakfast meeting yesterday, and have volunteered to do a few jobs. It really was a great experience, I met a lot of interesting people (many, who are not on the blogs or even the internet), and even got to see a speaker from Veterans for Peace, who had joined Cindy Sheehan in Crawford last summer. I couldn't believe I was hearing his words, and it wasn't a C-SPAN program! Since Dems are the minority in Virginia Beach, I sensed a big camaraderie among people accustomed to losing but really hopeful this year that we can turn it around.

I really am just so pleased I went, and will go again. My little jobs include helping out with some P.R. and getting absentee ballots ready to mail out for the elderly, maybe even some local blogging down the road. If there are any lurkers who, like me, are engaged in the blogs but haven't taken the next step in finding your local Dem party, I highly recommend it as a way to feed your soul that you are not only not alone in the world, but in your community, too.

[TayTay]

1. Oh Beachmom, thank you

I am honored beyond the expressing of it that I had a tiny part in this. I thank you for this.

Congratulations! Another warrior for Democracy steps up! I salute you, I salute your optimism and your spirit and your desire to take action to honor your own values.

You so totally rock I can't even put it into words!

:patriot: :loveya:

[beachmom]

4. Call it team work between you and the Senator

He was saying it all the time -- get involved, citizen is the most important word second to love, we need you now more than ever, please open your wallet and volunteer your time if you can, and so on. And then you had all of your barbeque stories (hey we're going to have a picnic here at the Congressional candidate's house in October!), and your posts about the significance of blogs to democracy. There were also some stories on DU and Kos, but they almost scared me away. One was highly critical of how disorganized the Dems were -- but he only called them (and they didn't call him back) -- he never went there to talk face to face. I also was intimidated by signing up to volunteer online -- I just didn't feel comfortable with that. So after I found the local VB Dem blogs, I saw they have this breakfast every other week (sounds pretty darned organized to me). That way you can volunteer for a job you know you can do.

Hey Fedup -- if you're reading this, Bobby Scott is coming for the next breakfast meeting (9/23). That might be interesting.

[ginnyinWI]

2. good for you!

I got involved in our county's Dem party during 2004 and it's a good thing, even though we are a minority here, too.

Well, I should qualify that: on the one hand we are a very red county--out of all of the more highly populated counties (over 250,000) in the entire United States, we gave * the third-highest percentage of votes at 67%! :puke:
But on the other hand, when you compare Wisconsin's 72 counties, we gave Kerry the third-most votes, after the counties holding Milwaukee and Madison. So we're also very important to the Democratic party. Funny how that works. We had a Dem headquarters for the first time in 2004 (well, recent history anyway) and have one up again for this election. But we still need to grow the party around here.

[beachmom]

3. By any chance are you in the Fox Cities region?

I lived there years ago, and I can tell you, the people there were the most conservative I have ever met. Extremely religious and anti-welfare people and, at the time, totally anti-Clinton. I felt in the true minority. The weird thing is that I moved to Georgia afterwards (Atlanta metro) and found far more liberal people in that red state than Wisconsin. In fact, even here in Virginia, I know a couple of Democrats just in my circle of friends. The Fox Cities region is starkly contrasted by Madison.

If that's where you are at, that is great that you can maintain your optimism amongst so many unyielding conservatives.

[ginnyinWI]

5. No, I'm speaking about Waukesha County

Currently a stronghold of one J. Sensenbrenner. :(

...doh! Why didn't I think of this before? I've just made a connection in my brain as to exactly why JS is going after immigration so hard--of course! Waukesha (the city) has a large Latino population which could sooner or later threaten the old boy's dominance around here!