I came here in October 2006. It was exciting. I found a lot of Democrats, all sorts of people. The energy was amazing. People were donating to Democrats, opposing the war.
A former girl friend had recommended it. She was an environmental activist and had heard about it. I had been reading Eric Alterman on msnbc. I did not know blogs. I saw the front page. It was ok.
But then I found the back pages. Amazing people. Most amateurs, professors, activists, but not pros in the political game. I remember Rosenberg talking about Albion’s Way. Sirota and Big Tent Democrat opened my eyes to some of Obama’s centrist leanings. Jerome a Paris and Siegel talking about the environment [and nyceve about healthcare]. So many smart and good people.
The election came and passed, and we won Congress!! Excitement.
I got TU status sometime afterward. It used to take 60 days I think, not sure. I hung around commenting.
And I discovered the competition for president in 2008 had already started.
I went back and forth between Edwards and Obama. My first ever post on Daily Kos: www.dailykos.com/… (Obama, Face the Nation, and the Middle Way). January 2007.
I soon chose Edwards and wrote posts promoting Edwards. A lot of pro-Edwards folks liked the posts and I developed a small following who would recommend my posts.
I got tired of the flame wars during the days in early 2007, and wrote an Edwards Evening News diary. People in the comments volunteered to do it every night and we created a group who did it every night for about a year. I’m very proud of all of the people who worked on that. One sticks in my mind. She was young, early 20s maybe. She gained confidence in her writing doing the Friday night EENR. In 2008, she was hired by a senate candidate, and he won. She worked for a US Senator as internet coordinator! She later worked for moveon, I think. I like to think the opportunity she created for herself here played a small role in her later career.
We were creating activists from ordinary people.
Edwards had the right message, but he was not the right messenger. He lost, and months later we learned of his affair.
Many pro-Edwards folks left, but I stayed. I had a following, but was depressed (politically). Some union folks would send me press releases and I decided I would publicize their issues. I’m most proud of the posts I did on farmworkers. That Bernie ad yesterday talked about his January 2008 visit to Immakolee. I wrote about the tomato workers in March 2008. Even mentioned Senator Sanders because he used his office to publicize their plight.
Skip forward — in 2012 we did the Obama Nightly News. Another group effort.
And now we have the Bernie News Roundup and Hillary News (not sure what it is called). I like to think I made a small contribution to the back pages.
I’ve written 1466 diaries/posts/stories of which, according to the statistics they give you on the People link, 982 were on the recommend list. And lots of comments.
Now we are here. I’ve made some great e-friends. I really like some of the people in Black Kos and have learned much from the wonderful posts and people in there. If I am exiled, I will miss Black Kos and so many other great people here on Daily Kos.
But something changed here last week.
After March 15, I will continue to write pro-Bernie posts. Maybe I’ll be banned, maybe not. We will see what the line is.
But I lost something last week. The feeling of community. Even if I survive the purge, it is not the same. I don’t think it can ever be the same.
Imposing orthodox thought when the primary continues is wrong in my view. Private property ownership gives Kos the right to make any rules. But just because you can do something, does not mean you should do something. Might does not make right. That is at the core of my beliefs.
So to all my friends here, I wish you well.
Solidarity.
Power to the People!
Go Bernie!
Update: We will be ok, I think.
kosMar 04 · 04:33:04 PMI honestly don’t understand this sturm und drang. I could’ve missed something, but I haven’t seen anything you’ve done that would run afoul of the new rules. I think you can relax.