It is, I believe, the general consensus that candidate diaries have degraded the level of conversation on dKos of late. It's reached that rather pathetic point where we now have daily recommended diaries about how lousy and counterproductive the conversation has become (STFU, TeacherKen, just from recent memory).
What, friends, can be done? Do we just sit around and wait it out? Accept that the right side of dKos has become a place of mediocre candidate cheerleading, dem-on-dem smearing, and general bad vibes. It's a depressing idea, right? These days, when I click on my dKos bookmark, I feel like a junkie whose dealer started getting lousy product-- I keep coming back, but I hate myself for it more and more.
But this morning I got an e-mail, and it gave me an idea. Check it out.
The e-mail was from the Andy Stern of the SEIU by way of MoveOn.org. He was writing in support of Donna Edwards, a progressive congressional candidate challenging a DINO in MD-04. The race has been blogged plenty in dkos, though I'll admit to paying not so much attention. I clicked some links and did a little reading (5 min. max) and started feeling good again. Here's a candidate who should really represent what the netroots is about-- sort of a Lamont redux. Here's how the ActBlue page sums up the race:
Donna Edwards
MD-04 (Map)
Donna Edwards is challenging corporate Democrat Al Wynn, who is one of the main opponents of net neutrality and worked to pass the Bankruptcy Bill and the elimination of the estate tax. MD-04 is a 77% performing Democratic district, so this is a great opportunity to get a real progressive and real leader in this seat. Edwards, underfunded and given no shot in 2006, lost narrowly by 49.7 to 46.4. Donna will win this time.
Though Wynn has pretended to change his stripes, so far, in 2007, Wynn has taken donations from Walmart, AT&T, Bellsouth, Firstenergy, T-Mobile, Pfizer, Edison Electric, Progress Energy, Sallie Mae, and the US Chamber of Commerce.
Meanwhile, here are some of Donna's "Champions of Change" aka endorsers:
SEIU
UFCW Local 400
Sierra Club
Progressive Neighbors
Clean Water Action
EMILY's List
Progressive Maryland
Progressive Democrats of America
League of Conservation Voters
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now! PAC
Friends of the Earth Action PAC
Democracy for America
Democracy for Montgomery County
Progressive Cheverly
National Organization of Women
Women's Campaign Forum
Al Wynn totally sucks! It's a no brainer! He should get the big netroots boot outta congress! In all the presidential primary drama, I forgot this kind of thing was going on. We have to get Donna Edwards elected.
I'm thinking 1) all the candidate diaries/in-fighting are depressing and bring everyone down in the eyes of everyone else, and 2) Donna Edwards needs to get elected!
Here's my proposal: anyone who feels the burning need to post a diary about the presidential primaries needs, as a show of good faith, to donate to Donna Edwards' campaign (or Mark Pera, or Darcy Burner, or any progressive candidate). It's only fair. You people need to offset the toxic atmosphere on dKos with a little progressive moolah. Otherwise you are poisoning the Democratic party (or at least dKos) and giving nothing in return. Donations to presidential primary candidates do not count. If you can't afford a small donation to a progressive candidate, simply hold your tongue on the drama for awhile-- no one will suffer for it.
And, in penance for writing another meta diary, I pledge a donation equivalent to my means to Ms. Edwards should my modest proposal garner serious consideration (ie, the rec list).