DKos should be more than what it's been the last couple of days (and some might say, for the last couple of weeks). We are more than hand-wringers and armchair political analysts.
Right now, the race between Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin is close. So many people have commented about how Obama's campaign needs to sharpen its attacks (including me). And while we've been kevetching over these lack of attacks, we forget the power DKos has to alter the way Obama is perceived.
Follow me over the fold.
Where are all the Obama videos? Or, more to the point, why aren't they up on the rec list? Especially when they show Obama attacking the other side?
We can't complain about a lack of attacks on McCain when we've actually become part of that very problem. We can't complain when we ourselves are missing those same attacks.
One of Obama's strengths this season was that he understood the viral nature of the internet. He was able to circumvent the "fourth estate" by bringing his message directly to the people through youtube clips (remember those youtube clips of his speeches? how they rose to #1 on the most viewed list at youtube? ah those were the days.).
And now one of his strongest allies against traditional mass media - all of us at DKos - has suddenly forgotten its role in this unprecedented - and let's not forget - historic race to the White House.
I just looked over at the Obama website and noticed that the asking donation now is for over $30, while in the past, it's been nothing more than $25 and as low as $5. To me, that's a sign that they need more money if they want to fight the tv ad war you all want him to do while maintaining their ground game. Donating would be helpful.
But what would be even more helpful would be to make Obama the netroots giant he once was. He hasn't forgotten the power of the netroots. His campaign still reliably posts his videos at rallies. We've just been a lot more lax about picking them up and spreading them around. Don't forget - the internet was a huge part of his ground game in the primaries. It still should be.
To start things off - here's Obama clearly listing all the problems with McCain's current, co-opted "change" message: how McCain's policies are all about keeping Bush/Cheney policies the same and how both Palin and McCain can't offer true reform of the government when they hire lobbyists to get earmarks and to run campaigns. (Tips to TomP for pointing out this video and writing a diary on Obama this morning that fell off the rec list.)
This forum is supposed to help elect Democrats and progressives to office. Let's start doing that again by picking up the messages of our chosen candidates and running with them.