After the Elections: There's Still Work to Do

It was great that Democrats won Congress in 2006 but to prevent right wing Republicans from roaring back in 2008, Democrats need to win again in 2008 and pick up a few more seats until Republicans decide it's time to rebuild their party with mainstream Republicans. Besides, as things now stand, Democrats are the ones with the ideas. Our country has tried right wing Republicanism and it doesn't work. Katrina, Abramoff and Iraq speak volumes and they are all we need to say on the Bush/DeLay/Hastert style of governing.

Maybe it's worth taking a break from politics for a few weeks. I can see the merit of it. I just wish Karl Rove and his friends saw it that way too. Kiosan of A Voce suggests now is not too early to be thinking about the next one:

In an election year when Democrats nationwide swept into the once sacrosanct offices of Republican incumbents, Georgia Democrats were well and truly spanked. They took no new seats, barely held onto the ones they had, and lost vacancies to the GOP. They're now looking for ways retool the state party, hoping to hit the ground walking in 2008. ...

(snip)

I have some unsolicited advice.

1) Prove you exist.
Yes, cogito ergo sum, but that doesn't matter much in the world you inhabit. It's all well and good to have a statewide party blog that has seen exactly one update since July of 2006, or a website boasting one update since August 2006, but it's not exactly visible. I take that back - it's not all well and good. It's downright bad, smacking of disinterest and lethargy. Better to have no blog or website at all than one you can't be bothered to update even when you're trying to convert the state. Update your electronic media regularly - and tell people it exists, for pete's sake.

Do the same for your candidates, whom the state party largely left out to dry this year. After I finally figured out what my new congressional district is, I googled for the Democratic challenger, whose name I did not know and had to locate, and eventually found his website. Took me the better part of a day - and, I'm very interested in politics. Your average citizen is not, and will not take the kind of time I did to find someone if they don't show up on the first page of Google after a three-word search.

You don't exist if we can't find you.

She goes on to make several more suggestions. Give her a read and begin thinking about next time whether Democrats won in your district or not. When you're ready, jump in.