Thanks Admins for a fantastic activist tool!!

[flamin lib]

I have to congratulate the Admins on the evolution of Democratic Underground -or is it Intelligent Design?- with all the new added features. The Journals are of particular importance, not just to this website and us users but to Democratic activism in general. Some of the best writing about Democratic ideals and policies anywhere can be found right here. Now that we have Journals the best of it has a very long shelf life and is available for research and other uses.

The next time you read a post or a reply that makes you think, “Yeah, what s/he said!” click on the journal button for that post and see what else that person has had to say. I’ll bet that you’ll find a lot more “what they said” stuff.

The opposition is always saying that Democrats have no ideas, that we’re running on Bush hate. Not so. We have ideas, good ideas, ideas that will work for every economic stratum from the bottom to the top. Ideas that help the unskilled minimum wage earner and the CEO at the same time. You’ll find them in the Journals of DU.

I’m willing to bet there are a lot of us who maintain private email lists that we send interesting stuff to. Maybe even most of us. I also bet that every one of us who maintains a Journal would be happy to see our stuff sent to those lists. Call it e-roots activism. The Republicans are extremely good at using private email to spread talking points and personal attacks. Near the end of the ’04 elections I received two or three attack emails a day! I’m convinced that they all originated at the RNC.

Time to begin our ’06 and ’08 e-roots campaign. When you find a post that brings home the values and politics of Democratic progressives paste it into your address book and start spreading our values and policies.

The world will be a better place for it. Besides, how cool will it be to have one of your friends send you one of your own posts because someone sent it to them!

[DeepModem Mom]

1. FYI: My journal is aimed at non-DUers --

It's not as "uninhibited" as the board, and would be "suitable" for your mother, your grandmother, or moderate friends. I send the link to family and friends, to educate and enlighten them about what is going on that they miss if they get their news from TV.

DeepModem Mom's Keyboard:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/DeepModem+Mom

:)

[flamin lib]

2. Just got back from your Journal! That's exactly what I'm talking

about. Dissiminate information and back it up with sources.

My 30ish daughter and I were talking and I lamented that Americans are so uninformed. She comes back at me as she cuddles her six week old son that people just don't have the time or opportunity to be informed. She points to the TV and says that's the only source of information she has and then points to the 4 year old watching Spongebob and asks, "When am I supposed to switch to C-span? How much time can I spend reading the NY Times? When he goes to bed, so do I!"

It's up to us to spoon feed them all . . .

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Exactly!