Cross-Posted At Raising Kaine
Lowell Feld is a life long political activist starting at age 13 as a Teenage Republican. In 1979, Feld did volunteer work for Ford/Dole. That same year he attended former Senator Lowell Weicker's one-week summer intern program in Washington, DC.
In 1980, Feld started moving away from the Republican Party, casting his first-ever Presidential vote for John Anderson. Over time he moved more and more firmly into the Democratic Party.
More Recently, in 2003 Feld was heavily involved in the Draft Clark movement and eventual candidacy of General Wesley Clark. Feld ran 2 different websites for Clark, along with blogging for him.
After Clark withdrew, Feld continue to work for the Democratic Party and volunteered for Kerry/Edwards. After devastation and frustration he launched Virginia's Progressive Blog: Raising Kaine to assist in Governor Tim Kaine's 2005 race who defeated GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Jerry Kilgore.
In Late 2005, after reading Jim Webb's interest in higher office out of frustration and worry. Feld along with others persuaded Webb to enter the 2006 Senate race after Feld help launch the Draft James Webb movement.
To begin, there's not enough to be said about Lowell Feld. In 2006, Lowell became one of this country's first if not the first blogger to be paid and work on a political campaign.
I thank Jessica Vanden Berg, and Steve Jarding for doing this. Lowell Feld was critical in Webb's great victory which we can all take credit for.
Although this post is thanking Lowell Feld, Raising Kaine's founding father. It is more about what Lowell Feld represents. He represents all of us, he represents the netroots.
As netroots coordinator for the Webb campaign, it has become more evident to the political system in America how important we really are in campaigns.
Only in the last two or three cycles in this country are people starting to realize the impact of the netroots. In raising money, pushing candidacies, building support, coordinating events, and changing the dynamics of American politics.
There is fear among many, that is evident in the way some viewed Howard Dean's 2004 Presidential run as a threat to how business is done in Washington. Here in Virginia, Jim Webb and his candidacy was also viewed as a threat.
In fact, it still is a threat.
When Howard Dean said you have the power, he wasn't joking. We do. And no matter how many trolls from the right we get, or how many trolls we get from our own party. We still are powerful.
And we grow.
Thanks to Lowell Feld, who started this blog here in Virginia that made this growth possible, that made this win possible, that made this conversation possible.
In speaking with Lowell this past few weeks after the election, he is unsure of what direction he personally is going next. As many of you can tell he has decreased his posts, and I have increased my own.
But we need Lowell Feld. Virginia needs him, and America needs him. Lowell Feld could be the person who can be a pioneer in American politics and it's integration between the establishment and the blogosphere. He already has begun this by working with the Webb campaign.
Other than Markos, of Daily Kos. Lowell Feld may be the most prominent successful blogger in our country. Lowell began this journey by wanting to help change Virginia, and this country.
He has done that. Thank you Lowell.
My hope, is that he continues this fight for our country and continues to represent the netroots and helps brings the establishment and the bloggers together and continue to put fear in the GOP.
He doesn't do this alone, remember you have the power.