A daily series, Connect! Unite! Act! seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups regularly socialize but also get out the vote, support candidates and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers-that-be. Visit us at Daily Kos every morning at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time to see how you can get involved. The comment thread is fun and light-hearted, but we're serious about moving the progressive political agenda forward.
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The orange pinpoints are the location of each organized group of Daily Kos readers.
If you'd like to join a group, click on a point and a box will pop up showing contact links.
If you'd like to start a group, contact navajo for instructions.
View Interactive Map of Daily Kos Regional Communities in a full screen version.
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Have you ever voted for a candidate
or an issue that you regretted?
In 1992, I enthusiastically voted for Bill Clinton. In part, because I liked his politics and, in part, because I really liked Hillary Clinton.
In 1994, I don't recall voting in the midterms but I may have.
In 1996, I did not vote. Had I voted, I probably would have voted for Bill Clinton but I did not at all like the way in which the Clinton Administration treated Lani Guinier and Surgeon General Dr. Jocelyn Elders and I did not like that Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act. And Bob Dole was not an option, so I sat out the 1996 election.
In 1998, I decided at the last minute to go to the polls and vote for Carol Moseley Braun. I liked (and still like) Braun's politics but as a US Senator she was (to put it lightly) a bit messy. Still, while I was very angry that Bill Clinton did not either simply admit his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky or just tell the court that it was none of their damn business, I thought that a Congressional censure was the appropriate solution and that the Republican Party was really overreaching.
And I did vote for a Republican Governor, George Ryan. And I don't regret voting for Ryan, either.
In 2000, I voted for George W. Bush.
At the time, I was on a big-time anti-church and I absolutely hated to see Al Gore in black churches giving a stump speech as if it were a sermon. I didn't (and don't) like it when the Religious Right and I didn't like seeing it on the Left. (Never mind that Vice-President Gore was a divinity student). Never mind what my feelings were (and still are, at moments) about The Black Church.
Also, by running away from the popular President that he served under (a President that I didn't like in spite of his enormous political gifts), it seemed as if Gore wasn't really asking for my vote. And I didn't give it to him.
Now of course, I knew that George W. Bush was a doofus. And in spite of George W. Bush's "victory lap" in Chicago prior to the 2000 election, I knew that there was no way that he was winning Illinois and its' electoral votes
So on a chilly November morning in 2000, I woke up early and went to my polling place and voted for George W. Bush, came back to the house and got dressed for work.
Later that night, I got home as, as I usually do on Election Night, I followed the election returns.
And then...
There was Florida, Florida, Florida.
And for much of Election Night 2000, my biggest fear was that Bush would pull ahead in the national popular vote. And then that deeply and darkly cynical vote that was the biggest "fuck you" to the Democratic Party that I could imagine would really mean something.
So for me, it was a little more than the closeness of the Florida vote that illustrated the importance of one vote. For me it was personal and in a very ugly way that I am not proud of to this day.
Honestly, that deep dark cynical edge w/r/t politics is still there. I mean, the "politician as Saviour/Superman" allusion still rubs me the wrong way, no matter the politician. But because of the 2000 election and the eight horrendous years of the Bush Administration, I take my vote much more seriously. I have no problem making a judgment "the lesser evil" then voting for it.
The enormity, the monsterous enormity of the incompentence and crimes of the Bush Administration hit me in the New York Times October 23, 2008 editorial endorsing (my) Senator Barack Hussein Obama in his bid to become the 44th President of the United States of America. (bolding is mine)
The United States is battered and drifting after eight years of President Bush’s failed leadership. He is saddling his successor with two wars, a scarred global image and a government systematically stripped of its ability to protect and help its citizens — whether they are fleeing a hurricane’s floodwaters, searching for affordable health care or struggling to hold on to their homes, jobs, savings and pensions in the midst of a financial crisis that was foretold and preventable.
And I played a very very very small role in that as one of 50,456,002 votes for a criminal Administration.
I really do owe an apology to Albert Gore, Jr.
Nor can I judge anyone for their political sins in the voting booth; I have my own.
Have you ever voted for a candidate or an issue that you regretted?
Latest Updates on Regional Meet-Up News Can Be Found Below the Orange Group Hug.
Let's Build Communities!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
List of All Existing Meatspace Groups
Where the Kogs Are: Index/Directory of the 130+ Localized Daily Kos Groups
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
Colorado: Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Mountain
Michigan: Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Eastern
North Carolina: Sundays, 1:00 PM Eastern
Washington: Sundays, 3:30 PM Pacific
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast the date of your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Thursday, August 13th
Virginia Kos Meet-up & No-Host Dinner
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Silver Diner
11951 Killingsworth Ave • Reston
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to reserve, seating limited
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. JamieG in Md
3. Diana in NoVa
4. NinthElegy
5. Elizabeth Amy Miller
6. Edward Adams
7.
8.
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Saturday, August 15th
DC Kossacks Happy Hour courtesy of Daily Kos
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Sky Bar, top of the Beacon Hotel
1615 Rhode Island Ave. NW • DC
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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Friday, August 14th
Inaugural meetup for Northwestern MI Kos
TIME: 4:00 PM
LOCATION: Benzie County Democratic Headquarters
9930 Honor Highway • Honor
ORGANIZER: Send peregrine kate a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. peregrine kate (State Leader)
2.
3.
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Latest diary: Calling All Northwest Michigan Kossacks: Meetup in Honor, Friday, August 14, @ FOUR PM!
Saturday, August 15th
Kickoff West Michigan DKos Meet-up
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Private Residence (Lunch served)
[Address given privately to RSVPers] • Holland
ORGANIZER: Send peregrine kate a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. peregrine kate (State Leader)
2. Jackaroo (NEW West Michigan Leader)
3.
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Latest diary: One Week Warning: Kickoff West Michigan DKos Meetup, Sat 8/15, Holland
Saturday, August 15
Silicon Valley Kos Meet-Up
CA-17, CA-18 & CA-19
TIME: 5:00 PM
LOCATION: Habana Cuba
238 Race St. • San Jose
Map
ORGANIZER: Send Glen The Plumber a KosMail or tweet to attend.
RSVPs:
1. TheLittleOne
2. remembrance
3. Glen The Plumber
4. slowbutsure
5. Joe D.
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Maybees:
1.
2.
3.
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Announcing Asheville, North Carolina as the location
for our next Regional Event! 9.26.15
Asheville, N.C. is the destination for September 26, 2015! DKos Asheville, the In-Real-Life group under the leadership of randallt, has been setting the example for other IRL groups across the nation regarding registering people to vote, getting out the vote, having a state open thread and setting up strategy conferences for their region. Because of this impressive leadership we've asked randallt to be the State Leader for all of North Carolina. We've got important work to do on the ground there and randallt has shown he's the person to make that happen.
All states are welcome to attend this event and if you do you can expect to meet Markos Moulitsas in person, as well as some of the Daily Kos staff. More details regarding this regional event will be shared in the future so please stay tuned to Connect! Unite! Act!
For now, SAVE THE DATE and spread the word!
by navajo ♥ for Connect! Unite! Act!
Outstanding leadership in Colorado forced Daily Kos to make a personal appearance. Meteor Blade's and I gave meetings in Denver, Colorado Springs and Durango in July.
We had a terrific event in Denver on Sunday, July 26th with 50 readers of Daily Kos. Read the details about it
here.
A special thanks to Leftcandid and ColoTim for leading the Daily Kos Denver group! Leftcandid spent several hours after the event inputting all the email addresses collected. These two are determined and that's why we made this trip happen!
If you'd like to join Denver Kos, please kosmail Leftcandid.
The following evening, Monday, July 27th, we had 30 readers attend. Read the details about it
here.
Another very successful event, great food, drink and conversation! We both gots lots of hearty handshakes and thank yous.
If you'd like to join Pikes Peak Region Kos, please kosmail thanatokephaloides.
Durango, which is 314 miles from Colorado Springs, was our final destination. Our early evening venue was the beautiful home of
nzanne and her husband. It was very generous of them to host. We had 32 Durangotangs attend.
What a pleasure to visit beautiful Durango! A special thanks to Thinking Fella for setting such a great example of leadership by winning a seat with his local Democratic Party Executive Committee! Yes! Go Local!
Durango had the largest collection of readers with user names:
L-R: Thinking Fella, mnguitar, COMTNGRL, Meteor Blades, nzanne,
Gary Norton, navajo, Merry Light and Warkman
If you'd like to join Four Corners Kos, please kosmail Thinking Fella.
The entire state of Colorado has almost 50,000 subscribers to our Daily Kos emails. We can't wait to tap into that more. We've got a lot of organizing ahead of us for Colorado. Leaders, please step up!
We've declared this road trip a great success and look forward to doing some more around the country. It's important to unite entire states in addition to cities and towns. I hope you'll contribute in some way to this effort.
by AndyT ♥ for Dallas Kossacks
AndyT had his largest event ever, 28 people in Dallas! Here's one photo:
Please visit AndyT's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Dallas Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to AndyT.
by ZenTrainer ♥ for Nashville KosKats
Clockwise from bottom right: Anonymous L, Anonymous M,
Patrick is Lucky, Zen Trainer's water, Jon Sitzman, Al Fondy
You can join Nashville KosKats by sending a Kosmail to ZenTrainer.
by GreyHawk ♥ for Boston Kossacks
Mad Mary, CwV, a snapshot via his blog of gmoke, GreyHawk, HawkWife, Knockbally
You can join Boston Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to GreyHawk.
by Sara R ♥ for Koscadia
L-R: ozsea1, also mom of 5 (hiding), winglion, Faye, pdxteacher, quill, Sara R & AK Bear
You can join Koscadia by sending a Kosmail to Sara R.
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.