Sorry to be so crude but I find term appropriate in a medium that makes us feel better but does nothing for anyone else. This came to mind from a number of recent posts. One was Kos asking if he should turn the site off between Christmas and New Years. It seems that people want a place to make them feel better. There is nothing wrong with that. But it did make me think of what impact this kind of blog has. The other is the post entitled The Speech I'd Like to See Reid and Pelosi Give
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/12/20/141523/14 . This wonderful statement of what the Democrats MUST do is making us feel good but is it doing any good outside of this list? So here is my suggestion:
We need to take Social Security as our one issue and pound it and pound it again and again. We must post, call our senators and congress people, write our newspapers. We must give simple and straightforward explanations to young people that there is not a Social Security crisis and that with simple adjustments Social Security will be with us for the rest of century.
I know there are other very important issues: Iraq; voting rights and the right-wing media/republican axis. But Social Security is not just an issue important to all of us. It is a central part of what it means to be a Democrat. It is an issue we can win. We must win. If we don't protect Social Security we will all feel the impact on a personal level. We will also lose any hope for the Democratic Party.
I am not the first to call for an intense effort to get the word out. Others on this list, along with Atrios and Talkingpointsmemo have all had important posts and suggestions. What is the next step? Should all liberal blogs have a link to a central and simple site for saving Social Security? Should everyone make a commitment to do some type of activity each week in this fight? I am open to any suggestions.
We must win!