Let me say right off the bat that while I no longer consider myself a Daily Kos "newbie," I do certainly still consider myself "newish." On the one hand, I have made the Rec list and High-Impact Diaries before; on the other, I am not yet a TU. (And speaking of which, who does a girl have to... you know what, never mind.)
So while I am "down" enough to know that there exists a much-mocked category of diary known as GBCW, what I don't know is if there is a corresponding category for the type of diary I'm about to write, universally laughed at in elite DKos circles, and maybe called something cuttingly devastating like SKMA ("Smooch! Kissing Markos' Ass") or ISTL ("I've Seen The Light!").
And yet, after the jump... I press on!
I know that with this type of diary in particular, I run the risk of trumpeting something that really only matters in my own mind. But I've been thinking about this a lot and have come to the conclusion that it is important.
I knew my life had changed irrevocably when I got in my friend's car the other day, and I swear by all that is strange and holy, I experienced Voter Information Booklet envy. I actually said the words, "Hey, you got your voter booklet? Cool, I hope mine came today!" Then upon reaching my house, I fairly skipped to the mailbox, and let out an "Oooh, goody!" to find that mine had, in fact, arrived. (Since California moved its presidential primary up this year, there remain only two state-wide measures on our upcoming primary ballot. Two. That's it.)
(Side note: after this and this, I've realized that this is now the third diary of mine triggered by this friend, and I want to say for the record that she is not a literary device, she is real. Really real.)
When I joined this site about 12 weeks ago, I was pretty clueless. I mean, I had never even heard the expression "Yellow Dog Democrat" or the more recent derivative "Blue Dog Democrat." (And I didn't really know what they meant other than from context, until 5 minutes ago when I looked them up in Wikipedia...)
In fact, the only reason I even stumbled across it was following some now-forgotten web trail that probably originated with a Google Alerts message for Obama. Prior to that, I had seen the site referenced and kind of knew what it was: you know, an online place where hardcore Democrats and activists gathered together whip themselves into a frenzy over matters impossible to change by the average person anyway.
So I wasn't completely oblivious, even though I had always pronounced the site in my head as "Daily Kahzz" and it was only shortly after I joined that it hit me out of the blue: "Duh, it's Kos, like Markos, you moron!"
But a politically savvy, or even politically aware Democrat? Not even close. I voted, chastised those who didn't vote, often cried in line at the polling place when overcome by the emotion of the privilege I was exercising (seriously), but that's it.
So obviously I had the same level of ignorance and apathy when I got involved with the Obama campaign back in November. Yes, I voted for Gore and Kerry, and engaged in the metaphorical rending of clothes when they lost, but it never occurred to me that I might have done something to help secure their victory.
I was equally oblivious to Obama himself. I vaguely remembered the existence of the '94 speech and that it had caused quite the positive stir for some young brother politician, which was great, but I was not one of those for whom it resonated, most likely because I doubt I watched the convention that year.
In all honesty, probably the only reason I remembered him at all is because he had once been a punch-line on "Will & Grace": "Obama is Ba-rackin' my world!"
I was both ignorant and a cynic, plain and simple- the worst combination. And even after hearing Obama speak in person and deciding that I was going to "get involved" this time, I still envisioned that as consisting of manning a voter registration table one weekend or posting flyers downtown.
As I've said before, that's not exactly how that turned out.
But as I was working my ass off to deliver the Bay Area for Barack, feverishly checking my Google Alerts, I wasn't aware of the much larger changes taking place in me, almost on a daily basis, and the things I was learning that I never knew before.
Before I volunteered for the Obama campaign, just a few things I had never done:
truly followed a primary election
donated to a political campaign
volunteered for a political campaign
signed a political petition
heard the expression "down-ballot"
heard of the DCCC
heard of ActBlue
heard of James Clyburn or John Lewis or why, as an African-American, I should have
But here are just a few things I have done since I joined Daily Kos:
donated to an out-of-state politician (Ben Chandler, KY)
donated to two political organizations (ActBlue & the DCCC)
joined MoveOn.org and signed a petition;
written a letter of protest to the DNC
And that is just for starters! Now, this may seem like just a random listing of Democratic Activism 101 activities, but the fact remains that now I blithely toss off sentences like: "Hassan Namazee can go fuck himself! I'm making another donation to the DCCC!" It's a brave, new world.
I will never be the level of progressive Democrat that many here are and strive to be: those folks have my great admiration. But my eyes still glaze over when I see the word "FISA." (I have a vague understanding of the issue- immunity for spying phone companies, yes?- and of course it's important, but I have been too lazy to even Google the acronym to see what it stands for, and clearly you guys are all over it, and you know, I do have to take my dog to the park...)
And quite honestly, I had assumed until very recently that once the general election was over (possibly even the primary), I would likely drift away from Daily Kos.
But that's not going to happen, because here's the kind of Democrat I am now:
I will now be one of the voters Obama talks about that is paying attention and holding our government accountable. I know who my elected officials are and how to contact them. I know when their terms are up and will be looking hard at any new folks that expect to fill them. I will perk up my ears now when I hear the words "Special Election" uttered anywhere in this kick-ass country.
And if they are Obama (and carpediva) approved... I will give them money, and I will know its power no matter how little I'm able to give. In fact, if they are local, damned if I can't imagine that I won't also give them time. Because I understand now from Mississippi, and Louisiana, and Illinois, how very much it all matters.
I'm excited: excited about being a progressive Democrat and participating with all of you in a government that, starting in 2009, I believe will welcome our participation.
And I will read my Daily Kos, knowing that the first step is being aware.
Who knows, maybe next thing you know I'll be firing off letters to Congress on FISA... okay, probably not.
But I have seen the light. And I owe it to Barack Obama & Daily Kos.