I've been putting off this diary for as long as I can...but at some point, you simply cannot outrun time any further. Over the past 4 years that I've been at Daily Kos, I have had the privilege of having a discussion with a great many of you, and even meeting some of you in person. Whether it was in the episode threads of 'The Colbert Report' that I used to host way back in the day when the show started in 2005, blogging my ground experiences with Ned Lamont and Patrick Murphy in 2006, and Barack Obama in 2008, or making my delegate predictions in the more recent part of this year - it has been always been a pleasurable experience. I've seen my fair share of Kossacks come and go over the years, but now it's my time for me to join the ranks of inactive Kossacks.
Although I do have many issues with the liberal blogosphere - first and foremost being ideological purity, particularly in a general election situation - that's not the reason I'm going. Instead, it's more mundane: I'm starting my full-time job on Monday, and I simply don't have the time to contribute as an active participant in the Daily Kos community any longer. Yes, some of you may castigate me for my profession of choice (one of your evil Wall Street overlords), but I'm in as precarious a situation as the economy is right now, and I have to devote all of my attention to ensuring that I don't end up without a job in this worsening economy.
In parting, I would like to leave you with a couple of messages. First, don't take your eye off the ball. Remember what the motto of the netroots is when it comes to electoral politics: more and better Democrats - in that order. I know that a great many of us, myself included, would greatly appreciate a Democratic Party that was unabashedly liberal and bothered to show some spine on important issues, regardless of the supposed political consequences (see: most legislative accomplishments over the past 7+ years). But the most important point is the order of the saying: more comes first, not better. Once we have more Democrats, we can focus on passing progressive legislation - and thereby weeding out places where we can, with a good amount of certainty, replace incumbent Democrats with better Democrats.
Don't put the cart before the horse. Yes, Barack Obama's change on FISA was extremely disappointing and dampered a great deal of my enthusiasm for his campaign. But when you see John McCain pandering to the worst elements of his base to bolster his electoral prospects, keep in mind that even a milquetoast Obama presidency (which I think overhyped; I believe he'll be more progressive than most think) will be exponentially better than a McCain administration would be. There will be plenty of opportunities to hold Obama accountable, but recognize that electing him to the presidency, above all, is our most important goal. Holding the line on purity may be okay in a district like MD-04 (Donna Edwards' district), but it is not something we can afford to waste our limited influence on at the national level.
My last piece of advice is this: get out on the ground. Daily Kos is a largely self-selecting community, so you're going to get a lot of reinforcing opinions without having to back up your thoughts with much effort. It's a much different story when you're out on the ground. In the several campaigns that I have volunteered for, I have always been out there on the front lines, walking the streets and talking to the people. Why? Because face-to-face interaction is the best way to influence someone's opinion. Blogs may be rising in terms of readership and influence, but they are still in the distinct minority when it comes to getting news - whether it's from Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, or any of the other traditional media outlets. It's up to us to hit the streets and talk to our friends, our neighbors, and complete strangers about why supporting the Democratic Party and its candidates on all levels is so important. Getting recommended diaries on Daily Kos is one thing, but it has less impact than talking to a couple of people that you visit on a canvassing trip or talk to on a phonebanking run. You may not have ever done it before, and you may be shy - but it's important that you do it, not just for the sake of history. As someone who is a mere 22 years old, I recognize the stark crossroads we face at this point in time.
We can't afford to get it wrong again.
America can't afford it.
The world can't afford it.
So I urge all of you to continue the good fight. I'll do my best to fulfill my part, but it's not going to be here at Daily Kos any longer. To those of you whom I have gotten to know over the past 4 years, even in an incidental manner - it's been an honor.
And now it's time to say goodbye, for the last time.