It’s impossible for anyone who’s been around Daily Kos in the last few months not to have noticed our excitement as the 20th anniversary of our May 26, 2002 founding loomed. Now it’s finally here, and we’re overflowing with joy.
Before I get to our amazing anniversary video—a stark reminder of who our many friends are, as well as the people behind so many Daily Kos avatars—let’s take a look at what we’ve accomplished over the last two decades.
You can help Daily Kos fight to save democracy with a one-time or recurring donation!
Let’s take a look at the numbers, first and foremost. Per a report run in late April:
You’ve written about 72 million comments;
Nearly 1.5 million stories are live on the site today (this does not count deleted or unpublished stories, or drafts))
We’ve got about 1600 active Subscribers;
And we’ve had about 9000 Subscribers total;
You’ve hit the Recommend button about 53 million times;
and formed about 1400 Groups.
If you haven’t read it yet, Kos offered his heartfelt gratitude for the unexpected journey his blog has led us all upon.
I never expected Daily Kos to be more than my own personal rant space, and what it has become … I couldn't have even dreamed I’d be so blessed to be in the company of the best, smartest, most patriotic, passionate Americans around, both the 90+ employees that make this place hum, and the millions that receive our content daily, whether at the website, by email, on social media, or via our podcasts..
I love you all. Twenty years of Daily Kos couldn’t have happened without you.
He also offered this entreaty:
These days, the Democratic Party might be in better overall shape, but we face a grave threat to our nation’s democracy. The Republican Party spent these last 20 years consolidating its gains with white rural Americans, and has leveraged our system’s systemic bias toward rural, small, white states to give themselves unfair advantages in the Senate and the Electoral College. The House is gerrymandered heavily in their favor. They’ve stolen two Supreme Court seats to finally get the conservative majority that can destroy so many of our cherished rights—while protecting the gun lobby and its enablement of tens of thousands of murders and severe injuries every year. Racism is no longer hidden in the shadows, activated by dog-whistle language. It’s now proudly out and open. The last president wanted his vice president hung for refusing to go along with his coup attempt. Voting rights in red and battleground states are under severe assault, targeting core Democratic constituencies that already struggle to engage in the political process.
The difference between winning and losing this November is monumental—the difference between losing more rights and potentially our democracy, to having a filibuster-shattering majority that would make D.C. and maybe Puerto Rico into states, at least tempering some of the pernicious biases of the Electoral College and making the Senate a more equitable, effective chamber. Holding both chambers of Congress and eliminating the filibuster could even bring about desperately needed Supreme Court reform, expanding the court and perhaps instituting term limits.
Daily Kos at 20 is as relevant as it’s always been: a hub for political engagement and activism. We are going to organize these next five months as if our nation’s very existence depended on it, because it does.
Communications Director Carolyn Fiddler also had some choice thoughts to offer.
After two decades, Daily Kos bears little resemblance to its beginning as a blog written by one frustrated veteran, writing under a pseudonym in his off hours. But the platform’s success, growth, reach, and impact since its founding have transformed it into a vastly different organization than it was in the beginning. With a staff of over 90 people, an affiliated polling company (Civiqs), affiliated nonprofit news organization (Prism), and expansion from political blogging into progressive fundraising and philanthropic spaces, Daily Kos two decades in isn’t just the blog that survived: It’s become an essential part of our nation’s progressive infrastructure. Our embrace of growth and change is a core aspect of why Daily Kos is thriving and continuing to expand as other luminaries of blogging’s heyday have faded away.
And we can’t forget the inimitable Daily Kos Elections team! Their podcast, The Downballot, is celebrating our remarkable time together with a look back at some of the Daily Kos Elections folks’ favorite races over the last two decades.
When it comes to Daily Kos as a platform for content, be sure to check out This Is My Best! Over the last 10 weeks, I’ve featured about 200 of our—staff and Community—self-selected “best” stories. Settle in and revisit some favorites or find some new ones. It’s never too late to drop a rec on stories written by everyone from my beloved Community Contributors Team to my cherished Daily Kos colleagues (part one and part two), and even Kos himself. And there are six—yes, six—Community editions (part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, and part six).
Speaking of the Community: The Koscars votes have been tabulated, and the winners have been announced! Go check to see if your favorites (or you!) won!
Finally, enjoy this video, which includes a lot of names you’ll recognize, some faces you may not, and a big huge pile of love for this big orange playground we’ve built. (Yes, the thumbnail is me. No, I didn’t have a say in that. And yes, I wore orange on purpose.)
Be sure to check out our 20th Anniversary tees in the new Daily Kos store—mine came today and it’s cuuuuute (and so soft)! And if you’re able, please consider chipping in to help Daily Kos keep fighting for a better, more progressive America!
Happy 20th anniversary, Daily Kos! Here’s to all that’s been done, and all that’s to come.
Thursday, May 26, 2022 · 7:12:32 PM +00:00 · Jessica Sutherland
I am LOVING all of your Daily Kos origin stories. Keep ‘em coming!