starting out

Hello to everyone (or more likely no one),
This is my first venture into blogging. I hope I or some of my guest bloggers may have something of interest to say. The times are a changing in the local and national Democratic Party. It has been too late in coming. Howard Dean’s chairmanship of the Party has so far been an excellent step towards bringing the Party back to respectability. This past weekend, Democracy for Tennessee held its first annual Convention. I’m not Baptist but it sure felt like an old time, tent revival. About 125 activists from all over the state took part in informative classes on media relations, campaign organizing and technology, and grassroots politicking. To top this off, Senator Russ Feingold gave a great speech along with a question and answer session. (Imagine where the party would be if Paul Wellstone was still with us.) By the end of the day these activists were filled with the progressive Holy Spirit and armed with political know how to help slay the Republican beast. All and all it was a remarkably productive day. (It’s why I started blogging today.) The reason why it all happened was because Howard Dean made it happen. I don’t know when or even if the previous Chairmen of the Democratic Party sent a close family member to a Republican dominated state in order to help get grassroots organizations up and running, but to these activists it demonstrates the that DNC has set some new priorities. Howard Dean is showing faith in grassroots organizers and the organizers are giving their loyalty to him. It is nice to see the Democratic Party actually showing interest in its people at a time than during a campaign.