Happy Blogosphere Day

In spite of Al Franken's vain and pathetic attempts to win a Blue Gal endorsement...

I see that a number of great blogs, including my personal fave Crooks and Liars, are celebrating Blogosphere Day to raise money for progressive candidates in upcoming elections. Good for them, and if you are so inclined, give money, even a small amount, to the ActBlue page linked here, or to Al Franken's Midwest Values PAC here. Put the panties down now, Al.

I’ve changed my mind about the blogosphere lately, and am less impressed with the “big” versus “little” blog dichotomy I thought existed a short while ago. I still think it is okay that not all blogs join the netroots. Blogs do not have to advocate for candidates or work to win elections to be valid contributors to this thing called the blogosphere.

We won some elections last November, and I don’t think the problems we are facing now stem from “we didn’t win big enough.” We thought, and we continue to think, that the political process in and of itself is a solution to the world’s problems. It may or may not be part of the solution, but we have had our hearts broke of late by people who were supposed to be on our side. People we voted for with our ballots and cheered in our hearts have let us down in the name of career preservation and insider politics. Oh want a link? Go read Corrente on a regular basis, to start with.

For me, the blogosphere is more than politics. It is what one friend this morning called my lifeline. I need to read the blogs listed on the sidebar. I need to hear from them, and respond to their artistry and writing and passion. I don’t particularly care if they are raising money for a congressional race, or not. If it is about expressing a commitment to making the world a better place, doing so with artistry and humor and passion, it is enough.