A few well-intentioned friends of mine keep sending me politically themed emails — ranty ones, inspirational ones, action items from Moveon.org. Not a big deal, since I get tons of email all the time (usually from perveyors of home furnishings and sexual enhancement medications, or organizations asking me for money) Yet something about it is starting to irk me.
Where were they during the runup to the election? What were they doing then? And what good does it do after the election to send ME these things?
Sigh. I suppose I'm also guilty of preaching to the converted. There's something about filling out little forms, hitting that send button, that makes us all feel like we're accomplishing something even when we're not.
Although the Internet was proved to be a wonderful fund-raising tool (particularly for Howard Dean), I'm not sure whether it was an equally wonderful organizing tool. I suspect that the Republicans spent more time in meat space, where real, undistracted humans were gathered in a nonvirtual setting, places like churches and town halls and community centers. The Republicans networked along networks that city people could not even see. They did not issue sentimental reports about seeing democracy in action.
And look what happened. Although I do think he exaggerates a bit. Some of us did go register voters in "meat space", and even went and pounded the pavement in Reno. It's just that it didn't work, or we didn't do enough of it, and look, I'm not gonna go join a church, sorry!
OTOH, I may not be able to resist sending this to my nearest and dearest. Because it's very funny and cute. It will not save the Western World for Democracy, however.
Maybe I will send out an email though... telling my well-intentioned friends what they can do with their intentions! (Give money, write letters, and volunteer for the cause next time around.)
