It's undeniable how much the blogosphere has been helpful in getting candidates off the ground. Whether it was Richard Morrison in TX-22 in 2004, Ned Lamont in the CT-Sen race, or even a long-shot candidate like Barry Welsh in IN-06, we've shown that the Internet can be a powerful organizing tool. That being said, I believe that the blogosphere, in its current state, is still much more effective at generating noise and fundraising than it is at organizing. In a 'wave' election, we are going to be playing defense in the upcoming years in districts that are much more conservative and where Democrats do not typically win. For those representatives, fighting for re-election is going to be a way of life every 2 years.

That's where we come in. The Class of 2006, in my mind, would be a website for all the newly-elected Democrats in this election. A slogan would run along the lines of 'Not left, not right, but forward', as I believe the progressive blogosphere is not ideologically aligned at the moment except for the issue of Iraq. The idea behind such a website would be to publicize the work of all the new representatives, whether it be what they do in Washington or what they do within the district. In a sense, it would be a form of citizen journalism - reporting on what our representatives are doing to advance the Democratic agenda and how it will help their constituents. Ideally, I would like a local resident (preferably in-district) to be the designated blogger for the district. Additionally, I'd like us to be proactive in contacting newly-elected representatives - call them up, pitch what we'd like to do, and, most importantly, explain why having a foothold in the netroots is going to be crucial for their re-election bids in the future. In this way, we can 'break' stories of our own - if a member plans on introducing a particular piece of legislation, for example - before the traditional media gets ahold of it.

Tip O'Neill said "All politics is local." In the age of the Internet, though, a new paradigm exists, one in which local politics can become national through the power of the Internet. I can't think of a better way than of a unified local blogging effort meeting at a central flashpoint to show everyone else on the Internet that the incoming group of representatives - whom I'd like to think of as the beginning of a progressive generation of Democrats - are a great bunch. Additionally, sweeping up an entire new generation of candidates in the netroots would firmly entrench the blogosphere as a force to be recognized in politics. I can't think of a better way of returning politics to the people, which is what democracy is supposed to be about.

I had planned on posting this idea after the election, but I have absolutely no infrastructure and no bloggers who would be interested in such an effort. So if you are interested in being a part of this project (should enough people join), please post your thoughts, recommendations, criticisms, and any other ideas.