I think the blogosphere as a whole is going to take a major hit.  So much of it runs on anti-Bush (and anti-Republican) sentiment that readership numbers have to go down if Obama wins.  OTOH, a lot of people who weren't engaged before (like me) are pretty much hooked, and with Obama's message of empowerment and inclusiveness maybe the drop off won't be as big as I think it will be.

It'll be interesting, that's for sure.

I think the answer is that the bloggers ought to be pushing Congress and the White House toward a more progressive agenda.  Just because Democrats might control the entire Federal government in 2009 doesn't mean that things will move in a good direction from a progressive viewpoint.  The present contest between Clinton and Obama have reminded me of how many regressives we still have within the Party.

1. Restore the liberties guaranteed in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

2. Restore the checks and balances of the 3 divisions of our Federal government that have been pushed off-balance by the Executive and Legislative branches.

3. Adhere to international treaties the United States has committed to.

4. Defund the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Energy by majority amounts, and begin to fund national health care, and begin to pay off the national debt.

5. Make elections and voting more secure.

6. Investigate pork spending and earmarking. Redistribute Federal spending so it supports infrastructure, anit-global warming strategies and promotes "green living" transformation of the economy, industry, and daily living; i.e. recycling, energy efficiency especially in transportation, and green energy production and distribution.

7. Restructure the absolutely feudal tax structure of the US to promote a progressive taxation on the wealthy, and alleviate the working and middle classes of the burden of restrictive taxation which keeps people out of financial security, especially for future retirement savings. (My generation is living in a free-fall in the future -- there will be so few from my generation with a retirement income that might even approach working class living.)

The lobbying is already starting -- if you pay attention to the PR commercials on network and cable TV. See all those warm-fuzzy PR ads from energy companies, from pharmaceutical firms, from car manufacturers -- trying to tell us how much they care about the environment, or want to help people afford their meds? Wait until the health insurance lobby starts THEIR push to protect their business as usual. The industry special interests are not going to give up just because there's a new President and a lot of new faces on Capitol Hill.  

The blogosphere, the grassroots organizations that have been developed over the past few years, the whole internet-as-alternate-media thing, are going to be crucial to countering the "grassroots" voices of industry special interests. (When corporate CEOs and senior VPs attend big legislative conferences, get hints from professional lobbyists and arrange for personal visits with their Congress reps and Senators, and form PACs to fund the campaigns of their "friends in Washington" -- yes, they DO refer to that as "grassroots lobbying"...)

It's going to take a lot of pressure on Congress to get the changes made, and the netroots can be a big part of that, keeping an eye on things and shouting loudly when necessary. I think Obama is counting on that kind of public support (and opposition when necessary) to keep the pressure on and counter the lobbyists and big corporate interests. We know we can't count on the media to do it. Public pressure WORKS.

We can't afford to be complacent, even when we win... because the corporate interests aren't going to give up, they're going to fight to keep every advantage they now have. It's going to be a long struggle -- the election is just the first step.

Keith Olbermann speaks for me.

And even if (when) Barack Obama is President, that won't be the end of the battle. He's just one guy. By himself, he isn't going to be able to change things. But if he inspires enough people to get off their butts and demand change from those they elect to Congress . . . then we'll have something.

So if (when) the networks project the election for Obama, I will do the Snoopy dance on November the 5th.

And then it'll be time to get back to work.

The avalanche has started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote. -- Ambassador Kosh

I'd like that to be the principal mission of the progressive blogosphere. Rather than focusing almost exclusively on elections or spending time touting bad legislative compromises because some bloggers are convinced that's all they can achieve.    

And in connection with that, on a practical level, I'd like to see the blogosphere better harness the talents and energy of the netroots (the REAL netroots not the elite bloggers) who should be treated as more than a herd of sheep to instruct to give money or make phone calls.  There's a lot of talent out there that's going unused.  I'd like to see the blogosphere encourage action that isn't driven from the top-down but is instead collaborative - like Jerome and Adam tried (and are still trying to do ) with Energize America. Once we don't have a Republican maniac running the country there should be time to try out innovative ways to collaborate on ideas.  Instead, again, of focusing solely on electoral victory.

And next year when people run pictures taken at conferences with bloggers, I want to be surprised. Instead of seeing the same old Gang of 10 on the platform at every single bloggers conference.  

Help me raise money for Jay Nixon, the next Democratic governor of Missouri

I just want to take a minute to introduce myself. I just joined here and am an ex-NO Quarter poster who along with many others quit in disgust when it became a rabid pro Hillary/anti Obama site. I also have emailed several other former NQ posters and hope they will join to.

Keyman12

that's a serious answer. people get the wrong ideas about winning, they think utopia will follow. actually, being in the minority party is much easier because there's only one direction to go, in the end. but in the winning party you have enough power to go in any direction you want, and so your followers get upset and you fall apart because you can't go in all directions at once.

Big group of Oregon legislators endorsed Obama today....

I just want to get through PA. I so want Obama to win there, more than in any other state!!!!

Have you been to Real Clear Politics? As with every state, as soon as he hit the ground, his numbers took a steep upward turn. But will he catch Clinton before the clock runs out?

Ah, the suspense.

This is the most exciting and important election in my lifetime!!

"If you look for the social economic motive, you will not have to wait for history to tell you what was propaganda and what was truth." - George Seldes

Jimmy Carter almost comes out for Obama in this article.  Wish he would just do it..!

We can hold both Democrats and Republicans accountable for their actions -- and the larger our majority, the harder we can push our own people, sacrificing some dirty power in the short term to build a cleaner kind of power for the years to come:

• Transparent.
  
• Responsive.
  
• Accountable.
  
• Informed.
  

Define foundational progressive themes everyone should be aware of (that's part of the narrative). I'd like you to continue the realignment theme and expand your thoughts about coalition — specifically the Youth Vote. Did we just crash the gate? What's the next step — get a new gate? Lastly, how does space exploration become a progressive issue?

It's "role" is to complain, and even Jesus Christ would not be able to satify its ravening maw.

Watch.

AG

Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.-Mae West

My number one issue is how President Obama communicates to the public & how the public continues to communicate with him. What's the most effective way progressives can help this president "keep track of stuff"? What's the best way to establish and maintain a progressive agenda?

And despite what the candidates are saying to get elected, a coalition of progressives needs to introduce universal single payer health care. Yes, we can. Obama won't veto it. We need to send health insurance companies to the land of the dinosaurs.

Michaela

IMO

I think the progressive blogosphere's primary job during an Obama presidency will be to help prevent the Democratic Party leadership and DLC-types and the big money folks that feed that party leadership from sabotaging Obama's initiatives.

In one way I think it will be harder for responsible truthtelling bloggers to do this because there's probably going to be a lot less money flowing in through ad revenue as the economy continues it's slow-motion implode. In another way it will be easier for reality-based bloggers views and ideas to resonate because the media gasbag messages that have undermined our democracy for 8 straight years will be less well received by the hoi polloi as the social and economic fabric is further rent. More people will be pissed at the likes of Russert, Matthews and the like for all they've failed to predict, and for their conspicuous lack of solutions.

Denial is our most dangerous adversary.