Digby: Bloggers Are Part of a Revolutionary Participatory Democracy

[babylonsister]

http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/54847/

Digby: Bloggers Are Part of a Revolutionary Participatory Democracy

By Digby , AlterNet. Posted June 22, 2007.

The netroots have sparked a revolution and the rest of the nation should join the party, said the blogger known as Digby, accepting the Wellstone Citizenship Award at the Take Back America Conference.


Editor's Note:The folowing is the text of the speech given by the pseudonymous blogger known as Digby on June 19 at the Take Back America conference, when she accepted the Paul Wellstone Citizen Leadership Award on behalf of progressive bloggers.

Those of you who know my blog, know that it is nearly impossible draw me from my secure bunker in the People's Republic of Santa Monica. But when I was approached by my friend Rick Perlstein about accepting this award on behalf of the progressive blogosphere, I knew that it was an honor I could not refuse, not for myself, although I'm grateful, but for my fellow bloggers.

We are proud to be a part of the great progressive liberal tradition of Paul Wellstone and are grateful for your kind acknowledgment. Thank you. As there has been a lot said recently about the netroots and our influence on the Democratic party, this is especially rewarding.

And let's just say we seem to have ruffled some feathers.

We've been called everything from witless to "some guy named Vinnie in a bathrobe and an efficiency apartment" to "blogofascists." Some critics dismiss us as useless elites -- the Metropolitan Opera crowd -- or a "noisy Upper West Side cocktail party for the college-graduate class." Still others take us to task for our "vitriolic, unhinged tone."

The other day Tim Russert agreed "absolutely" with his gracious host, concerned centrist Sean Hannity, that the Democratic party was being unduly influenced by bloggers who were dragging the party kicking and screaming to the left.

Then there is the criticism that we are fascists or Stalinists demanding that everyone march in lockstep to the edicts of our leadership -- generally assumed to be Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos -- who apparently directs us with secret signals deeply embedded in the code of the Daily Kos web site while we carry on an elaborate ruse of spirited political debate and disagreement in public.

We are, in short, something of an enigma.

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[Old and In the Way]

1. That was one great speech....a defining moment on what the progressive

and liberal bloggosphere contribute to our political discourse. She nailed it....and does it daily on her blog.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Outstanding speech!

Thank you Digby for the speech:patriot: and thank you babylonsister for the thread.:thumbsup:

Kicked and recommended.