These Internets Give Us Exciting Times

I like politics. I wear it on my sleeve on a daily basis. This love of politics has lead me to focus on some key things that I think are worth further exploration. One of which is how new media is shaping the landscape for political races to come.

I am very fortunate to have been invited onto KCUR’s “Up To Date” with Steve Kraske tomorrow to talk about emerging means of communication in this ever evolving world. How did I get to this point? Very simple one person Sarah Burris.

Sarah and I became good friends while I was working on Nancy Boyda’s re-election campaign. I was a bit of a Luddite at that point. I had just started using chat functions on my computer and had no participation on social networking sites. Converting me to web 2.0 was an arduous task for Sarah, one I now commend her for.

I have always worked in an environment where message control was vital to the existence of an organization. The less you said the better as you leave yourself less open to attacks. So here comes this blogger with her ideas of open government and more access to all citizens at all levels.

Initially (she has heard me say this) I thought she was crazy or just obsessive. What I learned was that she was right. Governments function better when citizens have better access to them. Elections are more informative when Facebook friends are passing messages back and forth about politicians.

I eventually caved into Sarah’s pressure. I set up a Facebook figuring I would never go back to it. But then the two way interaction began. I instantly realized its value in politics and community organizing in general. It was like a new day had dawned on how I perceived the world and my ability to shape my little part of it.

What we have gone on to be able to create has been nothing less then extraordinary. I can say that because most of the hard work has been done by so many colleagues of mine. Early last year a good friend of mine, Jason Croucher started the blog Kansas Jackass and it has now been named one of the best political blogs in the country by the Washington Post.

Sarah blogs regularly on Future Majority and Everyday Citizen. A good friend of mine in the labor community, Jake Lowen has started KansasLabor.org and a wiki called openkansas.org that has been updated by many of the people I named above. I was able to start a local artist collective Chords and Oil in Topeka where I live and organize all of the participants though social networking sites. I even have a neighborhood watch group on Facebook for all of the people I live around.

We are at the dawn of new and great things to come all of which started on the internet. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane with me and will take the time to listen to the Kraske show tomorrow at 11. The show is on the Kansas City NPR affiliate KCUR 89.3 and you can listen online here.

We can move mountains with keyboards and mice.