Truthdiggers of the Week: The Architects of Nov. 7

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20061110_truthdig/

Posted on Nov 10, 2006

Truthdig salutes the individuals and organizations that swept the Democrats to victory: the members of the Democratic leadership, and the progressive netroots. Kudos all around.

First, the Democratic leadership:

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), the House Democratic leader

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), chairman of the House Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Sen. Harry Reid (Nev.), the Senate Democratic leader

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

Howard Dean, chair of the Democratic National Committee

Next, the progressive netroots. In particular:

MoveOn.org, the Democratic advocacy group that raised $27,157,797 this election cycle.

ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising organization that helped to raise over $17,000,000 since 2004.

There’s a spirited debate across the media about which deserves more credit: the Ramh Emanuel types or the netroots. Supporters of each point to losses and victories of candidates that either had championed, but it’s probably too early for solid conclusions.

For a start, check out this fine roundup of political junkies wrestling with this issue. (Compiled by TPM Cafe’s Greg Sargent.)

It begins:

... Some say the netroots deserve credit because they had the guts, foresight and online organizational clout to push quirky but principled candidates whose strongly articulated opinions slowly generated appeal among voters. Others point out Rahm’s fundraising helped “netroots” candidates at least as much as the bloggers did, and note Rahm’s successful pragmatic candidate-recruitment. A third school of thought holds there’s plenty of credit to go around and the two camps actually complement each other.

Also: Check out this San Francisco Chronicle article that details how Pelosi helped boost the Democrats to power.

And learn more about the presumed new Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, in this N.Y. Times profile.

The architects of the Democrats’ Nov. 7 victory: House Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) celebrates with fellow Democrats at an election-night rally on Capitol Hill. She is joined by, from left, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), chairman of the House Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; Senate Democratic leader Sen. Harry Reid (Nev.); and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. At right is Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. Beneath those pictures are the logos of two of the most powerful Internet-based Democratic fundraising and advocacy organizations—MoveOn.org and ActBlue.