the blogging mood

i want to comment on what i think is something that liberal bloggers can work on to improve their product, make themselves even more useful and indispensable, and make a more positive impact on our country.

i find that liberal blogs tend to focus on the negative. i'm not exactly one of those people who believes that positive thoughts bring positive results, or anything like that, but i do think that the liberal bloggers open themselves up to criticism that they defeatists, anti-american, and angry reactionaries when they pile up pages and pages of posts and all the content is snarky, sarcastic, and mean-spirited. even when i find myself agreeing with atrios's take on the media or kos's take on republican scare tactics, i am constantly reaching for the answer. often times, liberal bloggers don't offer one. they seem to traffic in the anger that the bush administration has produced. they don't necessarily seem to be working on a daily basis to stop that anger at its source.

i understand as much as anyone that there isn't much positive to talk about with george w. bush and his cronies in power. the country is on a bad course; this is undeniable. but complaining about all the abuses of power is one thing, acting on them in a positive way is another.

a recommendation to liberal bloggers everywhere: do as much as you can do to post alternatives to the negativity that is pervading the blogosphere. when the democrats fail us (yet again) post about ways we can fix the problem. the "more and better democrats" message is a powerful one. when a set-back arises (and there will be plenty of them), ask yourself "what can we do to make this better?" don't just complain. find a way to act.

our greatest asset as liberals is that we truly believe that we can make america a stronger place through collective work and effort. let's come up with positive solutions to our problems. when we allow the negativity that has creeped into our system over the last 7 years to defeat us, we are no better than those that we oppose.

don't let yourself get turned to the dark side by accepting the same hatred and tactics that the conservatives use to their advantage.