Lowell Feld is a life long political activist starting at age 13 as a Teenage Republican. In 1979, Feld did volunteer work for Ford/Dole. That same year he attended former Senator Lowell Weicker's one-week summer intern program in Washington, DC.
In 1980, Feld started moving away from the Republican Party, casting his first-ever Presidential vote for John Anderson. Over time he moved more and more firmly into the Democratic Party.
More Recently, in 2003 Feld was heavily involved in the Draft Clark movement and eventual candidacy of General Wesley Clark. Feld ran 2 different websites for Clark, along with blogging for him.
After Clark withdrew, Feld continue to work for the Democratic Party and volunteered for Kerry/Edwards. After devastation and frustration he launched Virginia's Progressive Blog: Raising Kaine to assist in Governor Tim Kaine's 2005 race who defeated GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Jerry Kilgore.
In Late 2005, after reading Jim Webb's interest in higher office out of frustration and worry. Feld along with others persuaded Webb to enter the 2006 Senate race after Feld help launch the Draft James Webb movement.
To begin, there's not enough to be said about Lowell Feld. In 2006, Lowell became one of this country's first if not the first blogger to be paid and work on a political campaign.
I thank Jessica Vanden Berg, and Steve Jarding for doing this. Lowell Feld was critical in Webb's great victory which we can all take credit for.
Although this post is thanking Lowell Feld, Raising Kaine's founding father. It is more about what Lowell Feld represents. He represents all of us, he represents the netroots.
As netroots coordinator for the Webb campaign, it has become more evident to the political system in America how important we really are in campaigns.
Only in the last two or three cycles in this country are people starting to realize the impact of the netroots. In raising money, pushing candidacies, building support, coordinating events, and changing the dynamics of American politics.
There is fear among many, that is evident in the way some viewed Howard Dean's 2004 Presidential run as a threat to how business is done in Washington. Here in Virginia, Jim Webb and his candidacy was also viewed as a threat.
In fact, it still is a threat.
When Howard Dean said you have the power, he wasn't joking. We do. And no matter how many trolls from the right we get, or how many trolls we get from our own party. We still are powerful.
And we grow.
Thanks to Lowell Feld, who started this blog here in Virginia that made this growth possible, that made this win possible, that made this conversation possible.
In speaking with Lowell this past few weeks after the election, he is unsure of what direction he personally is going next. As many of you can tell he has decreased his posts, and I have increased my own.
But we need Lowell Feld. Virginia needs him, and America needs him. Lowell Feld could be the person who can be a pioneer in American politics and it's integration between the establishment and the blogosphere. He already has begun this by working with the Webb campaign.
Other than Markos, of Daily Kos. Lowell Feld may be the most prominent successful blogger in our country. Lowell began this journey by wanting to help change Virginia, and this country.
He has done that. Thank you Lowell.
My hope, is that he continues this fight for our country and continues to represent the netroots and helps brings the establishment and the bloggers together and continue to put fear in the GOP.
He doesn't do this alone, remember you have the power.
Comments
All I have to add to montoya's post is this. When our very democracy and Constitution came under attack, the processes of party politics as usual clearly was an inadequate response. It took exceptional people for this extraordinary task. People like Lowell Feld who provided us with effective tools and leadership.
And thank you montoya for your diary. I disagree with you on one point. It's not a threat, it's a promise.
Just think -- Lowell's work led to Dem control of the Senate. Indirectly, it may lead to the Dems in the Senate refusing to confirm right wing judges to the Supreme Court in the next two years.
A pretty big ripple from a single person.
Thanks, Lowell.
Cheers to Lowell, who obviously rocks.
And I have to say, rock on with whatever is in store for you, Lowell. You've done more for Virginians than I thought possible, and frankly; if you were to take a long ass, much deserved vacation, I would only be jealous. Work it. :)
What I found especially amazing was that he was never a heavy handed authoritarian or hierarchical leader. It was all done with a collegial kind of mutual consent. Hard to describe, but obviously extremely effective... And then he was willing to turn loose, cut the apron strings on his baby and let it ride under its own power. Only the best of leaders can manage that. We can only hope that Lowell will not disappear from the Virginia scene and most especially from RaisingKaine. We still need his input.
The amazing part is that the mainstream media, with very few exceptions, has almost no clue about what has happened here. They think that George Allen had a few gaffes and thereby bumbled his campaign, The End.
Personally, I almost don't want the MSM to figure out the truth. Better for us to keep toiling in the dark and rolling up victories that leave the establishment stunned and confused.
laurie
when i met him the 2nd time just before the election, i made sure to tell him that rk.com was one of my favorite sites that i visited multiple times a day.
so many great diaries/blogs were posted on here that helped keep me in the "know" about webb and allen and made me able to pass the message along in other blogs, with co-workers, family and friends.
this site is definitely one of the reasons webb won -- and we all know that lowell is the main reason we had such an awesome candidate running.
thanks RK and thanks lowell!
Even though I had to return to my (day) teaching job, my heart was with the campaign through election day and I rejoiced with the rest of you when we beat George Allen. Having seen him close up for many days on end, I can say that we have improved the ecosystem of the Senate by magnitudes with the election of Jim Webb to fill that seat.
Again, thanks for giving me a hand and letting me part of something wonderful and worthwhile.
Roadette
"Talent is always conscious of its own abundance, and does not object to sharing." | Solzhenitsyn
Everyone wants to take some credit for Webb's victory, but it is fair to say that, without Lowell, we'd probably still be facing at least 2 more years of being "represented" by a fake Virginian masquerading as a cowboy.
I hope Jim Webb knows this and appreciates it.
His actual "leadership by facilitation" was lost or ignored by most, especially the competition, because you don't normally see those skills without a dominent "ego". In Lowell's case, he exhibits the genuine passion and caring for those of us he worked with on the blogs. How many times did he go the extra mile to compliment, thank, or encourage most of us who followed his consistent leadership ??? I am truly proud to call him a friend and only wish I could have the journalistic skills he has demonstrated the last two years......
I sure hope we can twist Lowell's arm and those of a bunch of other now-reclusive bloggers to join us at the Blogger gathering and get together on January 7th in Northern Virginia....
I had a chance to finally put faces to two more psudonyms this past weekend at the Kaine/Caputo fund raiser at LuAnn McNabb's home. OBTW, There were over 200 people there and 25 "electeds" as well as a bunch of very high level solid "R"s who have crossed over to the "light".
And not only do you make things happen and focus on the right things, you also have an excellent sense of humor. I remember looking forward to reading your posts and search for the funny lines.
I get grumpy after a hard day of work. Your day of work lasted since last year and ended in November, and you still kept your sense of humor.
How do you do it? :)
Again, thank you lowell!