Raising Kaine got going last January 18. Its first two posts - "Kilgore?s Scumbag Media Advisor" and "Does Mark Warner?s future hinge on Tim Kaine?", were typical of what was to come. That, of course, is either good or bad depending upon your perspective! The two posts were also, if I do say so myself, right on the money. In fact, the very first words on this blog were: "Everyone needs to be ready for a vicious campaign this year." Hey, was that one "99.5% accurate" or what? Take THAT, Mr. "Not Larry Sabato!" Ha ha.Anyway, it's been a fascinating 11 months, that's for sure. When we set out, the goal was to both "raise cain" (as in, stir things up) and also to "Raise Kaine" (as in, to the Virginia governor's mansion). I could be wrong, but I feel like we largely accomplished both goals, to the extent that any blog can possibly do so. Now, we prepare for 2006 and beyond, with a great team of writers, activists, and web developers on our side. Our goals for 2006? Let's see, how about:
*Help elect Democrats to Congress fron the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, and 11th. Congressional Districts. As many as possible, anyway.
*Help defeat George Allen for Senate and elect...???
*Help push GOVERNOR Tim Kaine's positive agenda for Virginia. Gosh, I love saying that!
*Follow the fortunes of Mark Warner, as he leaves the governorship and turns to...well, other things. :)
*Continue highlighting the flaws of Conservatism, while promoting our vision of Teddy Roosevelt/FDR/JFK Progressivism.
*Help inform our readers about Virginia politics
*Discuss relevant national and even international issues as well
*Have some fun and "raise some cain/Kaine!"
*Keep building and enhancing this blog, PAC, etc. Remember, this is a GROUP effort and anyone with talent and a commitment to Progressive ideals is welcome to join.
*Two words: more links. A few more words: encourage Democratic bloggers to link to each other, just like those OTHER bloggers (aka, "Republicans") do so well.
*The #1 goal for 2006: keep our coveted platinum status on Not Larry Sabato! Heh.
*Increase our visits from almost 50,000 per month to at least 100,000 per month by November 2006. That may not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, especially when you consider that Daily Kos gets 20 MILLION visit per month. On the other hand, it's probably not too bad for a blog that focuses heavily on just one state (albeit a great one!) - Virginia. Multiplying 100,000 by 50 states would equate to 5 million visits per month. So now, all we need to do is Raise Kaine in the other 49 states as well. Anyone want to start a Raising Kaine blog in Pennsylvania, Maryland, or anywhere else? Let me know at poldir@raisingkaine.com
Finally, thanks to everyone who reads our rantings on Raising Kaine, and thanks for all your comments (even the negative ones, as long as they're civil). We couldn't do it without you!