Used to be all you had to do to justify spending the next four years bitching about the government was - vote.
That's not enough any more. President-elect Obama has raised the bar for civic participation at Change.gov.
Submit your email address, and you get daily updates on the issue of the day.
Updates that expect you to respond with your own ideas.
Concerned about the economy? Iraq? Health care? Environment? Immigration? Terrorism? There's a "agenda" page on two dozen different topics, and each one expects you to contribute with your own emailed ideas.
Tell your own story on the "An American Moment" page.
Complain about Obama's latest personnel announcement or make suggestions for tomorrow's press conference by clicking "Join the Discussion" right on the front page.
Yeah, yeah, maybe it's just a way of pacifying the savage mob. But if all it does is give you a feeling of satisfaction from directly participating, that's more participation than any other administration has offered.
And there's some evidence that the Obama campaign really is listening to the liberal blogosphere.
This week, torture supporter John Brennan dropped out of consideration for CIA Director or any other position in intelligence. He did so citing days of furious opposition to his appointment by Glenn Greenwald and others.
As Big Tent Democrat wrote at TalkLeft:
In case people were wondering, THIS is why you do not wait to express your "concern" about issues and personnel.
Whether you're a Blue Dog worried that we dirty fucking hippies are going to force Obama to establish communism, or a progressive worried that Clinton triangulators are going to smother his liberal ideals, go to Change.com and give Obama a piece of your mind.
Cross-posted at They Gave Us A Republic ....
