Launching TheHug.com - Spread the Word!

Written by: Luigi Montanez on May 13, 2008 6:23 PM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA HQ Grassroots, Blog For America

Friends, I've launched a (really tiny) microsite called TheHug.com.

http://thehug.com

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and this image should be very familiar to you. However, it's not yet familiar to the average American voter.

So we have some work to do. We need to start defining McCain now, and we can use the same viral tactics the Right uses to spread disgusting smears about the candidates on our side. But a simple picture (overflowing with truthiness) is all we need.

So open up your email, and send the link to everyone you know:

http://thehug.com

Thanks,

Luigi

P.S. Great redesign/restructuring DFA!

Announcing ForGore.com - You Have the Power!

Written by: Luigi Montanez on Oct 12, 2007 7:47 AM EDT

I know alot of us DFAers <3 Al Gore. I'm happy to announce the launch of a new Draft Gore effort (think of it as a people-powered YouTube petition):

http://www.forgore.com

The idea is simple: ForGore.com is a video blog featuring Americans like you who want to see Al Gore jump into this race. Most importantly, ForGore.com needs you (yes, you!) to make your own video right now and submit it to the site.

We've signed petitions, we've gone to meetups, and we've talked to all our friends and neighbors. But despite our best efforts, Gore still hasn't jumped into the race. While he has yet to make the "Shermanesque" statement that he's not running, the fact of the matter is that Al Gore only has a few weeks left to launch his campaign.

So now it's your chance to turn up the heat. The idea is simple: record a video explaining why you are for Gore. Speak directly to him, or speak to all of us. Be creative and entertaining. Write a song, or make a (very) short film. Make sure your enthusiasm shows through. The power of our collective voices and smiling faces will be too strong for Al Gore to ignore.

After recording your video, upload it to YouTube (tag it with 'forgore'), and use this form to tell ForGore.com about it. Who knows, in a few days, Al Gore himself may see your video.

There's already a terrific Draft Al Gore movement out there, and America For Gore is the acting coalition for the movement. You should also check out DraftGore.com and AlGore.org to get more involved.

As a certain people-powered Presidential candidate once said, you have the power. Today, you have the power to get Al Gore into this race. But time is of the essence, so let's get started!

New Blog for America Feature: Post YouTube Clips

Written by: Luigi Montanez on Apr 28, 2007 8:52 PM EDT

I'm happy to announce that through the Rich HTML toolbar, you can now post YouTube clips. Here's a classic clip that we're all familiar with. I'm including it not for the infamous scream, but because what he says at the very end (at around 46 seconds before the end) still applies today, and it's why DFA is still here 3 years later.

It's okay if you tear up a little bit when you think of what could have been. I know I did.

Use this thread to report any bugs with the new feature. Keep in mind, you'll need to use the Rich Text toolbar.

New Features

Written by: Luigi Montanez on Nov 13, 2006 10:48 PM EST

It's been two weeks since the new Blog for America launched, and despite some growing pains, things have gone quite well. First off, I want to thank all of you who have helped each other adjust to the new site. It's very much appreciated.

Here's what's new:

• Favorites - Posts from your buddies and groups on DFA-Link are automatically added as your favorites. You can remove any favorites you don't like, and as you browse BFA, you'll be able to add new favorites.
• Recommendations - You can recommend posts you like. Recommendations are the main metric for a post getting into the "What's Popular" section.
• Persistent Login - No more logging in every time you visit. BFA will remember you for a week.

As always, please report any bugs with details on what you were trying to do, and what your operating system/web browser is.

Coming up, the commenting system is going to get some upgrades. Be on the lookout for a new style of threaded conversation that really flies. 

Some well-deserved sleep

Written by: Luigi Montanez on Nov 8, 2006 3:00 AM EST

We've taken back the U.S. House, the governorships, and the state legislatures. We're on the cusp of taking back the U.S. Senate. This election was close in many, many races across the board, and we should brace ourselves for some upcoming legal disputes.

But we should be all sleeping well tonight. Tomorrow, our newly elected Democratic majority will begin to lay the groundwork for the tough task of governance, while we begin to lay the groundwork for more progressive victories in 2007, 2008, and beyond. After all, winning is so very sweet.

As Howard Dean once said, "you have the power."

Victory in the House!

Written by: Luigi Montanez on Nov 8, 2006 12:22 AM EST

It's been a wonderful night for DFA, Democrats, and America. The Senate is still up for grabs, and we have yet to see how much of a wave this election will be.

Follow the DFA-List results here. 

Live Results Continued

Written by: Luigi Montanez on Nov 7, 2006 10:29 PM EST

Well, it's getting late on the East Coast and not much is decided yet. It'll be close folks.

DFA-List Results

If you see any races called that haven't been updated yet, shout it out! 

Live Results

Written by: Luigi Montanez on Nov 7, 2006 8:00 PM EST

We'll be up late here at DFA HQ tracking DFA-List victories across the country.

The hard work the national DFA community has done for this election has been nothing short of incredible. DFA members have not only assumed key roles in Congressional campaigns, but many have also decided to throw their hat into the ring and run for office themselves. We've come a long way since 2004, and our hard work will not only be rewarded tonight, but in 2007, 2008, and beyond.

Track the results here.

Welcome to the new Blog for America!

Written by: Luigi Montanez on Oct 30, 2006 7:28 AM EST

This morning we're excited to launch the new Blog for America. Over the past year, we've been astounded by the growth of DFA-Link, our set of online tools for offline action. It's the biggest political social network around, but we want to make it even bigger.

From now on, DFA-Link groups will be blogging on Blog for America. As we've already seen from this election year, the future of online organizing lies in local blogging. DFA-Link groups all over the country have been actively using their blogs to communicate and report about what they're up to, and it's time to shine the spotlight on them.

Everyone can write a blog post and link it to their DFA-Link group, and the best of those posts will be promoted to the front page by DFA Staff. Blog posts can be given a geographic location and searched by zip code or state, just like groups and events on DFA-Link. Soon, a feature called "Blog Actions" will give readers an automatically generated action they can take, based on the content of the blog post they're currently reading. For example, a post about GOTV will direct them to their local GOTV events on DFA-Link. It works just like Google Ads, but for political activism.

As you can tell, things aren't quite done around here. We wanted to get this out as soon as possible so that you could take advantage of the tools. We appreciate your patience and input as we roll out new technology over the coming days.

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Written by: Luigi Montanez on Sep 6, 2006 4:37 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Luigi's Test Group

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