I suspended my posting on the Progressive Identity Project recently to focus on a few other things. Research for my thesis works on a number of levels including reading books (what? in the internet era? books? with pages??), searching databases for relevant supplemental material, and occasionally writing. I'm in the home stretch now, with about a month before D-day.

I've focused a lot on progressivism, what it is, what it's not, and the things progressives believe in that make them progressive. I want to take time out from that today to ask about media. I want to find out from you out there in the digital ether how you communicate. What media of communication do you use most, least, not at all. Let's jump over the fold and talk...

In a recent first, the Personal Democracy Forum held a "Twitter Debate" between Obama and McCain surrogates. The PdF is a really interesting collection of people from various backgrounds, who jointly hope to promote, understand, and evolve technology in democratic uses.

The moderator of this debate was none other that Wonkette Emeritus herself, Ana Marie Cox. The surrogates in question were RNC Director of Communications, Liz Mair and Michael Nelson, Clinton's Director for Technology Policy at the Federal Communications Commission, IBMer, and Visiting Professor of Communication, Culture, and Technology at Georgetown University.

On May 15th, 2007, a little more than a year ago, PBS Frontline aired it's documentary "Spying on the Homefront", which you can watch at your leisure by following that link. You can also give to PBS by clicking here to support their efforts and to continue a tradition of excellent journalism that is all too rare in the new millennium.

I give you these links because I believe in PBS and in particular the excellent brand of documentary film making that is consistently produced by the people at Frontline. That and the fact that I'm providing you with the complete 60 minutes via somebody's YouTube upload after the fold:

It may seem a bit obvious that Ron Paul's presence has created headaches for John McCain and the GOP in general. He's been like an anti-war thorn in the side of the right wing radicals that have co-opted all good sense in the Republican Party and supplanted it with totalitarianism. Paul has served in Congress as a Republican over the years although his positions on key issues certainly would seem to stand at odds with the current administration.

His 1988 Libertarian Party run at the presidency fell a distant 3rd to George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis, but he has attracted flocks of followers over the years for his ability to corner the market on a political identity that speaks to more than a few conservative minded citizens out there.

The issue of race has been injected into this presidential campaign both as a source of pride and progress and as a wedge to scare and intimidate. Of course, this is often true in our election seasons as Republican voter suppression takes center stage and the taking for granted of the African-American vote by the Democrats is often a problem.

This election, perhaps, draws the most stark contrast between presidential candidates as Barack Obama represents the first African-American to be nominated by a major party, and John McCain features one of the most checkered pasts in memory on the other side. There are three major issues on the McCain side that I want to explore here.

1. The "Gook" Issue

2. The MLK Holiday Issue

3. The Confederate Flag Issue

Greetings Sunday political junkies. I'm betting that anyone reading this now is tuned in to one of the many Sunday morning political roundtables, drinking coffee or tea, and looking for a little fix of the Kos. Welcome to this diary.

This is the 5th in my Masters thesis project series, and I'm hoping for a little better luck with the turnout today that I've had for my last two. After a good start in which I managed 41, 21, and 29 comments (not to mention the 66 in the intro diary), I've had a whopping 3 and 5 for the last two. Today I'm going to keep it simple. The point after the fold...

I just splashed and gave the DNC $100 for their efforts this election season. As you may have seen today, Senator Obama praised the work that Howard Dean has done there and wants him to continue for another term. He's also set down new rules about PAC and lobbyist money.Things are moving in the right direction for the party and the nation as long as we have leadership like this. I gave $20 to a DNC person on the street in New York some months ago, and I'm upping the ante now. The stakes are very high.

I set out to write this journal as a way to explore my own feelings about the historical significance of Barack Obama's nomination. I understand the feelings in my heart, but writing this helps me get things together in my head as well. I wonder if any of you out there are feeling the same thing.

The reason for this introspection is my lifelong relationship to race and human relations and the enrichment I've been so fortunate to enjoy for these 37+ plus years thanks to my deep connection to people from virtually every race and walk of life in the world. This is that kind of story. Follow me.

For those of you who have been following this series, I thank you for stopping by again. For newcomers, I invite you to look at the three prior entries (#1, #2, #3) to get a sense of this bi-weekly (Sunday and Wednesday) conversation. It's a part of my thesis research and involves progressive identity and culture and new media.

Tonight I want to take a break from scholarly exploration and just get your feelings about our new Democratic nominee. Follow me after the fold for a few points and questions...

Thanks to those who have stopped by to participate in Progressive Identity Project Diaries #1 and #2. You've made this a very interesting examination so far and I hope to draw more people into the fold. To this point, we've discussed the shared values of progressives and played around with some of the key points of progressivism as defined by John Halpin of the Center for American Progress. Continuing this theme, I'd like to talk a bit about progressive communication and culture today. Follow me after the fold for the details...

That's what Adam Brodsky wants us to think. Of course he makes his argument in the op-ed pages of the New York Post, which is so far beyond "rag" that it would take three winning Powerball tickets to bring it to riches. This opinion piece does illustrate however the type of socialized mentality that exists among the Right that Fox-ifies reality in order to suit the needs of the would-be Hannitys of the world. I'd like to take apart Mr. Brodsky's piece a bit after the fold.

Thanks to all who stopped by on Sunday to participate in the first official Progressive Identity Project conversation. Your contributions to this ongoing series are much appreciated and I hope we can continue to build on our dialog each and every time out.

For those of you new to this series, please take some time to stop by the introduction to the project and Diary #1 when you have a moment. What goes on here every Sunday and Wednesday beginning at 9am EST/6am PST, and continues for the remainder of the day, is a conversation about progressive identity in new media environments. It's a part of my Masters thesis and a media ecology research project that requires your help. Please rec and participate as often as possible. I hope you'll check in regularly via subscription and consider joining my e-mail distribution list for updates, scheduling reminders, and interview requests. You can leave me your information at:

plugh@fordham.edu

Follow me after the fold...

Welcome to the first installment of my regular diary series, Progressive Identity Project. My name is Mike Plugh and I'm a Masters candidate at Fordham University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and a Democrat Abroad Japan.

Some of you may have read my first diary this week, introducing this project and its relationship to my thesis. I welcome those of you who missed that entry to read it at your leisure. To make a long story short, my thesis is tentatively titled "Comparative Analysis: Social Networking Structures and Progressive Political Identity," and aims at uncovering the ways that DailyKos and other web-based social networks contribute to the formation and growth of progressive political identity. You participation in this diary series will help me to conclude my research. It's an informal give and take based on a series of questions and statements I hope to explore with you in the comments section. Follow me after the fold:

Greetings fellow Kossacks. My name is Mike Plugh. I'm a 37-year old Masters candidate at Fordham University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and an active member of Democrats Abroad Japan.

This is the first in an ongoing series of diaries designed to further my Masters thesis, and I'm humbly asking your help to "rec" and participate in order to get the best possible results. The working title of my thesis is "Comparative Analysis: Social Networking Structures and Progressive Political Identity." A mouthful, for sure, but I think many of you will find it interesting both as a subject of study, and as a participatory experience. Follow me after the fold...

I was reading some commentary by Clinton supporters today regarding the unfairness of the Democratic nomination process. At first the hindsight complaints by these people reminded me a bit of the anarcho-syndicalist mud farmers in the Monty Python's Holy Grail scene. The post-defeat populism that the Clinton campaign has adopted is a bit amusing to me. I wondered aloud if the supporters who were now complaining about the system were picketing the DNC prior to Iowa.

When I went back and watched the clip of the Python bit, it occurred to me that these people are taking on the role of the mud farmers, while their candidate is taking the role of Arthur, King of the Britons. The final metric has been set people!

The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, will hold aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water signifying by Divine Providence that she, Hillary Clinton, is to carry the Democratic banner. That is why she is your nominee!

It's all so clear now.

A lot of excellent work as been done over the past 24 hours at DailyKos with regard to the Bush comments in the Israeli Knesset. The reprehensible commentary of Bush, and subsequently by McCain and his Vice Presidential hit man Joe Lieberman, prompted a powerful and unified response by the Democratic leadership. Pelosi and Reid spoke up. Biden was blunt and strong. Even Hillary Clinton stepped in to defend the Democratic Presumptive Nominee. Where in the world is Al Gore?

I just gave $50 to Barack Obama. Now it's up to you to give big tonight.

It's been reported that John McCain will be a guest on TWwGS, but that's only a side story to me. The punditry (except Keith and Rachel) are putting the ABC backlash on whining Obama supporters. Perhaps there's an element to that, but the issue is not unfair treatment of one particular candidate over another. The issue is shoddy journalism that dumbs down the national discourse.