{"id":34561,"date":"2011-12-19T07:45:18","date_gmt":"2011-12-19T14:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=34561"},"modified":"2011-12-20T07:17:23","modified_gmt":"2011-12-20T14:17:23","slug":"lefty-blogger%e2%80%99s-death-leaves-a-void-that-won%e2%80%99t-be-easy-to-fill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2011\/12\/lefty-blogger%e2%80%99s-death-leaves-a-void-that-won%e2%80%99t-be-easy-to-fill\/","title":{"rendered":"Lefty blogger\u2019s death creates a void that won\u2019t be easy to fill"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Heath Haussamen<\/p><\/div>\n

Democracy for New Mexico\u2019s Barb Wold exemplified something significant I recently wrote about \u2013 the use of the Internet to organize and usher in a new era of democracy<\/h4>\n

Barb Wold and I disagreed often. She was a true-blue activist who called me a right-winger at least once. To be honest, there were many times I wasn\u2019t happy with her.<\/p>\n

All of that aside, Barb exemplified something significant I recently wrote about \u2013 the use of the Internet to organize and usher in a new era of democracy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Put simply, Barb built from scratch an online space for activism that influenced the words and actions of many left-leaning politicians. That website, Democracy for New Mexico<\/a>, has been, without question, the most effective of the state\u2019s left-leaning blogs at promoting its agenda.<\/p>\n

Barb lost a tough battle with cancer on Sunday, dying at the age of 64 and leaving behind her life partner, MaryEllen Broderick. Barb\u2019s passing creates a void on the left that won\u2019t be easy to fill.<\/p>\n

A true believer<\/h3>\n

Barb was a true believer who was passionate about her work. She was still posting on the site hours before her death<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I thought Barb was at her best when she was criticizing Democrats she viewed as straying from the values of party. She was bold, indignant and blunt. In one of her more personal postings<\/a>, she slammed a pair of Democratic state senators who helped kill a domestic partnership bill earlier this year, labeling Pete Campos and Carlos Cisneros \u201cthe Catholic sons of virtue and truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThese two have been pretending to be on the fence every time a domestic partnership bill is introduced in the legislature. They\u2019ve learned they get a lot of attention this way. And they like attention. It makes them feel, you know, POWERFUL, in a cocky sort of way. In the end, however, they always seem to limply vote against the bill, claiming they are oh so troubled by the decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not bigots, you see, or acting out some political revenge on the Governor or anything. No, they\u2019re just faced with a matter of conscience so deep they must consult and obey Allen Sanchez, the lobbyist for the New Mexico Conference of Bishops, who just happens to be against domestic partnerships because they might, any minute now, turn into MARRIAGE. Heaven forbid!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In 2010, Barb wrote a blistering post about the long-windedness and ego of Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Jennings after he pledged to oppose all tax increases. She wrote that Jennings was joining Republicans to \u201ckiss up to tea party demands\u201d<\/a> and apparently \u201cfeels at home hanging out with those who are fighting almost everything the Democratic Party stands for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Barb criticized Jennings and fellow Democrat George Mu\u00f1oz, D-Gallup \u2013 who she sarcastically labeled as \u201cDems,\u201d<\/a> with the quotation marks \u2013 for helping kill a bill that would expand public financing of elections.<\/p>\n

Democracy for New Mexico has been a success<\/h3>\n

In one of her final posts, Barb wrote about Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson running for president<\/a> under a new political party as a left-wing alternative to President Barack Obama. In the post, Barb had this criticism of Obama:<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Lastly has Obama gone too far with the indefinite detention? Is this the last straw? Will they come get me for writing this piece? Who determines what is terrorism? Slippery slope.\u00a0Imagine if Bush did this.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Democratic and Republican blogger-activists like Barb are having an impact with their efforts to influence their parties. They\u2019ve been successful at using the Internet to empower other activists and influence recent elections.<\/p>\n

I believe the challenge that comes with the new level of democracy made possible by the Internet is to get past partisan division and work together (as I wrote in my recent column<\/a> on the subject), but I still must acknowledge the success true believers on the left and right have in harnessing the power of the Internet to promote their beliefs. Such activism is critical in any democratic society.<\/p>\n

Though she was frustrated by the battles she didn\u2019t win \u2013 such as the fight for domestic partner benefits \u2013 Barb\u2019s experiment with Democracy for New Mexico can only be called a success.<\/p>\n

\u2018The activist we all aspire to be\u2019<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s been an outpouring of love and respect for Barb on the Internet since her death, which MaryEllen announced Sunday evening on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

State Rep. Al Park posted on Facebook<\/a> that Barb was \u201can incredible advocate for our community and values.\u201d Rep. Mimi Stewart tweeted<\/a> that Barb was \u201csuch a sweet soul, an activist to the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich wrote<\/a> that Barb\u2019s \u201cspirit and fierce commitment to making our community better will be sorely missed.\u201d Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Javier Gonzales sent out a news release calling Barb \u201cthe activist we all aspire to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

The respect didn\u2019t come only from the left. Aaron Henry Diaz, a Republican activist and longtime political blogger, tweeted this<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Mexico lost a fellow blogger & activist today, Barb Wold. I never agreed with her but she was sharp as a whip.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As for me: I didn\u2019t have to always agree with Barb or like what she said about me to respect her. I admired her passion and marveled at what she built in Democracy for New Mexico.<\/p>\n

Barb, you will be missed.<\/p>\n

Haussamen bio<\/a>\u00a0\u2502\u00a0Commentary page<\/a>\u00a0\u2502\u00a0Feed<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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