Manuel Guzman

Name:	Manuel Guzman
Location:	Tucson, AZ
Where I blog:	Latino Político The Sanctuary The Unapologetic Mexican Booman Tribune

My Experience in progressive politics:

I had the opportunity to attend the Blogger Summit in March of 2008, sponsored by the New Organizing Institute. It gave me a taste of the value of being able to come together with other bloggers to network and hone the way we move messages into traditional media sources. I've been writing and doing political blog outreach for over three years and have walked the streets for Democratic candidates since 2000.

My personal volunteering highlight:

Canvassed for Kerry in 2000 during the general election season, Obama in 2008 for the primary and will do so again as the general election begins. I am also an anti-war marcher from the early days of 2003, pro-migrant/human rights marcher from 2006 to this year, and maintain contacts with grassroots groups that cover border issues.

Steps I've taken to combine on-line and off-line action:

The immigration marches of 2006, 2007, and 2008 have been done in coordination with radio, television, social networking sites and, of course, the blogs. I've participated in eight over the past two years and have worked to spread the word.

Why I want to attend Netroots Nation:

I've missed out on the last two gatherings and would like the opportunity to network with blog peers. Also, get ideas from other state-based bloggers on how to build Arizona's community site to a hub of web activism.

What I want to get out of Netroots Nation:

Motivation to become a better blogger/online journalist, tools on how to navigate the changing dynamics between traditional and new media sources, and relationships with other site leaders to foster more cross-blog campaigns.

What is a progressive activist:

A progressive activist is one who understands that in order to see a more equal society, each of us has an obligation to make it happen in our spheres of influence. It is taking stock of ones strengths and skills and putting it to use for the benefit of greater society. Politically-speaking, it is identifying candidates that will further an agenda of progressivism and not flinching when it comes to the hard work of getting them financed and elected.

How I think blogs fit into the progressive movement:

Blogs are important for disseminating information that may not be readily available to readers. In the case of pro-migrant blogs, we provide an aggregator service for news regarding immigration reform as well as calls to action for various marches, protests, rallies across the country. Blogs, when done well, can be great sources of networking and friendship-building. Solidarity is important to keeping activists impassioned for the long haul.

How I think Democracy For America fits into the progressive movement:

DfA has been outstanding from its inception to connecting voter-activists not only on a national level but also locally. It taps the energy of the people in a way that allows each person to use what they're good at for the betterment of society. It goes beyond getting Candidate X or Y elected, it's about building more progressive communities from the bottom up.

In 10 words or less, create a bumper-sticker slogan against John McCain:

McCain Is No Maverick, He's A Minuteman