Tragically, even TPM's Josh Marshall seems to build up the myth that one must follow rock-stars to make change happen.  But this tends to come at the cost of local issues/politics in ways that would perhaps have a much greater cumulative effect on US (and int'l) politics than anything we sort of accomplish via the hot big issues of the moment (aka Health Care reform right now.). 

State level election reforms are meant to engage voters and local t(hird)-parties in state legislative elections / issues.  This would provide alternative locations for political activism that does not require us to be groupies, following the major party leaders (not that that's wrong, its' just wrong that it is, more or less, the only "pragmatic" option available.).  The strategic election reform approach takes as a matter of both fact and faith that the changes in state-political dynamics and voter habits induced by reforms will then trickle-up to affect national issues.  And, since election reforms shall help with all other issues needing reform, it deserves more priority than other reforms.

And so I hope that TPM will decrease (after it helps to direct more atte to strategic state-level election reform), so that more local political blogs will increase.  Otherwise, it may be undercutting its progressive values, in my opinion, by virtue of its desire to stay on top of things.

dlw