Will Washington be the second? Probably not, we don’t get much for Blue Tiger Democrats up in these parts, but I love their mantra of “sending money to local organizations to serve their community and build the base.”

Here is Blue Tiger chair’s Bill Samuels’ Kos Diary on his Wyoming Trip (where the deal with Michigan was announced).

Said the Michigan party chieftain:

“Despite the gains the Democratic Party made in the midterm elections, many people still do not believe either party cares much about them. Our goal is to regain respect for the Democratic Party and for the political process.” Brewer said. “The Michigan Democratic Party is committed to making civic engagement an integral part of our state organization. By giving Democrats things to do between elections and providing meaningful services we Democrats can show citizens that parties want to engage them more than just on election day.”

This is beyond YouTube election stuff and moves us beyond “The revolution will not be televised.” Blue Tiger Dems suggest a way to move the party to the future where the old media won’t really matter and social connections will be the most important aspect of our organizations.

More on Michigan:

Samuels and Brewer were to give a presentation to the Association of State Democratic Chairs around 7 p.m. EST Friday on Michigan’s success with a Blue Tiger pilot project it ran this year. Brewer is president of the national organization, which is meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The state party helped low-income Michigan residents in 10 of the poorest areas of Detroit and nearby Macomb County learn ways to be more energy efficient and lower their utility bills. The program reached more than 28,000 people, helping some families save more than $1,000 each, Brewer said.

He noted the outreach is important because too many people think the political parties don’t care about them except to get their votes. He wants to make the Democratic Party appealing not just for its candidates and principles but because it’s involved in improving citizens’ lives.

The Blue Tiger idea (as suggested by a commenter over at Michigan Liberal) is hauntingly similar to the Dean Corps idea that grew out of Dean for America. It was a good idea then, and I’m surprised honestly it hasn’t changed more local organizations.