“Meetup” groups take Richmond by storm
Meetup.com, so I’ve been told, is the new Facebook. It’s a social networking site designed to link people together who share the same interests in areas they live.
There are 50 Meetup groups within 13 miles of the area “West of the Boulevard.” And the interests they share range from normal to quirky.
Broad-based Meetup groups include Wine-lovers, Dance, and Tennis players.
The more obscure: Fibromyalgia, New to Richmond 20-somethings, Miniature Pinscher-lovers, and Ghost Trackers (may or may not have participated in the Byrd Theatre investigation).
But my favorite one is the Richmond Ron Paul Meetup group. They’re pictured above and are 187 members strong. It’s interesting that Ron Paul supporters are the only political-affiliated group I could find on Meetup in the Richmond area. It makes me wonder where the other candidates’ grass roots support is.
Ron Paul for life!!
Meetup’s been around for a while now. Dean used it a lot in 2004 for political purpsoes, but I know DC’s used it for blogger meetups since at least 2002. Politically, it’s primarily been utilized by the non-front runner Dem candidates (Dean, Kucinich). As a tool it gets people motivated on the ground and engaged when traditional means fail, though why the larger candidates haven’t embraced it is beyond me. Seems like it wouldn’t hurt to try.