i'd like to be a better citizen. i'd love to kick bush out of the white house. these two reasons are why i've started attending "meetups." meetup is "a free service that organizes local gatherings about anything, anywhere."
of particular interest to me are the meetups for presidential candidates. according to the "top topics in usa presidential" list on meetup's usa presidential candidate site, meetups for a nonexistent campaign, gore in 2004, have better attendance than meetups for bush in 2004. not that this reflects the true quantity of bush supporters, but it shows they don't use this convenient, grassroots method of mobilizing. i'd say it was a shame, but i'd be lying.
if you want to fulfill a civic duty, or you're just fed up with the status quo, combining your small effort with a few other people adds up to a large effort. meetups are one easy way to connect with those other people.
if you want to know more about a candidate, attending (or starting!) a meetup is a great way to find out why other people in your area support him or her.
you don't need to have your mind made up to get involved. i signed up to attend meetups for one candidate, decided he wasn't for me, and have since been attending meetings to support howard dean.