Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012.
We’re about halfway through 2012 and one of the things I’m loving about this Blogversation project is the different voices and perspectives of the smart, articulate women who are participating.
We’re starting a third rotation of Blogversation questions this week. All the Blogversationists take turns posing a question, with members committed to answering each other’s questions, and we invite others to jump into the conversation, too.
Today Maria Stuart asks a timely, newsy question that’s unlike anything we’ve discussed so far. I love it when we push the boundaries of Blogversation. Maria’s blog is http://mariastuart.com, she’s @mariastuart on Twitter.
An editor’s note before Maria’s question: please keep it civil in the comments. Spirited debate and disagreement is welcomed, but name calling and disrespect is not and I will be quick with the moderation if anything gets nasty.

And now to Maria:
This is an election year.
As the daughter of a union organizer with a Michigan State Police “red” file, I’ve worked elections, walked picket lines, taken part in boycotts, circulated petitions and volunteered for political campaigns back in the day. The older I’ve become, though, the less politically active I am. I always vote, but I leave the heavy lifting to others. Part of becoming a political spectator from a political activist had to do with my career as a journalist and my job as a newspaper editor. But now that that phase of my life is over, I am thinking about becoming politically active again.
How important are organized politics in your life? Are you politically active? If you are, what moves you to activism? If you aren’t, why not?