KVNUFTP

Convention Blogging

My initial intention last week was to live blog the entire week as much as possible.

By 10 am Sunday morning, it became apparent this wasn’t going to work. Wireless was easy to find in Denver, and seating in the DNC “blogger’s lounge” required only a short wait to acquire. But all in all, there was just too much going on. I made a decision to get myself into as many events as possible, take notes, record audio, and learn. Also, the rest of the Amicus blogger team was doing a great job of covering our daily events.

This week, I want to flush out some of the panels and discussions we were able to attend. But to begin, some general thoughts on the experience:

1. It was strange. The energy was amazing and consistent throughout the week. It was obvious that something as large as the convention was not only a rally cry for the party, but also a great place for activists and issue-centric organizations to reach out, network, and build coalitions. On the other hand, it was impossible to ignore the AT&T influence – so soon after the FISA capitualtion, it was unnerving – and politics as usual in still too many venues. Inside the convention center, I often felt dirty (usually after catching sight of Steny Hoyer or Fox News), outside, I felt energized. This isn’t to say the Pepsi center experience was all bad. Speeches by Clinton, Kerry, and Clinton, and Biden left me feeling proud to be a Democrat. But stories like this from other bloggers were disappointing. And stories like this were infuriating (give me 3 months, Jenny, and I’ll get over your childish comments).

2. It was inspiring. Yeah I’ll admit, there was a modicum of celebrity awe in getting to talk to “famous” bloggers like Markos, Atrios, Stoller, Sirota, etc. It was also great to see Patrick Leahy’s eyebrows in person. But in a bigger picture sense, what left the greatest impression on me (and what I will be writing about the rest of this week) was the sheer number of issues and organizations presenting themselves around the city in venues ranging from high school gyms to commandeered cathedrals. Topics ranging from economic inequality to protecting the constitution filled panels, debates, discussions, and open public forums free to attend. The Starz Green Room presented itself like a mini-film festival where you could bump arms with paparazzi scrambling for a shot of Charlize Theron, and see footage from the ground in Iraq, without leaving your seat. Surreal, to say the least. DailyKos’s Big Tent (see their YouTube page for video of the daily panels) was packed from Sunday to Thursday with bloggers from around the country (and a few from around the world) as well as well-known media activists and progressive representatives – all with a story to tell.

All in all, it was information overload. And yeah, I cringed every time I walked past the AT&T pavillion in the Colorado Convention Center in downtown, but I also realize without doubt that hundreds of organizations and activists in attendance were capitalizing on an opportunity to exchange ideas and email addresses for the upcoming fight of not just winning in November, but also shaping a better Democratic Party in the four years before they all have a chance to meet again.

And not without importance, it was encouraging to see bloggers like myself standing, equally credentialed as ‘press’, with the news orgs., pundits, and talking heads who have defined our national political narratives unchecked for far too long. But more on that later.

- Jason