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Telegraphic thoughts on Netroots Nation

lambert's picture
Submitted by lambert on Thu, 06/07/2012 - 10:56pm

1. It's a tradeshow. For political consultants. It was exactly like MacWorld, and in fact the two populations would overlap, given the hardware I saw everywhere (including my own computer bag).

2. I met some interesting people, including Marcy Wheeler, a fracking activist from OH, a radio broadcaster from MI, and the Truth-Out crowd.

3. I heard "I'm from DC" in the halls way too often.

4. It's interesting to be in a crowd of people who bear one's own class and cultural markers, and yet to feel almost completely alienated from them.

5. Eric Schneiderman is good. I don't mean a good person, it's just that you can see why he would have backing. He's persuasive if you don't know the detail and/or want to be persuaded.

6. And I wasn't wearing a badge in DC. I was wearing a sign or perhaps a name card.

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TheMomCat's picture
Submitted by TheMomCat on

2 hours and 20 minutes of mostly sleep inducing blather. I don't know who scheduled the speakers but I think it may classed as a war crime.

lambert's picture
Submitted by lambert on

I actually did lean back and shut my eyes during Sheldon Whitehouse.

goldberry's picture
Submitted by goldberry on

YearlyKos 1 in Las Vegas was a blast. Just a bunch of friends you never knew you had getting together.
YearlyKos 2 in Chicago was when I started to pick up some strange vibes and there were more consultant types there. By the last day, I felt distanced.
Never went back.

Submitted by MontanaMaven on

Vegas was a blast. The Firedoglake bloggers were like a friendly rival gang. And there was more press there than participants. I remember sitting in some small room with Maureen Dowd at 9am. It was a workshop on how to do a tv interview by some political consultant. meeting fellow bloggers was the best part.

The next one in Chicago was showier. best part was the Teamster lunch with a big Semi parked in the middle. But they had the same panels with the same participants. And,yes, mostly blather. I went to yet another panel with George Lakoff who I was finding more and more insufferable and deadly dull. Yes, something was not right about this little club of D.C. Insiders. I had also attended the campaign for America's Future twice. Same people. I also never went back.

DCblogger's picture
Submitted by DCblogger on

I heard "I'm from DC" in the halls way too often.

I suspect they are not from DC, I suspect they are from Washington. Colocated, but not the same.

If the Democratic party was healthier, if it were the Democratic party of the 1960's or even the 70's, it would be healthy this meeting of the wannabees and newly arrived. But the Democratic party is totally debauched and useless, so it is awkward.

jest's picture
Submitted by jest on

I'm from the DC area, and I can't stand "Washington"...

I know exactly what you mean.

Chocolate City is pretty much dead.

lambert's picture
Submitted by lambert on

... but i should have a post up later...

the mood was baically like a trade show. think of obama fans as booth babes promotional models, but because it wasn't a very big trade show, there weren't very many booths wasn't much to promote.

Valley Girl's picture
Submitted by Valley Girl on

can be used for female or male. I mean, I've used it that way. He says "Hi babe" and I respond "Hi babe". Not sexist, as far as I know, if that was your point.

See urban dictionary
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.ph...

For example, if I liked Jason Rosenbaum, I might consider him a booth babe. LOL

Valley Girl's picture
Submitted by Valley Girl on

I guess I'm really behind the curve on the "booth babe" issue.

Awesome (?) links. Well, an awesome collection of links.

I wonder if Lambert knew what he was saying... he doesn't seem like a sexist to me.

Then again, in my experience even really really smart and "attuned" men have a hard time not being "inadvertently" sexist. They think they aren't, but they are, if one digs deep enough. Its just such a pervasive underpinning to our society it's hard to see, unless one is female.

On The Other Hand, Lambert is known for his sense of Irony, so I rather suspect he knew what he meant... ironic reflection on the whole endeavor...

Submitted by hipparchia on

"men hate you" is possibly an overstatement, in some cases, but i find the phrase to be a useful reminder of just how pervasive [and therefore mostly invisible] sexism is.

also, i just love reading twisty and haven't linked to her in a while.

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