Netroots Nation Wrapup.
First, in case you haven’t heard, the annual conference of liberal and progressive bloggers is coming closer to our doors next year. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will host Netroots Nation on August 12-16, 2009. That is close enough for a lot of us to drive to. In fact, I would like to have the dean of the Delaware Blogosphere, Mr. Tom Noyes, attend and be on a panel about alternative energy policy. I will be contacting him.
Second, as for Netroots Nation 2008, what can I say, it was fun. I got to ask Al Gore a question that made national news everywhere. Unfortunately they did not use my name. I am just referred to as a “questioner.” I asked him if he would accept a role in the Obama Administration, he said he was flattered that so many have expressed an interest in having him join President Obama’s cabinet, or even serve as Vice President again, but he demurred and said that he’d rather “focus on trying to enlarge the political space in which political officials address this climate crisis.” He views himself as a global motivator of both citizens and governments, rather than having any government-specific responsibility.
I also got to meet and speak with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Air America’s Sam Seder, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (who laughed at the photo comparison I did of him and Charlie Copeland recently), new Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards, congressional candidates Charlie Brown (CA) and Darcy Burner (WA), Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate Bob Barr, Senate canidate Rick Noreiga (TX), Howard Dean and Wesley Clark. And those are only the folks I can soberly remember. Who knows who I was speaking to at the many parties held at various locations in Austin’s bar district.
Third, the reason I attended this conference, and why I think it important to discuss it here at Delaware Liberal, is that we can both impart what has been successful in Delaware during our attempts to achieve progressive goals, and we can learn from the success or failure of others. Notably, as I have reported before, Delaware’s progressives were cheered in our recent success on offshore energy. And during my specific panel on “Crashing the Party,” it was agreed that having progressive support groups and organizations like Progressive Democrats for Delaware is indeed necessary if you are looking to have progressives infiltrate and change the Democratic Party for the better, if only for conmiseration purposes when we suffer a setback.
So next year, I hope I am no longer the sole representative of both Delaware’s progressives and Delaware’s progressive blogosphere. And hopefully, having it in Pittsburgh will allow for many of you to come.
Awesome news. I’m already psyched for next year.
What’s with the Netroots not allowing certain media outlets in? Definitely not cool.
Which ones? The local Fox News affiliate was there. Hell, they let Bob Barr in. Perhaps your phrasing “media outlets” offers a clue. For evil opinion deceivers like Michelle Malkin, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Lielly and their ilk I guess can be considered “media outlets,” but they certainly are also partisan outlets that should not be allowed just as the GOP was not allowed a booth in the Exhibit Hall.
I think Mike’s referring to Fox News.
NN would have given their reporters ‘Opinion’ credentials.
If the shoe fits!
If the national FOX News people showed up, they were going to be given credentials that said Opinion Media — not straight up press credentials.
But since they didn’t show up, they didn’t collect any credentials.
When I read that I feel like sanity is returning to a country that has had a psychotic break with reality.
Congrats on asking Gore a question DD! I didn’t make it to NN08 this time, but I attended the first two conferences. I hope I can go next year since it’s so close. I’m glad you were there to share some of DE’s recent successes.
What did Al Gore do regarding climate change during his 8 yrs as V.P.?
Climate Change Action Plan, 1993
Earth in Balance, 1992
Actually, yes, Fox News was there and they were credentialed as Opinion Media, which is what they were. I do not know why Mike has a problem with that. Surely he is not now a Defender of Faux.
Sharon, he led the United States to sign the Kyoto Accords, which was then summarily rejected by the Republican Congress.
Gore also argued strongly for Kyoto–not saying I agreed with it, but he has been consistent on the issue
OK DD so you beat me to it by what–nanoseconds
Congratulations. Sounds like loads o’ fun!
I wanna go to NN in Pittburgh next year, but the tickets themselves would end up being insanely expensive. More than V-Fest in Baltimore, or San Diego Comic-Con, for example. Maybe I’ll get some ads up on my blog and see if that pays for a ticket.
If you register now, the ticket is $175