Blog: Netroots Nation

YearlyKos

The second annual YearlyKos Convention (and last, since the conference will be changing its name to Netroots Nation next year) took place at the start of August in Chicago. The conference was terrific, with many great people I knew and many I didn't, numerous interesting panels (I moderated a panel as well, about prognosticating the future of technology in politics), a great bar trivia contest testing obscure political knowledge (Living Liberally placed sixth!) and best of all, fun parties including one thrown by Living Liberally each night.

The conference venue itself was a little annoying. McCormick Place is in an isolated part of Chicago lacking nearby food options, and the food for sale is ridiculously overpriced. Through no fault of the conference organizers, the convention center changed the rooms at the last minute to several distant clusters with a ten-minute walk between them. And the hotel tried to extract a several hundred dollar bribe for bringing liquor into our room for a party.

But everyone I talked to had a great time, getting seven Presidential candidates to a blogger conference is an amazing accomplishment, and pulling off a convention like this is truly astounding given it has only one paid staff person managing an army of volunteers. Thanks for a great time, Team YearlyKos!

posted on Aug 22, 2007 3:18 pm (comment)

tags: bad streets, Chicago, Netroots Nation, photos, politics

Barack meets Baratunde

At the recent Yearly Kos convention, Laughing Liberally comedians reprised their role from last year opening for the keynote speakers. But the best moment for Laughing Liberally's comedians was at the Barack Obama breakout session after the candidate forum, when Baratunde was called on to ask a question (about coal; Baratunde was disappointed by the answer), introduced himself and his Laughing Liberally affiliation to huge cheers and applause from the room, and afterward, met the Senator, who said, "Apparently, you’re somebody I need to know."

I wish I'd taken this picture. I especially love the person taking the same picture with their cameraphone at the bottom of the frame.

posted on Aug 16, 2007 5:17 pm (comment)

tags: Barack Obama, Laughing Liberally, Living Liberally,
Netroots Nation, politics

West Kos trip

I've returned from a week and a half long trip to the West Coast, including Jamie's bachelor party, a Laughing Liberally show at the Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles attended by over 1,000 people, and the four-day Yearly Kos convention in Las Vegas. The convention featured many guests from the political world including Senators Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid, Howard Dean, recent authors including Ambassador Joe Wilson, Professor George Lakoff and Air America host Sam Seder, likely Presidential candidates Wes Clark and Mark Warner (the latter who threw a lavish party at the top of the Stratosphere hotel), many netroots candidates, top bloggers from Daily Kos, MyDD, Firedoglake and many others, and a crowd of over 800 blog readers of all ages.

Laughing Liberally comedians performed at all four plenary sessions, featuring Baratunde Thurston, Katie Halper, Lee Camp, and a new member of Laughing Liberally's team, Bush impersonator James Adomian. Drinking Liberally organized a laid-back happy hour after the conference program on Friday and a raucous afterparty in our suite (as big as a typical Manhattan two-bedroom apartment) Saturday evening. Everyone left energized, socialized, and contact-ized.