Anybody know this guy? Looks familiar.
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Kagro X, Tell us what it's like at the Blogopalooza. Are you still there?
Bottom line is that it was still a small minority of the Caucus, but there's definitely a growing awareness of the reach of the blogs, and one or two of the newly-elected Members felt they had made all the difference in their campaigns, which I really don't think we've been able to say before.
I am not, despite what anyone may think, a reactionary or cynic; I'll gladly heap on the praises to Dean for things like balancing the State budget, Dr. Dinosaur, etc. I may even get drunk enough to admit that he's helped push the national D's towards the left, but I mean, come on, Dean's no hero and no one's cause is helped by his new-found celebrity.
That said, what's "Blogapalooza"? "GMD's once proud libertarian-socialist"
Don't get me wrong. I was an early supporter of Dean's candidacy for president and am incredibly impressed by and proud of what he's done - but I remember how it was back in the old days...
The transformation really started in the 2000 race for governor I think, when Dean ended up taking ownership (whether he liked it or not) of the civil union issue. And that was the same year Bernie's courtship of the Dems really started as well, I think. I remember that he pointedly would not endorse Pollina against Dean, and only under a lot of pressure in the last few days, publicly stated only that he personally would vote for Pollina because "he owed him that much," while insisting that the truly important thing was that Ruth Dwyer not be elected.
After the 2000 race, Vermont politics looked a lot different. Nullius perfectus est
He (anti-Deanite former Clinto staffer and politcal pundit/consultant, Paul Begala) challenged me to name examples where the 50-state strategy helped us win in 2006. I proceeded to cite wins in Kentucky and Indiana, along with progress in Nebraska and Kansas as evidence of the plan's short term success. "Look," he said, "When we started there were only about 15 competitive races, but Rahm made the field over 35 by the end and that had nothing to do with the 50-state strategy." I told him we never would have had so many competitive districts if not for the DNC investing staffers and resources into those states early on and expanding the playing field. "So you have people out there, what are they doing there though?" he questioned. " I told him they were building a long term infrastructure for the Democratic Party, and we had people all over America knocking on doors and spreading the Democratic message. "So what do they say when they knock on the doors then?" he asked me. I told him they had a succinct 6 point plan for a "new direction" that they were discussing, a cohesive message that we haven't had in the past. "Anyway," Begala continued... "I don't need some a**hole from Vermont telling me what to do."
"Look," he said, "When we started there were only about 15 competitive races, but Rahm made the field over 35 by the end and that had nothing to do with the 50-state strategy." I told him we never would have had so many competitive districts if not for the DNC investing staffers and resources into those states early on and expanding the playing field. "So you have people out there, what are they doing there though?" he questioned. " I told him they were building a long term infrastructure for the Democratic Party, and we had people all over America knocking on doors and spreading the Democratic message. "So what do they say when they knock on the doors then?" he asked me. I told him they had a succinct 6 point plan for a "new direction" that they were discussing, a cohesive message that we haven't had in the past. "Anyway," Begala continued... "I don't need some a**hole from Vermont telling me what to do."
You just gotta love it that Dean is sticking it to those pricks. Nullius perfectus est
Maybe it's because I've never been a Deaniac (though I'm by no means a hater) that I enjoy talking to actual Vermonters about him. Or maybe it's just that strange feeling of vicarious insiderism you can get by talking to anyone who knew any famous person "way back when." And maybe that's the reason I so enjoyed piping up in a conversation of online progressives who were promoting Vermont's new health care plan as a national model of progressive perfection that I had been hearing quite a different story from the people watching most closely.
But whatever it is, I still thought it would be a kick to take the picture and send it to you.
What's "blogapalooza?" Just the name I made up for what the actual organizers -- Speaker Pelosi's office -- were calling "Blogger's Alley." They gave us a nice little room, some DSL connections, and some sandwiches, and the blog-friendly Members of Congress came by to say hi.
Not a bad way to spend the day.
A shame, that. Nullius perfectus est
But I understand he had some more brass tacks concerns. I heard through the grapevine (during a visit to NH Rep. Paul Hodes' office) that Welch's office didn't even have their phones hooked up yet.
A lot of new Members tend to get screwed on these sorts of things early on.
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