Demfest live blogging

(crossposted, with additional updates all day, at: demsjapan.jp I mean literally. It has been such a wonderful thing to see folks that we read, email and learned with at last year's Democracyfest and the year before that.

The point of Demfest is local, grassroots, community, connecting with many of the folks who were re-energized by the Dean campaign and, now, 3 years later, many folks beyond that impassioned circle.  

Last night, there was a full house for the screening of Robert Greenwald Screening's The Big Buy

What a movie: this guy and his team do amazing work! I'd love to bring him to Japan for a full on screening.

The lady at the podium now is a polisci professor from this lovely campus. She makes the point that even though San Diego is considered pretty red, she's seeing a sea change, that the last couple of years have seen a resurgence of progressive activism on campus, saying "No" to war without end.

That's worth repeating: Saying no to war without end.

She says that the progress is remarkable. We live in challenging times right now - when we leave here, we have to go back to our communities, and convince people, especially young people. We have to fight to change the minds of people who subscribe to the Britney Spears theory of democracy: just trust your president. There are too many people who honestly believe that, trust one person and go on about your lives. She ends with a quote from one of my favorites:

Bill Moyers: It's just a fact: Democracy doesn't work without citizen activism and participation, starting at the community. Trickle down politics doesn't work much better than trickle down economics. It's also a fact that civilization happens because we don't leave things to other people. What's right and good doesn't come naturally. You have to stand up and fight for it - as if the cause depailends on you, because it does. Allow yourself that conceit - to believe that the flame of democracy will never go out as long as there's one candle in your hand.

When we sat down, there were folks scattered around the big auditorium. I just looked back, and there's a sea of faces and more coming in...more later...

•  More Live Blogging...

  The movie last night was great as was the opening session this morning.  I really liked hearing from Debra Bowen talking about her race for Secretary of State in California.  I am now at the session, “Katrina and Climate Change”, which is very good.  John Garamendi, who is currently California State Insurance Commissioner, and Lt. Governor Candidate has delivered a great speech, as did State Rep. Lori Saldana, one of the original Dean Dozen candidates.

  Yet what is more important, to me, is the networking going on, the great chances to meet people face to face that I’ve known online for quite a while.  I couldn’t make it to YearlyKos, because of my work with the Ned Lamont campaign.

  One person that I met yesterday was Adam Borelli.  He was on a panel yesterday about getting youth more involved.  He spoke about the New Leaders Council, which is a group that people should be checking out.

  I also had a good chance to put up a video blog entry with Bill Moyer talking about  the Backbone Campaign and their progressive shadow cabinet.

  Then, at the party last night, I spoke with some of the folks working on Crashing the States.  This is a really neat idea that people should get involved with.

  More later...

  by aldon on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 10:39:07 AM PDT

  •  Okay, what is the Crashing the States project?

    I went to the website, and I'm intrigued, but it's not big with the information.

    by boadicea on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 10:48:46 AM PDT

    •  Crashing the States

      A couple of bloggers who are active here on DailyKos and other blogs are planning on hitting the road down in Florida, driving around the country, following the map shown on their website, and stopping to help out good grassroots campaigns around the country.  They will blog about it (hopefully, including some video blogging), and film the experience to make a documentary about it.

      It looks like a great project and hopefully, they will have more information online soon and we can all get involved.

      by aldon on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 11:18:23 AM PDT

•  A few other things

  I'm tagging posts about DemFest2006 on del.icio.us as Demfest2006.  If you hear of any other DemFest2006 blog entries, please tag them so we can find them more easily.

  Also, if anyone can make it to San Diego this evening, please come to the Saturday Night Beach Party Blowout.  It should be really great.

  by aldon on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 10:45:46 AM PDT

  •  Finally heading over

    Things got off track here, with my husband sleeping in and such, but I'm on my way out the door once my phone is finished charging.  What is registration like?  Is there a long line?  Will there be a break for lunch?  I'm starving!

    by fabooj on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 10:56:25 AM PDT

    •  registration and lunch

      When I passed the registration desk, there wasn't much of a line. Lunch break is from 12:15 to 1:30

      by aldon on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 11:15:16 AM PDT

    •  I'm there now

      call me when you get here:-)

      by MarkInSanFran on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 12:51:24 PM PDT

      •  how do i call you?

        right now i'm sitting in the food court, in the middle of the room.

        black chick, dreads, black tank top, and jeans.

        by fabooj on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 12:55:33 PM PDT

•  thanks aldon, hey fabooj

  fabooj, hope I get to meet you - anyone who's around, head to the demfest site and you'll be able to catch up at least some of the convention.

  by Terri on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 11:35:26 AM PDT

•  How many people?

  How many are attending Demfest?

  by timber on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 12:46:14 PM PDT

  •  it feels like maybe 500

    like half yearlyKos, but more spread out. I'm in one of the session rooms now, "Communities Matter"... you can read the handout and supporting material from The Institute for the Study of Civic Values at http://www.bushbudget.com/ , 50 people in the room here who made the trek between buildings in the afternoon heat and didn't get shanghied by the Maxine Waters Jubilee debt-forgiveness bill press conference along the way.

    I've seen a lot of kossacks, including fabooj, and some of the Nevada for Democracy folks who were at yearlyKos ("I learned that I was a lurker! I guess I gotta at least cross-post if I want to lobby for Las Vegas as a DemocracyFest site for next year"). Lots of good connections with socially-responsible investment and real-estate booths, and someone from Ohio (currently in LA) interested in cohousing.

    I'm doing some DV videotaping and interviews, will post and link when able. I missed half the morning thanks to a mechanical problem cancelling my 6 AM flight out of SFO, so I flew to LA and drove from there instead. And I'm getting called away tomorrow, gave my blogger's brunch and Sunday wristband to Francine's aide after the Wedge Issues session.

    by raines on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 03:22:15 PM PDT

    •  Hi raines

      are you still there in "Communities Matter" room? I'm in the back of the room, trying to type quietly:-).

      This has already scrolled, so hopefully other folks will live blog as well...

      cheers,

      Terri

      by Terri on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 03:50:05 PM PDT

      •  hi Terri

        I saw you afterwards, but hadn't been back to read this, so didn't know that was you, just wondered "who's that quiet blogger?"

        Now I'm online from the concert/"beach party". got some great footage of Flying Other Brothers, and the last half of the press conference about counting all the votes in CA-50. I met an ePM charter member. Concert security doesn't allow tripods or video, so I may have to improvise or wave a press credential around some.

        by raines on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 07:22:52 PM PDT

  •  Looks like a lot from here:

    One of the four simultaneous sessions this afternoon:

    

    by MarkInSanFran on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 03:38:48 PM PDT

    •  so that's where they all were!

      I forgot to factor in how big the main-session room was.. yeah, could be closer to 1k, I did not ice a lot of envelopes still left at registration to pick up, as of late Saturday, although those could be for people coming just for the evening. Lots of local news TV cameras at the press conference this evening.

      by raines on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 07:24:31 PM PDT

      •  I heard it was around 1500

        I took video (on my phone:-) of Brad's presser. He was excellent, as usual. No new info beyond what he posted the other day about the DNC calling for a CA-50 hand count. Howard did not reference it in his talk, unfortunately.

        See you at the blogger's breakfast! I'll be the overdressed guy - I have to do something with this summer stuff I bought for yKos (can't use it much back home:-)

        by MarkInSanFran on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 10:52:15 PM PDT