I've been blogging for about four years now (it seems hard to believe, now that I mention it), and the thing that continues to impress me about the netroots is how organic it is. From blogs, to Meetups, to Drinking Liberally, even to the Presidential campaigns (starting with Howard Dean and now with our Democratic Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama), this is a bottom-up, not top-down, operation. And there is probably nothing more organic than the Netroots Nation Convention.
This year will be my first time attending the Convention. I'm psyched. I couldn't make the first Yearly Kos in Vegas because of time and cost, and to be honest, because I didn't "get" it. I mean, why did we need a convention, I wrote back then. We have a convention everyday here in the "tubes"!
Boy was I stupid.
Last year, I wanted to go to Chicago, but the organizers scheduled it for the exact same weekend as my annual trek to Northern Michigan to visit with family and friends. I love y'all, but there are priorities in life...and that trip is one of them.
So when it was announced that THIS year, the Convention was going to be in AUSTIN FREAKIN' TEXAS, I knew I couldn't pass it up. I lived in Austin for 3 years in the '90s, getting my graduate degree at the University of Texas. I met my wife there, and also happened to work for this fellow by the name of Jim Hightower. A return to one of my favorite cities for this convention was a must.
So I penciled it in. Made the reservations. And decided it might be nice to put a panel proposal together for the Convention...something near and dear to my heart. Forgive the shameless promotion, but I will be on a panel in Austin entitled Crashing the Party: Transforming Netroots Activism into Grassroots Action Within State and Local Parties. It's of great importance to me, as many of you know. I'm honored to serve of this panel with the likes of Delaware Dem (Jason Melrath), hekebolos (Dante Atkins), and Chris Bowers. Brian Keeler will moderate our hopefully lively discussion.
Talk about organic, huh? Five good folks from the netroots talking about moving advocacy into our states and localities.
But it doesn't top the organic nature for the Netroots itself. Imagine a group of people organizing a convention, just like a community, to come together to discuss the important issues of the day, and how to shape the progressive movement. And it's organized not by some huge think tank, but the folks in the "countryside" themselves.
Well we don't have to imagine it. That's Netroots Nation.
Now imagine that in order to increase participation among those who might not otherwise get to attend, someone got the bright idea to sponsor scholarships for those who couldn't afford it to actually attend.
Well, we don't have to imagine that either. Kid Oakland brillantly spearheaded that idea last year, and this year, Democracy for America took over the effort to increase participation at the Convention.
Look, I don't want to be the lonely "first-timer" in Austin. I'm not one of the guys or gals who will find this third incarnation of the Convention to be old hat by now. I'm going to be one of those geeky political goobers who will be thrilled to watch this truly grassroots confab take place. So if you can't afford to come, apply for a scholarship today. You've only got until midnight tonight to do it! So act fast.
And for those of us who want to increase our ranks and get more voices to Austin, dig in your pockets and cough up a few bucks to get those scholarships funded. The more money we give, the more people we get to come.
This is going to be an astounding year. Last night, I attended my local Obama volunteer meeting, and we filled the room with over 50 people. And again, there was no hierarchy of some paid campaign staffer telling us how it is...this was ALL OF US, getting together, tossing ideas around, to be the change we seek.
That's heady stuff. And our numbers and energy will be even greater in Austin. Let's get 'er done for all those who seek to attend.
I'll see you in Austin. The Shiner Bock is on me.