Markos and Navajo kick off an incredible day.
As I write this, the rest of the attendees at the DailyKos Connect Asheville conference are enjoying drinks and hor d'oeuvres at the Lexington Brewery. Caving to my inner hermit (a lifelong struggle) and social discomfort in crowds (vs. moderate competency in small groups) I headed back to the hotel, but I also wanted to offer my impressions while fresh.
Other than a small gathering that included some Kossacks in Florida hosted ably by Vetwife, this was my first significant Kos event. Nor have I yet attended Netroots Nation. I'm not someone who can yet get anywhere near earning the label "activist." I do some small things locally and nationally have wielded some small, but significant influence in federal spectrum policy wrapped around rural broadband (my day job), but that's not political activism. Because of this, I admitted to my wife last night to being a bit nervous, feeling like an imposter of sorts.
Follow across to see how it's turned out so far.
Standing room only. NC Kossacks showed up and Asheville DKos leaders did themselves proud.
I'm happy to report that while I still feel somewhat like an imposter, that's my issue, and not a feeling imposed upon me by those I have met. On the contrary, Peregrine Kate led off by finding me the evening prior as I roamed a bit aimlessly at the ByWater looking for Kossacks. Thank you Kate, you also made me feel less an interloper among the North Carolinians being from FL since you came from MI. Later, I had the great pleasure to sit at length last night with Navajo, Joan McCarter, and the very, very sweet a gilas girl. They generously let me invade their table for about an hour, a kindness for which I'm more grateful than they would expect.
I also met many others, from blogger Josh Nelson, expatgirl, DocDawg, our resident climate change canary and expert FishoutofWater (who also married an amazing partner in his wife of 45 years rural OBGYN and lawyer Teresa Birchard), one pissed off liberal (OPOL), SteelerGrrl and her kind husband, Tom Sullivan, a brief respectful personal greeting to moviemeister76 (with whom I am sometimes at odds so I wanted to say hello in person with eyes on eyes and a handshake) and a goodly number of other mostly North Carolinians who offered first names and fast kindness.
I availed myself of the chance to meet Markos too, who was generous with his time and told of the great accident that was his shellacking of Tom Tancredo back in 2009 (an interview I saw live and enjoyed immensely as a veteran). I was remiss in personally greeting the ever formidable Denise Oliver Velez, but, challenging as she always is, inspired me to join the NAACP right there from my phone as she interviewed legends Al McSurely and Bob Zellner, men who put their bodies and souls, literally, into the cause of racial justice (among others). Ms. Oliver Velez, as soon as this is published, I'll join Black Kos as well, to say "hello, I hope we may share some sweet tea...and here's some chocolate."
Navajo and Chris Reeves worked their asses off and wrestled stubborn mics all day, but oh the content! DocDawg set the bar unbelievably high with shocking data -- hard, voluminous data -- about the "program" of systematic black voter disenfranchisement at the hands of elected NC Extremists (I refuse to honor them by the name they otherwise claim for themselves). When this data gets published, along with the clever graphic, it's going to go viral. Brilliant work, truly.
The pace continued with an incredibly charismatic and impassioned LGBTQ activist and leader of SONG, Mary Hooks. Please take the time to find anything she may have up on YouTube. I loved her fearlessness and creation of the tag for herself and her group as "Dangerous Homosexuals." Hell yeah. She's a warrior and beacon for marginalized populations.
These were just the opening acts folks. The rest was filled with meaning and powerful messages as well. I've much to digest, but will leave very early to drive the two hours to Charlotte and catch my flight home to Florida with plenty to ponder, and feeling more empowered than ever, so that when next I meet up with Kossacks, I'll still feel humbled among giants, but at least will have worked harder to earn their company.