Since the right-wing and even some of the mainstream media, and the DLC, continue to paint the Blogosphere and Netroots Nation as some kind of far-left vaguely communist anti-American collection of tired old hippies, I’ve put together (with some help) a list of the politicians that attended the conference in Austin. None of these politicians were afraid to be seen with the technocratic, entrepreneurial, civil libertarian-minded attendees, and presumably most had an expectation that they would gain some benefit from the association.
Alabama
Don Siegelman, former AL-GovAlaska
Mark Begich, AK-SenCalifornia
Nancy Pelosi- Speaker of the House, CA-08
Debra Bowen, CA Secretary of State
Charlie Brown, CA-04
Russ Warner, CA-26
Debbie Cook, CA-46
Steve Young, CA-48
Mike Lumpkin, CA-52
Gavin Newsom, San Francisco, CA, MayorColorado
Hal Bidlack, CO-05Connecticut
Jim Himes, CT-04District of Columbia
Howard Park, DC, Ward 6Florida
Alan Grayson, FL-08
Annette Taddeo, FL-18
Joe Garcia, FL-25Georgia
Bob Barr, GA, Libertarian candidate for PresidentIdaho
Larry LaRocco, ID-SenIllinois
Dan Seals, IL-10
Scott Harper, IL-13Kansas
Jim Slattery, KS-SenMaryland
Donna Edwards, MD-4Missouri
Robin Carnahan, MO-Secretary of StateNew Mexico
Martin Heinrich, NM-01
Ben Ray Lujan, NM-03Nevada
Jill Derby, NV-02New York
Steve Behar, NYC Council
Kevin Powell, NY-10
Jon Powers, NY-26North Carolina
Brad Miller, NC-13Ohio
John Boccieri, OH-16Oregon
Jeff Merkley, OR-SenPennsylvania
Sam Bennett, PA-15Tennessee
Al Gore, TN, former Vice-President of the United StatesTexas
Rick Noriega, TX-Sen
Larry Joe Doherty, TX-10
Lloyd Doggett, TX-25
Joe Jaworski, TX Sen District 11
Kenneth Franks, TX House District 9
Garnet Coleman, TX House District 147
Sherrie Matula, TX House District 129
Glen Maxey, former TX House District 51
Mike Engelhart, TX Judicial District 151
Mark Thompson, TX Railroad CommissionVermont
Howard Dean, VT-Former GovVirginia
Glenn Nye, VA-02Washington
Darcy Burner, WA-08Wisconsin
Ben Masel, WI-Sen candidate for 2012Wyoming
Nick Carter, WY-Sen
There were a lot of politicians from red and purple states and districts who had the common sense to understand that the (New) New Left may be anti-war but they have little else in common with the 60’s counterculture (except insofar as the Netroots welcomes the veterans of those wars with open arms). The Netroots is unapologetically pro-Constitution, anti-torture, and pro-Small Business. Our consensus positions on the war, on reproductive rights, on gay rights, and the environment are now majority American opinions. They aren’t fringe. We have the (Old) New Left to thank for a lot of that, but the Netroots’ culture is decidedly different, as are our primary goals. The (Old) New Left was tackling the Establishment on desegregation and women’s liberation in an attempt to tear down centuries-old injustices. The (New) New Left is not attempting anything so bold or transformative. We’re trying to get universal health care, Fair Trade, a green energy plan, and a restoration of the consensus American governmental and legal values of the post-war period…including internationalism and human rights.
Our politicians are actually running on these issues and not away from them. Up on The Hill, Congress is still giving us a stiff-arm, but down in the trenches and on the campaign trail, our values are winning the day. That’s why the new breed of Democrats are not afraid to come to our conferences. They want to be there. That’s also why Bill O’Reilly is so hilarious.
I guess I should feel worse about not having been there.
But I’m genuinely torn between wishing to experience the camaraderie (though perhaps it wouldn’t be camaraderie for a DKos apostate) and feeling like this whole thing turned into a giant Dress It Up Purty But Keep the Democrats’ Status Quo movement almost moments after the first YKos closed up shop…
I guess what this reminds me of is nothing so much as not having been invited to a classmate’s party in middle school whose attendees all hated me and where I would have been uncomfortable at best and absolutely miserable at (realistic) worst.
I am wistful for what might have been, not for what actually is.
It’s really not a Daily Kos conference at all.
Doesn’t change how I feel about it, though.
O’Reilly had better note…the power of people’s campaign.
Thinkprogress reports:
Aflac pulls ad from Savage show.
I’m not surprised Debra Bowen showed up. She’s very Internet savvy, which is why she’s been all over the electronic voting issue, in a good way.
She’s definitely one to watch. I’d vote for her for Senator at some point.
That’s not me.
The panel on reforming the presidential nominee selection process had Missouri SoS Robin Carnahan on the panel (she is noted in the list above). I was sitting behind a lady to whom Robin referred as her mother. That would be Senator Jean Carnahan. I looked at her face and sure enough, she was Jean alright.
Also, there was a candidate from California running for the office of trustee of the Riverside Community College District. He was up on stage on Friday with all the others at the candidates party.
I don’t know if Jim Hightower attended the convention, but he sure did get a lot of laughs when he addressed the crowd at the Calitics party on Saturday!