The Media Descends on YearlyKOS
The Media Descends on YearlyKOS
As you may have noticed, blogging has been a bit lighter than usual. The ThinkProgress team is at the YearlyKOS convention, held at the fabulous Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas.
There are about a thousand bloggers and blog readers here. But the place is also overrun by journalists. Organizers “put the ratio of conference-goers to reporters at eight to one.” (At the media training we hosted yesterday, we were outnumbered by reporters from The New York Times.) I’m not exactly sure why so many of them came, so I decided to review what they’ve written so far:
Time Magazine: Are Left-leaning Bloggers Ready for Their Close-up? Excerpt: “The crowd is older and more professional than coverage of the blogosphere might lead one to expect. In the session on recruiting progressive candidates for local office, there’s an ER doctor, an AIDS activist, a high-school teacher and a representative from the Organic Consumers Association. There are some that conform to type: thirtyish and pale, sloppily dressed and bleary-eyed. Those are the journalists.”
Scripps Howard: Bloggers, Dems to convene in Las Vegas. Excerpt: “With the past couple of years, courting bloggers in towns across the country has become as much a part of the ritual for some politicians as attending union rallies or Chamber of Commerce dinners. ‘When I go anyplace now, I’ll usually call some of the key bloggers,’ said Warner, who also is hosting a party for bloggers at this week’s convention. ‘I’m trying to shift the debate from ‘left vs. right’ to ‘future vs. past.””
New York Sun: Democrats Flocking to Vegas As Blogs Flex New Muscle. Excerpt: “Could these laptop-strewn hotel hallways be the 21st-century equivalent of the smoke-filled rooms of yesteryear?”
San Francisco Chronicle: Top Dems convene, drawn by bay blog
Daily Kos activists have gained clout. Excerpt: “‘There’s this myth that if you see five people standing next to each other, the blogger is going to be the weirdest-looking one,’ said Faiz Shakir, a 26-year-old who is deputy research director at the liberal think tank Center for American Progress. ‘Look around. That doesn’t seem to be the case here.’”National Review: The Two Worlds of the Liberal Blogosphere. Excerpt: “That is the contrast of YearlyKos. On the one hand, Moulitsas speaks as if he has won the political game, while on the other side some of his followers worry that they’re not even in it.” (National Review published another peice about our media training.)
I’m not sure what the reporters were hoping to find out by coming here. So far what they’ve discovered hasn’t been earth shattering: 1) many liberal bloggers don’t fit into the stereotypes the media has created, 2) liberal bloggers are respected (and feared) by politicians, and 3) liberal bloggers disagree about stuff. Check your local paper for more breaking news.
UPDATE: The New York Times joins the fray:
New York Times: Liberal Bloggers Gather in Las Vegas for Convention. Excerpt: “[T]he YearlyKos convention is giving bloggers a three-dimensional presence where they are seen and heard here, sometimes in unison, as well as read online…And the only one in pajamas — forgive what has become the cliched description by critics of bloggers — is me, since my editors dragged me out of bed this morning to write about the convention for yes, the website.”
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Judd,
June 9th, 2006 at 3:44 pmyou know the only reason the SF Chron article is there is because Faiz is quoted. I wonder…was he the weirdest looking one in the group he was in?
Yeah, you are right. I only included it because it had Faiz. And yeah, he is weird looking.
June 9th, 2006 at 3:45 pmJudd,
If the slogan that any publicity is good publicity holds true, then this is very positive. It means that the voice of the people is being heard again… Good job!
June 9th, 2006 at 3:46 pmYou mean liberal bloggers aren’t a bunch of filthy hippies, with torn pants, dreadlocks, body odor, and using various hemp products?
June 9th, 2006 at 3:49 pmSurprise!
Liberals are people, too.
June 9th, 2006 at 3:49 pmI said I was 38 the other day, and someone thought I was older. It seems the average age here is around 40. Not college kids, I don’t think a lot of college kids are into it, yet.
June 9th, 2006 at 3:52 pmI am glad to hear it’s going well in Vegas, I would like to be in attendence, but I have to reserve my time off for Lake Tahoe.
June 9th, 2006 at 3:54 pmFor Truth, I’m 29. Does that make me a whipper-snapper?
June 9th, 2006 at 3:55 pmMaybe you guys could clear some things up: I don’t come here because I’m “liberal”-
June 9th, 2006 at 3:55 pmI come here because Republicans and Democrats are 2 sides of the same coin.
And I hope people who post here will vote Independent, even at the peril of the poor, mistreated dumb democrats.
But I bet you won’t!
It is a myth that the Democratic party will become “progressive”. How long will Democrats be able to sell themselves as the party of “everyone else not Republican”?
Jeb: Too bad you missed Barbara Boxer’s keynote address. There are some really great Democrat leaders out there. I feel your pain, but we have to work with what we have. The extreme religious right was able to influence the Repubs into their whipping boys and girls…., are progressives not able to influence the dems the same? Ewww just saying that is creepy…, but you get my drift.
June 9th, 2006 at 4:05 pmYou’re wrong, jmba.
Scalia is SCJ because of Democrats
June 9th, 2006 at 4:13 pmNSA is spying because of Democrats
Iraq war is because of Democrats
thank you for taking out the former #11. I can’t take anymore hatefulness.
June 9th, 2006 at 4:23 pmYou go, guys!
June 9th, 2006 at 4:23 pmThe media has been bought and paid for by a few mega-millionaires; the funds for public broadcasting are being cut. The last hope for saving America by getting out the truth are the blogs - blast the sneering ones and what they have predetermined are the bloggers.
Standing next to each other, is that at the pool?
June 9th, 2006 at 4:26 pmMan, I wish I was there with you folks.
…guess I’m part of the “silent fraction” out here, eh?
June 9th, 2006 at 4:26 pm[…] Permalink No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTMLallowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> […]
June 9th, 2006 at 4:33 pmDoes anyone have a recording of Babs? I love to hear her talk, it reminds me of my beloved grandmother when she was suffering from dementia and schizophrenia. What is embarrassing is that she actually got MORE votes than Kerry in California. This would indicate that a great many from the Golden State are suffering from dementia and schizophrenia. I wonder why the gang over at Diebold let her win by that much. I will have to go over to Bradblog and find out what he has; probably the dead, super heroes, and cartoon character voters couldn’t read the touch screen or were confused by the butterfly ballot. I wonder which candidate Kos will back this year or in 08? For sure it will be another “exciting†race that his candidate will be “competitive†and lose. What I fear is that Kos will turn 180 and start backing Conservative candidates! My wish: “Kos and Gore throw support behind the Clinton/Kerry ticket or 2008.”
June 9th, 2006 at 4:35 pm“Moulitsas speaks as if he has won the political game, while on the other side some of his followers worry that they’re not even in it.â€
That’s perceptive, no doubt about it, Judd.
Kos acts like opinion polls = won elections, happily, almost mindlessly, following the trend-lines, while
IGNORING THE MASSIVE VOTE-FRAUD THAT PUT EIGHTY PERCENT OF OUR VOTES THROUGH VOTE-WASHING MACHINES IN 2004, AND EVEN A HIGHER PERCENTAGE IN 2006.
Meanwhile Kos wears that eeries smile, chats on about blogpowerment, and winks at the camera.
What does he think is happening here, anyhow? A deadly fascist coup has seized the country and stolen the vote again and again, but Markos is somehow immune to the information. No wonder some Kossacks are sweating the bullets that former soldier Kos won’t even admit are flying.
He has that eerie Kilgore light around him. You just knew he wasn’t going to get a scratch.
June 9th, 2006 at 4:37 pmI said I was 38 the other day, and someone thought I was older.
Comment by For Truth
Someone? SOMEONE? *runs sobbing from the room*
I’m 29. Does that make me a whipper-snapper?
Comment by bobcat_grad
God, yes.
June 9th, 2006 at 4:51 pmWhile I was home at lunchtime, I was watching Barbara Boxer’s Q&A session on C-Span. It was good. C-Span promised to show more this afternoon and tomorrow.
June 9th, 2006 at 4:58 pm7 - for truth - I reserve my Tahoe time for the winter when I go up & ski. When do you plan on going?
June 9th, 2006 at 5:04 pmWhat I fear is that Kos will turn 180 and start backing Conservative candidates!
Now that’s funny!
June 9th, 2006 at 5:06 pmWatching a Kos candidate is alot like rooting for Gilligan.
June 9th, 2006 at 5:10 pm#7
Same here. Gotta save the vacation time for 10 days at the North Shore!
t-mac
June 9th, 2006 at 5:16 pmWatching a Kos candidate is alot like rooting for Gilligan.
Comment by Jeb’s OBGYN and Check Cashing
You seemto have it in for Kos,whats the matter? they boot you from the blog?
Also provide proof that the democrats are the cause of the NSA spying and behind starting the iraq war,when it is Bush’s lies that got us into the war
Iadmit the dems should have filibustered both of the SCOTUS nominations, But it was a republican that nominated and as a majority Repugs that voted them in.
Backup your inane statements
June 9th, 2006 at 5:20 pmKindness,
This time I go to Tahoe for July 4th, other times I go for skiing.
June 9th, 2006 at 5:26 pmAlright Zoo,
I am not falling for the emotional blackmail this time. But yes you were the one who said it, about thinking I was older.
June 9th, 2006 at 5:28 pm#27 - Damn, you’re good. It’s worth a try on a Friday!
June 9th, 2006 at 5:35 pm*laughing maniacally*
Zoo,
LOL with you.
June 9th, 2006 at 5:37 pmTahoe - pretty
June 9th, 2006 at 5:38 pmVegas - skanky
Alright, in fairness, any females care to share there ages? I know it aint PC, but who said I had to be PC? (crickets chirping), OK fine drop it.
June 9th, 2006 at 5:41 pmScalia is SCJ because of Democrats
NSA is spying because of Democrats
Iraq war is because of Democrats
- Jeb
Oh wow, for someone who wants to vote Independent because of your intellectual superiority, you are woefully misinformed.
June 9th, 2006 at 5:43 pmYeah we always stop in Vegas on the way to Tahoe, I like Vegas only when I know I am there on the way to Tahoe.
June 9th, 2006 at 5:45 pmsomeone who wants to vote Independent because of your intellectual superiority
June 9th, 2006 at 5:47 pmease up, Ann Coulter-
OK fine drop it.
Comment by For Truth
I’ll give one guess, then I promise I will tell you the truth. ;)
June 9th, 2006 at 5:47 pmAlright Zoo,
I guess 41.
June 9th, 2006 at 5:49 pmI guess 41.
Comment by For Truth
I’m 46 and fantastic, darling.
June 9th, 2006 at 5:52 pmI’m 46 and fantastic, darling.
Comment by Zookeeper
48 but people say I look younger ,they usually guess lower to mid 30s =)
June 9th, 2006 at 5:56 pmWayne? Biofuel Wayne? Is that you?
Why don’t you count on your middle leg the number of Democrats chomping at the bit to guest at YearlyKos!
S-O-F-T
June 9th, 2006 at 5:58 pmThanks Zoo,
I am sure you are smashing!
June 9th, 2006 at 5:58 pm48 but people say I look younger ,they usually guess lower to mid 30s =)
Comment by Wayne
Yay, Wayne! People usually guess I’m 36, and it makes me smile. I give credit to the sunscreen.
June 9th, 2006 at 6:00 pmI am sure you are smashing!
Comment by For Truth
You would be right, my dear.
June 9th, 2006 at 6:05 pmYay, Wayne! People usually guess I’m 36, and it makes me smile. I give credit to the sunscreen.
Comment by Zookeeper — June 9, 2006 @ 6:00 pm
I think it has a lot to do with being liberal… Less stress to cause wrinkles, grey hair, and interal illness… :)
June 9th, 2006 at 6:06 pmLess stress to cause wrinkles, grey hair, and interal illness… :)
Comment by unbelievable
My wrinkles are laugh lines. Grey hair, hmmm, I am unfamiliar with this thing — not. ;)
June 9th, 2006 at 6:10 pmYour turn to fees up the age, Miss unbelievable!
[fess up] — not fees up (I’m doing billing) :)
June 9th, 2006 at 6:11 pmMy wrinkles are laugh lines. Grey hair, hmmm, I am unfamiliar with this thing — not. ;)
Your turn to fees up the age, Miss unbelievable!
Comment by Zookeeper — June 9, 2006 @ 6:10 pm
I have before - 39. Same drill as you guys. Last summer a guy in Utah guessed I was 25. I sometimes get carded when I buy wine at the grocery store (they have to for under 30). Usually most people think I’m late twenties. No wrinkles, but the grey hair started coming in a couple years ago. Still not enough to have to hide it yet :0. And i’m sure I just completely jinxed myself and when I wake up tomorrow I’ll look 50 :). I think it’s good genes, good diet, and less possessions…
June 9th, 2006 at 6:24 pmunbelievable!
talk to me not old fart! thank you!
Comment by please do so would ya? — June 9, 2006 @ 6:11 pm
What do you want me to talk about Enzo?
June 9th, 2006 at 6:26 pmEnzo,
If you can’t be nice, then I’m not going to talk to you.
June 9th, 2006 at 6:42 pm#46
Why can’t you answer my post at 25?
You try to insult, yet your just plain silly.
your mommy know your using the computer child?
If you cannot answer to 25 and support your idiotic statements, then you deserve no more responses.
June 9th, 2006 at 6:46 pmNo wrinkles, but the grey hair started coming in a couple years ago. Still not enough to have to hide it yet.
Comment by unbelievable
I started greying in my mid-20s, but only right around my face. I’ve been using a rinse that’s the same as my natural red, but sometimes I let the gray show. It’s a nice frame, and people think I did it on purpose!
June 9th, 2006 at 6:47 pmThere is no problem.
June 9th, 2006 at 6:48 pmIt’s a nice frame, and people think I did it on purpose!
Comment by Zookeeper — June 9, 2006 @ 6:47 pm
Now that would be a nice trend - for grey to be in vogue! : )
So, you’ve got Scottish heritage? Or is there another location where red hair is natural?
June 9th, 2006 at 6:51 pmIf you cannot answer to 25 and support your idiotic statements, then you deserve no more responses.
Comment by Wayne
Wow, just wow, #46. I really thought he was better than that. I was certainly wrong!
June 9th, 2006 at 6:55 pmAlright - dinner time…
Enjoy your evening folks!
June 9th, 2006 at 6:56 pmSo, you’ve got Scottish heritage? Or is there another location where red hair is natural?
Comment by unbelievable
The grey is actually almost white, I think that’s why people think I do it on purpose. The red is an auburn red, so the white can be quite a nice contrast. I am mostly Dutch from my mom’s side, and mom says the mailman was a redhead! My mom and middle sis have very dark brown hair, with very pale skin (like mine), and younger sis is a dark blond with almost olive skin (dad’s influence).
June 9th, 2006 at 7:05 pmunbelievable , I do believe Santo is stalking you.
June 9th, 2006 at 7:45 pmat least he/she/whatever not posting in all caps.
Unbelievable, why do the nuts glom onto you? If I were you I wouldn’t leave the house.
June 9th, 2006 at 8:24 pmMy mom and middle sis have very dark brown hair, with very pale skin (like mine), and younger sis is a dark blond with almost olive skin (dad’s influence).
Comment by Zookeeper — June 9, 2006 @ 7:05 pm
Genetics are so interesting… My dad was 100% Italian and my mom is German-Irish. All us kids are dark hair, dark eyes, light olive skin. My youngest brother has a daughter who is blonde and hazel eyed. The other brother has two sons who are even darker than he is (his wife is half Sicilian)… Funny how it works….
June 9th, 2006 at 10:08 pmunbelievable , I do believe Santo is stalking you.
at least he/she/whatever not posting in all caps.
Comment by Wayne — June 9, 2006 @ 7:45 pm
He hated me this morning. I’m sure he’ll hate me again tomorrow :)
June 9th, 2006 at 10:10 pmUnbelievable, why do the nuts glom onto you? If I were you I wouldn’t leave the house.
Comment by JPark — June 9, 2006 @ 8:24 pm
Welcome to my reality :). Not a clue. Fortunately in reality I can swing things. Tends to keep them at bay… So far, so good… :)
June 9th, 2006 at 10:12 pmWell its nice to know I’m not the only one in here with a crew cut and wearing dockers.
June 9th, 2006 at 11:17 pm#61- I think it is your “animal magnetism”. You don’t have to do a thing. But you are a very cool ‘chick’, and there is that Fan Club, of which I am a proud member. ;) But really, it is probably because you confront them. Catnip for trolls. But they can’t keep up with you, and so, go bonkers. And hey, you can’t choose your stalkers, and that sucks.
June 10th, 2006 at 4:53 am#17- Yeah, old”Babs” has some great comments on record. Like when she said that the Hurricane Katrina survivors in the AstroDome in Houston were actually better off after the storm, than before it. But she was afraid that all of those lucky Devils might want to STAY in Texas. All of those Black people, in her state? Perish the thought! And her “beautiful mind” (gag me) shouldn’t be burdened with the sight of the body bags, or the coffins of our dead soldiers. Yeah, heaven forbid. I am surprised that anyone would love the way she talks, but whatever. Yeah, all those delusional voters that put Arnold in office. Diebold came through for him!! Too bad Republicans can’t win WITHOUT those Diebold machines. Pretty sad that they know they need to cheat to win. And you know it as well.
June 10th, 2006 at 6:11 amMaureen Dowd hits upon something while covering Yearly Kos that I could’ve told her months ago: We’re growing up and turning into the establishment against which we’re rebelling. It was inevitable, I guess.
June 10th, 2006 at 6:58 amAnd hey, you can’t choose your stalkers, and that sucks.
Comment by Cyra Brown — June 10, 2006 @ 4:53 am
Glad to have you in the club… I always enjoy your posts. You’re very logical and to the point. Not enough of that these days, in my humble opinion :).
If it were up to me, I’d have zero stalkers. :).
Funny how some men cannot handle intellgent and assertive women having and expressing viable opinions that contradict theirs, huh? So they have to be harrassing instead of being a grown up and either conceding the debate or going and doing some research to counter the argument. They don’t treat other men this way. Just women. I don’t know when they will get that intelligence actually originates in the brain…
June 10th, 2006 at 9:52 amMaureen Dowd hits upon something while covering Yearly Kos that I could’ve told her months ago: We’re growing up and turning into the establishment against which we’re rebelling. It was inevitable, I guess.
Comment by jurassicpork — June 10, 2006 @ 6:58 am
It’s the real-life version of ‘Illusions’ (a ancecessor to ‘Johnathan Livingston Seagull’) in which the main character is a man with a message who is turned in to the very thing that he himself was trying to dispell (religion basically).
The guy could walk on water because he bleived he could. So he tried to tell people “Look you don’t need saviours, because we each have the ability to be super-human if we believe in ourselves to be”… Of course, he became worshipped for his message… Pure irony.
That’s how it goes in a country like ours where people give away the best parts of being human (love, insight, perception, strength, etc.) to super powers and become willingly inferior to anyone one who possesses any of these traits (love, insight, etc.), because those people must be divinely blessed or influenced.
Or, think about jesus. A man who said he was just a man with a message of love, and becuase he naturally had what everyone believed to be a trait of their god, he was elevated to super-human, and worshipped.
This is our culture. When you have a message you get those who idolize you, and those who detest you. The sheep don’t want to be responsible. So anyone who is gets all the responsibility. Why it must be preferable to be anonymous :)
June 10th, 2006 at 10:08 am#67 - I worship you, unbelievable.
June 10th, 2006 at 11:02 am*eyes glazing over*
re: the dowd article… something i’ve know for years… this kind of thing just happens when we grow up… always the rebllious black sheep in my family, the only liberal, then and now, i took on a much more conservative bent when i became a mother and then watched my kids through the school years… even noticed how much i’d “become my mother” in so many ways, even my dad ( don’t tell ANYone i admitted that!)… and now i see my mom is so much like her mom in these ending years and know what’s in store for me too… it’s that circle of life thing - as old as the hills…
June 10th, 2006 at 11:50 amnot nearly as complicated as religion or divinity or superpowers or idols of any of that… just life…
Never was a part of Daily Kos so I dont have an ax to grind but from lurking there for the past few years and seeing the way Kos has worked I get the feeling that he is playing his “Kossacks”. Its more about him then anything else, which is a shame.
From going on mass purges of Kossacks whose only crime was recommending a story to leaving Paul Hackett out to dry and not coming to his defense. The guy reeks of opportunism.
I have no doubt he started Daily Kos with good intentions but the access to the corridors of power and the notoriety has turned him into something we can do without on the left. I am convinced that at some time in the future he will sell out his followers. Hope Im wrong.
June 10th, 2006 at 12:16 pmThat’s interesting, katy. I’ve found that I’ve become MORE liberal as I’ve gotten older, and as a result, I have become the black sheep — in my 40s! My dad has become more conservative — he started watching Bill O’Reilly a couple years ago, I just couldn’t believe it. I think my mom is more liberal than she lets on, but she goes along to get along. She hates confrontation, and it upsets her when I call my dad on his bullshit, so I just don’t get into it with him as much as I could. Fortunately, my sons are as liberal as I am. Standing with them on a corner downtown on a Friday night with my “Support the Troops, Bring Them Home Now” or “Impeach Now” signs is good mother/sons bonding time — especially when we get the finger — we always wave and smile! I think my dad would have a stroke if he knew we do that. ;)
June 10th, 2006 at 12:17 pmwell, zoo - an addendum to my story: i have gotten even MORE liberal with age and experience, and as my kids have grown and moved on…
i am not as brave as you are, to stand on a street corner… but my car is an attraction leaving no one to guess where i stand! i get some honks and hoots - but not as many as i get the thumbs-up!
June 10th, 2006 at 12:24 pmAND, i should say - that’s “conservative” as in the TRUE, seemiingly outdated, meaning of the word… and that’s not to say “republican”… oh HELL no!
June 10th, 2006 at 12:28 pmI worship you, unbelievable.
*eyes glazing over*
Comment by Zookeeper — June 10, 2006 @ 11:02 am
You worship yourself Zoo ; )
June 10th, 2006 at 12:51 pmI am convinced that at some time in the future he will sell out his followers. Hope Im wrong.
Comment by Buck — June 10, 2006 @ 12:16 pm
So do I, but power seems to corrupt damn near everyone who gets their hands on it. Why we liberals favor larger government where each person has a much smaller piece of the pie and less power… or smaller populations that don’t need government at all.
Seems that those who are best fit to lead, don’t want the power.
June 10th, 2006 at 12:56 pmYou worship yourself Zoo ; )
Comment by unbelievable
No, it’s you, unbelievable, I only worship myself as a result of my worship of you!
Sorry, I needed to hone my bullshitting skills. ;)
June 10th, 2006 at 1:59 pmi am not as brave as you are, to stand on a street corner… but my car is an attraction leaving no one to guess where i stand! i get some honks and hoots - but not as many as i get the thumbs-up!
Comment by katy
Believe me, the first time I got out there my sign was shaking so much it looked like I was standing in a stiff wind! We’re part of a peace group in town, so I could stand in the middle and shake. I’m working on getting my car into bumpersticker nirvana. It’s a POS anyway, and once it got the world’s biggest door ding last year, I decided to pack it in and plaster it with stickers. I mostly get the finger, but I can take it. ;)
June 10th, 2006 at 2:05 pmzoo - you give me hope - i may jump in some day - but i’m sure i will be all alone, at least for a while… i’ve found a local message board and discovered that i’m not as lonely in this little red town as i once thought… there are others who know!
i’m off to party with my daughter at her college town… her best friend is having an engagement party at a campus-town bar and i’m invited !!! how cool is that! boys may be eisier, but girls are more fun! back tomorrow to catch up… play nice!
June 10th, 2006 at 2:20 pmAnyone who has ever read Kos knows Armando. Shakespearessister is saying he has been kicked off Kos. But he has a steady job so not to worry. Working for a lawfirm which represents WalMart. Does that seem odd to anybody but me. Maybe why we don’t want to talk about election fraud. Don’t worry,move along folks. The democratic party led by Kos will save us. That is so funny. The DLC, repub party and Kos are all working for the same people. No matter how great and normal everybody is in Las Vegas today. Read TBRnews.org…the piece written by the soldier in Iraq. That’ll maybe show how nice these guys are.
June 10th, 2006 at 2:29 pmKaty and Zookeeper
June 10th, 2006 at 7:23 pmCan I jump in with my two cents’ worth?
I think I was liberal before I knew what liberal was, although my family tended to be conservative. I remember having questions about social matters (and religion) that I was hearing about as early as age nine or ten. I agonized through the 60’s, the only liberal among friends and family, full of self-doubt, but never able to embrace their philosophy.
Like you, Katy, I was a bit more conservative when my kids were young, but I didn’t like Nixon, Reagan or Bush I. I grew to like Clinton (I was wary of him first). Like you, Zookeeper, I now find myself standing on street corners in a vigil with others, or traveling to D.C. to march, as well as locally, protesting the worst administration in my life. Katy, I proudly display four bumper stickers on my minivan, but you have courage to display them in a predominantly “red” area.
I am more liberal as I age, like you, Zoo, and I see nuances to all issues. Now my kids are at the stage where they are in their “conservative” period - and they laugh at me, but I know they are proud of my conviction. I keep talking to them and wait for them to fully develop their liberal genes as I believe they will.
Katy, I appreciate your excitement at being invited to your girl’s college party at a bar - my kids and their college friends were happy to include us as well, and we were happy that they were so open with us. Have fun, Katy, check back in tomorrow (when you sober up! ha ha).
Obviously I enjoyed the posts from each of you today.
Cool, Marie, thanks for sharing your story. I’m lucky that I still have my sons (18 & 24) on my side. That probably won’t change for the older son, but Zoo Jr is off to college in the fall, and who knows what kind of influences he’ll be exposed to. Maybe your kids will come around some day, Marie, at least they support you. Like you, I had questions about social and religious matters from a young age. Why wouldn’t people protest the war (Viet Nam) in the streets? Why wouldn’t we want to help take care of the sick and the poor? Why do people ct one way on Sunday, and another way the rest of the week? My parents didn’t talk to me about that stuff because I was a kid (unfortunately that hasn’t changed, and I’m 46 years old!). I’ve always talked to my kids about the ways of the world, I figure they live here, they ought to know.
Katy, I hope you have a great time at that party! If the clicking of the keyboard is too loud tomorrow, you’ll know you had a good time.
Keep up the good work, girls, and keep standing those street corners. As long as we’re not peddling our asses, the kids can’t be ashamed of us! ;)
June 10th, 2006 at 8:44 pm#79 - That’s interesting. I’ll check it out. Thanks, Molly.
June 10th, 2006 at 8:47 pmAfter reading the above posts, no wonder the neocons think we are nuts. I remember a time last year when many liberal bloggers were still underground. The thinking went something like this, “I’ll tell you what I think but don’t ask me my name.” Bush’s FEAR was alive and well and living in America. Well some of us did stand up like Kos, Think Progress, Huffington, Buzzflash, OpEd News and New Concept Now.
Today we are a power base that even Wolf Blitzer checks in on. Call me senile but I think we are changing America for the better. Yearly Kos has the main stream media setting up and taking notice. Thanks Kos.
June 11th, 2006 at 12:28 amI find Kos’s consistent ignoring election fraud a problem too. Getting kicked off the site easily if you don’t support every single dem. is also heavy handed…esp. when Jerome was quoted on HuffPo “If Dean called me I wouldn’t pick up the phone.” Double standard And if Shakespearessister is correct Armando worked for a law firm who represented Wal Mart. There are many red flags and if you don’t want to look at them…it’s your business. Coming down hard on other opinions is so so Kos/repub.
June 11th, 2006 at 1:18 pm[…] The team from ThinkProgress.org (except Nico) […]
June 11th, 2006 at 4:53 pmZookeeper, you need to return to your roots, if you haven’t already. I’ve been visiting the Netherlands for 35 years, and speak a bit of Dutch, so I’m integrated enough to understand some of the local politics. It’s an unusual feeling… here in the U.S. I’m considered a radical leftist, but in Holland I’m a mainstream moderate!
One very educational thing I did was to read the Dutch Constitution… it was authored about 25 years after ours (1815)… it’s very much like the U.S. Constitution, but with the Bill of Rights rolled in… they sure seem to do a much better job of protecting civil liberties though, even though they’ve been ‘battling terrorism’ since the Nazis…
By a stroke of luck, I saw an interesting political difference… while visiting the Parlement buildings (den Haag) a protest marched in and the equivalent of ’speaker of the house’ came out, listened to their complaints, and formally said ‘I hear you.’ Would be interesting if our speaker of the house was required by law to come & listen to significant protests by the citizens at Congress… not required to agree or aquiess, but they are required to LISTEN! (the protest was about Dutch troops in Bosnia)
I’m twice the age of bobcat_grad… you sound like a ’sweet young thing’ Zookeeper! If you’re looking for someone to reward your spunky liberalisum I’ll gladly be your ‘Love Slave’! hahahaha
You’re really lucky to have your kids support you, politically… Benjamin Franklin’s son was a Loyalist who was driven to Canada, then moved to London… chattel of the King. Sometimes, the kids just don’t ‘get it’….
June 11th, 2006 at 8:03 pmOh my, Robert, I’m fanning my furiously blushing neck. I haven’t had the love slave offer for a while!
Thank you so much for the information on the Dutch Constitution. I admit I have neglected my Dutch roots. I’m certainly going to do some reading on it now. Oh, to be considered mainstream! Wouldn’t we all just stand around with our mouths hanging open and catching flies if the Speaker of the House even pretended to be interested in our existence, let alone listened to us?
I was going to ask you how long you’d been lurking in order to gather the information about me, but I realize now I’ve been blathering a bit this weekend. I am a sweet young thing, my dear, since I am 12 years younger than twice bobcat_grad’s age. ;)
You are so fortunate to have been able to travel over the years, it’s one thing I love the most, especially roadtrips. I’ve traveled quite a bit in the US, and lived in Gitmo (not the prison — yet) for two years. Now that I’ve gotten the kidlets pretty much on their own, there is hope!
I hope you keep commenting here! *still fanning*
June 11th, 2006 at 11:08 pm[…] YearlyKos convention held by the liberal blog Daily Kos last week attracted a lot of media attention — and not merely because of the high-profile Democrats who showed up. YearlyKos was cited by […]
March 30th, 2008 at 4:58 am