Netroots Nation: Pics from Last Weekend

Some final scenes from Netroots Nation last weekend. Enjoy!

(P.S. I'll look through the UStream and share with you some of the best moments from last weekend. Hey, I promised you I'd share the best of Netroots Nation here!) ;-)

Policy: "Tea Party" FAIL? And Progressives' Opportunity?

A year ago, they were heralded as the most significant sea change to happen in American politics since... Well, since Barack Obama's election as President. (Ironically.) But now? The "mainstream media" are asking if they're more of a nuisance than a benefit to the Republican Party.

Now, as Republicans try to capitalize on what is widely expected to be a difficult election for Democrats, the Tea Party could become more of a hindrance than a help. In addition to a lack of organization, the movement has suffered a number of public relations scandals nationally that could distract from its message of fiscal conservatism and constitutional principles.

“A lot of the Tea Party’s problems are created by the Tea Partyers themselves,” conservative political operative Chuck Muth said. “They are just new and not organized and sometimes they are their own worst enemy.”

In the most recent example, Tea Party Express spokesman Mark Williams penned a racially charged blog post responding to an accusation by the NAACP that the movement includes racist elements. The post, which Williams described as satire, prompted the national Tea Party Federation to expel the Tea Party Express from its coalition and Williams to resign.

Ah, yes, Tea Party Express... Sharrontology's very best friends! And this is what they're really concerned about. Did the rush to embrace Sharron Angle put them at risk to lose the Senate election? Perhaps so.

Republicans are growing increasingly frustrated with Sharron Angle and her lackluster campaign to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), fearing she is jeopardizing what they had long viewed as a sure pickup and costing them a chance to reclaim the majority.

Senate Republicans quietly acknowledge that Angle’s controversial views on some issues remain a political liability. But the former Nevada Assemblywoman’s larger problems are a progression of unforced errors stemming from a lack of campaign experience and an amateurish staff incapable of offering her the necessary guidance. However, Angle has proved to be adept at fundraising, corralling $2.6 million in the second quarter. [...]

“It’s dysfunctional,” a Nevada Republican added, when asked to give an assessment of the Angle campaign. “She can still win, but the operation seems odd at best.” [...]

“It gets down to pure message discipline, and she doesn’t have it,” a second Nevada Republican said. “There’s no one in the campaign to enforce it.” [...]

The Nevada race is too prominent, and too affordable, for the NRSC to ignore. But Cornyn cannot even threaten to withhold committee funds to pressure Angle to hire specific personnel because she is raising plenty of money on her own, and outside groups are expected to spend millions in an effort to unseat Reid. “The NRSC is in an awful position,” the GOP operative said.

And more than that, the "tea party" risks losing whatever credibility they have left. Despite all their corporate handlers and attempts at slick campaigning, they can't hide the fact that they have no real ideas to get the country moving again.

Think about it. They complain about unemployment and home foreclosures, but they don't like any sort of government action to address it. They complain about debt and deficits, but they don't address the expanding deficits during the Bush Administration and they don't provide any realistic plan to slash their feared debt. The point here is that the teabaggers know how to yell and shout and scream, but they don't seem to care about discussing serious policy and real solutions to what presently ails us.

This is their ultimate dilemma. I know, I know, I'm just a "policy wonk romantic" and most Americans don't really care about real policy... Supposedly. But you know what? I know they do. When I hear from my neighbors, the school teachers, about having to buy their own supplies for the kids because Clark County School District cut the budget again for school supplies, I know they care. When I hear from my cousin and her husband about their recent scare over "being between jobs", I know they care. When I hear from friends worrying about how they'll get all their needed credits when UNLV is considering cutting the very classes they need to take, I know they care. People care about policy... It just needs to be tangible for them!

I was thinking about this last weekend at Netroots Nation when I dropped into a few panel discussions on the election, campaigns, and messaging. It was something bloggers and activists were talking about, but this is something I've now come to know about from real life experience. Living here in Las Vegas can do this to someone. I hope we all understand this.

The teabaggers have nothing to offer but hot air. We all realize this. So now it's up to us to explain what's happened in the last year and a half, explain what still needs to be done, and explain the kind of policies we need that will have a real, positive impact on real people's lives. Let's be up for this challenge.

Netroots Nation: On Being "On the Scene"

You know what? This Netroots Nation thingy was quite something, wasn't it? Once upon a time, they were mocked as "nutroots"... But now, even the traditional "mainstream media" are noticing.





And so are candidates and elected officials all over. I heard from Congressional candidates in California, a Lieutenant Governor candidate in Texas, a Congressional candidate in Minnesota, a Congressional candidate in New Hampshire, and far more. Oh yes, and I heard from this guy. ;-)



Yep, that's Harry Reid, all right! Our friends at ProgressNow Nevada hosted a very special reception with Senator Reid at The Rio yesterday, and I had a chance to listen in on these quick comments. Oh yes, and I got that picture at the top. I think the Senator is starting to recognize poor lil' moi!

And that was before this...



Obviously, people were getting frustrated over what seems like the lack of progress on a number of issues, from climate & energy to LGBTQ equality to job creation. And I understand. Yes, there are times I'm quite frustrated. However, it hasn't been easy to accomplish what Congressional Democrats like Reid and Congresswoman Dina Titus have done since President Obama took office. As I was trying to explain to Steve Friess yesterday (It wasn't in full context, but I think my point still comes across), this has been the most productive Congress since the Depression Era, with much progress being made on health care reform, financial regulatory reform, economic recovery, and civil rights. However, there is still plenty of work to be done and it's our job as the progressive netroots & grassroots to build support for progressive change on the outside while urging those on the inside (like President Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi) to deliver that change.

And in the next couple days, as I share more of my thoughts and observations from Netroots Nation, I hope you'll see this. This was a chance for Democratic leaders to come and explain the progress they've been making on enacting a better, progressive agenda, and for "we the activists" to urge them to keep moving forward. I believe Reid got the message, and so did Pelosi and many of the other Democratic leaders there. And I believe activists are getting smarter on how to win campaigns, and on how to better choose winning progressive candidates.

It was just so awe-inspiring to be right in the middle of all of it. The rumors that GetEQUAL would disrupt Pelosi's and Reid's respective keynotes to ask about ENDA and DADT. The private chats with Reid himself at the ProgressNow reception. The breakout sessions on messaging. The candidate speeches in the main hall. The panel discussions on what to watch for in this year's Congressional elections. The Nevada Democrats' after party with Al Franken. I was inside. I was outside. I was all over the place.

And hopefully in these next few diaries, I can show you some more of what was happening while I was on the scene at Netroots Nation.

(And by the way, there's even more from #nn10 at my Twitter @atdleft.)

Programming Note: Netroots Nation Coverage Starting Wednesday

In case you haven't heard, those dirty f*cking hippie bloggers are coming to town. So of course, I'll be covering it all (or at least as much as I can) starting Wednesday! There will be guest speakers, Q&A sessions with Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, training sessions... Oh, and did I mention the after parties? ;-)

I'll be here this week, and I'll take you with me... Well, digitally, through this blog. (Hey, I'm not made out of money.)

And if you'll be there in person, please stop by and say hi. See you at the Nevada Caucus!