Losers!

We tried, but they didn’t want us.

I hate blogging meta.

When we started this clean, well lit place previous experience showed us all how to deal with it (you know, meta).

But, just so you (our dear readers) know that we all aren’t a bunch of slackers you should be aware that we did apply in January for blogger credentials to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. We filed all the required and requested paperwork in a timely manner. In case you haven’t noticed we have yet to post a triumphant diary with a headline screaming “We’re going to Denver, nyah, nyah, nyah!” That’s because we didn’t get any credentials. Twice.

And here’s what they told us on On May 29th (the second time):

Hi there.  I’m writing regarding your application to the 2008 Democratic National Convention’s General Blogger Pool.

As you may know, we’ve had overwhelming interest in the credentialed blogger program this year. Several hundred great blogs submitted applications. But we have very limited space. Unfortunately, your blog will not be credentialed at 2008 Democratic National Convention…

Rough translation: “Losers!” And what’s with “Hi there?” I’d much prefer “Dear loser ‘D’ lister”.

I think it’s probably because our coverage of the Missouri State Democratic Convention wasn’t up to the scope or standards of the other bloggers who covered it…oh wait…

Democrats, Unite!

Heh.

Rumor has it that a dead trees media political reporter was asked why they didn’t bother to attend and cover the Missouri Democratic Convention. The alleged answer?: “There was no news to cover.”

Oh yeah?

Ike Skelton at the Missouri State Democratic Convention

Claire McCaskill at the Missouri State Democratic Convention

Wanted: More Trippes

We’re all having a lot of fun and doing something we all believe in. There’s far too much political news for us to cover in Missouri and the Show Me Progress corporate headquarters cloning project can’t keep up with the demand.

Heh.

Don’t count us out for anything. Collectively and individually, we’re devious.

Did I mention that I hate blogging meta?

The crowd had filled out to its full size of 12,000 (probably minus a few no shows).

I stopped to talk to two women who were sporting Hillary stickers. I asked them where they were from. “Grinell, Iowa.” I asked them who they were supporting. “Hillary or Obama. They both have platforms we agree with.” One said, “It’s a triumph of American politics I’d like to see. Both are smart.” I asked if they would be participating in the caucus. Both said they have in the past, and they will this time, too.

Senator Tom Harkin introduced his six guests in the order they were speaking. The crowd response to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards was big and about the same for each. The candidates had contingents of supporters, but most in the crowd applauded all of them.

One of my traveling companions noted that this was probably indicative of the current state of the race in Iowa.

I noticed more than a few people with stickers of most, if not all, of the candidates plastered on their shirts.

A singer performed the national anthem with pre-recorded accompaniment. Her rendition was heartfelt and definitely unique. Most people would have had difficulty singing along with her. I noticed that all of the candidates except Obama held their hands over their hearts. Obama held his hands folded in front of him throughout [This is not criticism – the “hand over the heart” looked awkward on the stage – I was standing in the same fashion as Obama].

As the speechifying started I realized I wasn’t going to be able to talk to people in the crowd. They were paying attention to whoever was speaking on the stage. I later made the mistake of trying to talk to some Edwards supporters after he had finished speaking. A woman dismissed me with [rightly so], “I’m trying to listen to this speaker…”

The candidates spoke in an order determined at random. First up was Barack Obama:

…Some of the reason you’re all out here. You’re sick and tired of George Bush…

Barack Obama supporters started trickling to the exits after he spoke.

A man noticed me and my press pass. He came up to me and said, “Have you ever noticed when people run for office they sound like a dictator? They’ll say they’ll do this, but don’t mention there’s a Congress they’ll have to work with or anything.” I listened politely. He walked away.

Bill Richardson:

…Al Gore has been right, we all just hope he doesn’t get in the race…

…with Bill Richardson you get change and experience…

Hillary Clinton was introduced and a good portion of the crowd got on its feet:

…building a new field of dreams for the country we love, and we’re going to take it back…

If you’re ready for change, I’m ready to lead…

…[referring to the Bush administration] The era of cowboy diplomacy is over…

…[referring to cabinet appointments] let’s appoint qualified people to do the job in America again…

…[a 90 year old woman] said, ‘I was born before a woman could vote and now I’m going to see a woman in the White House’…

A number of Hillary Clinton supporters exited the grounds after she spoke.

Chris Dodd:

…doing something greater than ourselves…

…All 12,000 of you are invited to spend Inaugural night at the White House [Harkin supposedly quipped, “We’ll all be there.”]

John Edwards:

…When we walk away from the poor and defenseless our party loses its identity…

…We need more than the rhetoric of change…

…[the system] is broken. It does not work for ordinary Americans. When you give [corporate interests] a seat at the table, they’ll eat all the food…

…I don’t want to see us replace corporate republicans with corporate Democrats…

…George Bush has not damaged America’s standing in the world, he’s destroyed it…

Every [war] funding bill sent to Bush should have a timetable for withdrawal…

Most of the crowd started to stream out.

Joe Biden:

…I’ve also seen ‘Field of Dreams’, but if I’m not mistaken this [event] has taken longer than nine innings…

…George Bush has made it abundantly clear that he will not end this war. One of us on this stage will have to end it…

…This war must end…

[He somberly recited the number of  American dead and wounded in Iraq to date]…

Joe Biden’s speech was well received by the crowd that remained.

The event was certainly interesting. The press pass made it more so, surreal even.

I never made it to the press filing/blogger building.

I had given my full admission ticket to one of our traveling companions who didn’t have a ticket. My press pass got me on to the grounds, but I still never got a chance to plunk down the ten dollars to get something to eat.

Getting out was easier than getting in. By the time we made it to the parking lot most people had already left. It reminded me of the crowd at a sporting event leaving with time still on the clock.

We drove past long lines of people walking back to the cars they had parked further out when they tried avoiding the traffic jam.

We stopped at a local convenience store to gas up the vehicles and headed to I-35 – four and a half hours later we reached home.

As I walked through the entrance gate a twenty-something asks me for my ticket, then sees the press pass, smiles and says, “Sorry,” then motions me through. I’m wondering the same thing.

Down the rabbit hole.

There was an army of volunteers at the entrance from one campaign or another passing out campaign stickers (and still others working the crowd, handing out campaign paraphernalia and getting Iowans to fill out cards). They see my pass and don’t offer me anything.

There’s no mud. People stream in through the entrance. The food lines at the south east are humming with activity. The huge tents with tables are occupied. I see a big crowd to the north east.

Ah. The scheduled photo-op.

The attendance to the event is eventually announced. 12,000. A record. That’s one big mass of humanity.

I have my bag over one shoulder and may camera in hand. The damn press pass keeps twirling in the wind – the chain chokes me. I keep having to untwist it. The t-shirted campaign volunteers handing out “stuff” approach everyone – they see my pass and purposefully avoid me.

I made my way to the food line tents. I take a few photos of people in line. Surprisingly, of the close to 100 photos I took, almost all look decent. I made my way to the large crowd at the photo-op. I find myself in the midst of large organized competing Hillary and Edwards groups. John Edwards is working the fence line. I see one of his national campaign staffers who I’ve been acquainted with over the years. I call out his name. He looks at me over the fence, sees me and smiles. I call out over the crowd, “Do you remember me?” He nods. I continue snapping away with my camera, a full size slr digital job. An event staffer, seeing my press pass tells me, “Follow me.” He grabs a few others inside the crowd with press passes and takes us in tow, escorting us inside the fence to the inner sanctum of the photo-op.

The photographers and video camera people mob John Edwards. Elizabeth Edwards, too. The crowd at the fence line keeps their competing chants going. The Edwards people have more “home made” appearing signs and a guy with a bullhorn.

Jeff Greenfield interviews Edwards – with the crowd at the fence line as a back drop. Other video and still photographers surround them, only leaving an open space for the view of the crowd behind Edwards. A campaign staffer makes sure of that.

Then, somehow the Edwards are gone and another contingent arrives to the photo-op (a group of volunteers grilling steak and chicken in a fenced off area).

Hillary has arrived. She eventually makes her way to the fence line. She’s mobbed by the crowd at the fence line on one side, and the media still photographers and video cameras on the other. I lean over the fence into the crowd with my camera to try and get a better angle. A young women on the line lets loose with loud wolf whistle three inches from my ear. There’s going to be permanent hearing loss. The crowd is large, noisy and boisterous.

At one point Hillary made her way back to the fence line to greet a man in a wheel chair and his attendant. Two young women, oblivious to those around them, push to the fence to get closer to Hillary, pushing the attendant into her charge. The attendant loudly says, “Excuse me.” She repeats herself. The two young women don’t seem to notice.

The mob scenes around Edwards and Hillary make me thankful for the fences.

Because of the photo-op I missed the grand entrance of Obama and his supporters on to the grounds through the main entrance [they made their way from the off site rally].

I made my way back to the public grounds. I see Joe Biden. There are three people around him. I take a few photos.

I spot a swirling crowd. It’s Obama – he’s surrounded by a swarm of media and supporters. I join in and and start taking pictures. The mass of humanity makes its way to the photo op-area. After Obama walks into the fenced area those of us with press passes follow.

Obama is engaged in a lengthy conversation with a grill volunteer. He listens intently.

Joe Biden makes his way into the photo-op area. He and Obama are simultaneously greeting the people in the area. They see each other and shake hands.

I see a couple, Obama supporters by their t-shirts, at the fence. I approach. “Can I ask you a few questions?” “It depends.” [Ah, the press pass.] I ask them where they’re from. “Amana, Iowa.” “Why are you supporting Barack Obama?” “He’s a fresh wind. He’s brilliant. He doesn’t take money from lobbyists. He’s raised $20 million five dollars at a time. His speech at the Democratic National Convention. The country needs change. He’s working for people.” I jot down their comments on a note pad. There’s an inquisitive look from the woman. I explain that I’m a blogger. “Show Me Progress.” She indicates she’s going to look it up. They mention they intend to participate in the caucus. I ask, “Have you done this before?” The indicate that this is the first time they’ll do so.

I look to the main grounds. The crowd has grown to its full size. I make my way back from the photo op.

[Next: the speechifying]

Early tomorrow morning a small group of us from Warrensburg will pile into two vehicles for the 4 1/2 hour drive to that muddy (probably) balloon field near Indianola, Iowa for the 30th Harkin Steak Fry. This to hear Democratic presidential candidates  Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Bill Richardson speak.

I wrote about some of my experiences at the event four years ago here.

Our intrepid little band will include Brett Penrose,  skippy the bush kangaroo‘s editorial cartoonist. Blogtopia (yes, we’re very much aware that skippy coined the phrase!) will never be the same again. Brett has been making a splash on the Internets of late. He’s even garnered the attention of dead tree media like the Kansas City Star, which has published a couple of his ‘toons – including the infamous one of the Missouri Highway Patrol pulling over Jay Nixon’s campaign bus so that Governor Blunt “could catch up.”

So, I’ll be in good company.

After making arrangements to attend the event I noticed a link at the Harkin web site for “blogger credentials”. I thought to myself, “Hey, we have a perfectly respectable progressive political blog here – I’ll fill out the web form and submit it.” So, I did. After I filled out the form the system came back with a page that told me I’d be contacted by e-mail with further details. A week went by. I navigated to the web site again, filled out the form again, explaining that I did so because I had yet to hear from them, and added more contact information.  Five days went by. “Well,” I thought, “we obviously haven’t achieved a level of notice which would get someone to get us ‘blogger credentials’ to an event such as this.” But, I also figured “what the hey” nothing had really changed.

I’d still attend the event and write about it here. Because it’ll be interesting, it’s worth writing about, and it’s a fun time. It better be – I’ve conned a whole bunch of friends into going with me.

A few days ago I was engaging in my several times a day routine of checking my e-mail and clearing out the spam box (I usually don’t look at spam in any detail – I just “delete” with impunity) when, just as I was about to hit “delete” I saw “MEDIA ADVISORY: 30th Harkin…” Holy cow. I got credentialed. Then I thought, “Holy cow, that better not make me one of them.”

Then the realization hit me – our blogs are here able to do what they do because nature abhors a vacuum. Brett Penrose is creating his cartoons because he can, and because nature abhors a vacuum.

I’ve had plenty of experiences at outdoor political events – in bad weather. First thing you do is check the current weather. Then you check the forecast. Maybe showers today – partly cloudy and in the 70’s tomorrow. Maybe. That means wearing comfortable clothes and old tennis shoes (an open field with thousands of people tromping around is going to get muddy). That also means one needs to bring a change of shoes for the long drive home. I’ve got a shoulder bag with room for a jacket, a small umbrella, and my camera. Cell phone. Check (the crowd is going to be very large – it’ll make it easier to round up my traveling companions when it’s time to go home). Palm Pilot. Check. Small notepad. Check. Extra writing utensils. Check. ID. Check. Bottle of water. Check.

The people in the crowd who have scraped together the cash to pay admission to attend these types of events are the most interesting. Sure, the famous politicians make their speeches and we see them in the flesh. But, if they’re good politicians they’ll be staying “on message” and they won’t do anything shocking. It’s the people who are in the crowd listening to that message who fascinate me. I ask people “Where are you from?”, “Why are you here?”, “Who are you supporting?” Sometimes you get a unique life story along with the answers to those questions. 

So, in reading the “media advisory” I note that there’s a place for me to check in. There’ll be a place for me to “file” (I ain’t bringing a laptop to an outdoor event) and I’ll get access to the public grounds.

There’ll be thousands of people at the event. The vast majority will be Democratic party activists – supporting one presidential candidate or another. As I wander the grounds will I have to endure cold stares from the masses? “No, no, you don’t understand. I’m not one of them, I’m a blogger…”

It looks like getting credentialed really only means I get free admission to the event and that I can pay $10 for the feed if I want to eat.

The thing is, I already bought my $30 ticket.