Sunday, June 11, 2006
INCREDIBLE CROSS-SECTION FILLS HOTEL
DailyKos functionary Susan G. revels in the nation-changing success of the YearlyKos convention:
What is amazing about us in the flesh is our diversity.
Our energy, we all knew about. Our intelligence, both collective and individual, has always been on display here on the site itself.
But when we fill up a hotel ... well, we are the most incredible cross-section of America.
You’d be even more diverse if you included the sane.
When you walk down the hallways and through registration area, the people who are sitting cross-legged on the floor, backs to wall, logging on, are every age from 16 to over 70. You can hear accents floating through from every corner of the country - twangs, drawls, short Northeastern clips ...
... stammers, ululating, unmedicated screams ...
Remember all that talk about people feeling shy? Pffffft. Forget about it. Of course, there may be people lurking in their rooms, but for the most part, it seems barriers are really down. You just walk up to a clump of people, or turn around to whoever is walking down the hall behind you, introduce yourself, and are welcomed as a long-lost friend.
Or first-ever friend, as the case may be.
We are hungry, hungry for each other in person. If someone is spotted with the orange lanyard around their neck, you fall upon them. Who are you? What’s your screen name? Ack! We recognize it!
Ack! It’s the Holy Fellowship of the Orange Lanyard! Pity any other conventioneers currently in Vegas who might be wearing similar identification. Hello! Will you be my friend?
The media is, of course, in fascinated attendance and it seems like every fourth person you run into is here covering the phenomenon of ... us.
We’re worth it, too. We are something else.
You are only 1,000 people at the Riviera Hotel. Check the attendance at these conventions, also scheduled for Vegas this month:
* Western States Roofing Contractors Association: 4,000
* Las Vegas Hair & Nail: 12,000
* Electrical Apparatus Service Association: 4,000
* Intl Esthetics Cosmetics & Spa Conference: 33,000
* Coffee Fest: 8,000
* Casino Chips & Gaming Token Collectors: 5,000
* Truck Show: 30,000
Kinda puts this little party in perspective, doesn’t it? These netroots folk amount to just one-fourth of the Electrical Apparatus Service community. Susan concludes:
We are here. We are at the gates. We will no longer remain passive and meek in order to court favor. We, the people, are coming to power slowly and indefatigably, here in Vegas and here on the blog. We have arrived.
I salute your indefatigability!
And we’ll never go back to silence again.
Sorry? You were saying something?
(Via Wonkette)
UPDATE. YearlyKos saves a life!
UPDATE II: “Remember when Davey Jones showed up at Marcia’s prom? That was nothin’.”