The mix of groups in the exhibit hall was pretty typical, with issue advocacy groups and web-based political businesses dominating. A couple of things really stood out about the exhibitors. The first was the preponderance of union groups or union funded front groups. The second was the number of startup businesses with really questionable business models.
One of the largest booths belonged to the Teamsters Union, who deserve some credit for boldly proclaiming their identity and not hiding behind some bogus PAC or front group. Other unions were more circumspect. For example, a booth which appeared to be for a public interest group advocating reforms in WalMart's business practices turned out to be a wholly controlled front group for a retail food workers union, and I'm pretty sure that another 'workers rights' group was actually the wobblies in disguise (Industrial Workers of the World). Also present were some of the usual suspects from the progressive movement, including the gratingly partisan Soros-funded smear machine Media Matters and Howard Dean's progressive PAC Democracy for America which impressed me as professional, well organized and pretty smart.
Can Partisanship and Business Mix?
What shocked me about many of the businesses in the exhibit hall was how ideologically motivated they were. I'm used to dealing with businesses which put the interests of the customer first and want to use their expertise to make as much money as they can from as many clients as they can dig up. What I found here was that there were a number of startup web businesses which were proud and outspoken about their intent to work only with clients who were bonafide members of the political left. They included Wired for Change who seemed proud that they had rejected a liberal Republican who wanted to work with them, and Advomatic who had cool retro signage, but shocked me when one of their staffers declared that even if a Republican offered them 100,000 times more than their usual fees they would never take him as a client. I wonder how well those principles would hold up in hard times, facing the failure that comes to so many internet startups. Does political loyalty feed the kids when the wolf is at the door? Of course, it's possible that my disguise was good enough that all of this brand loyalty was just a pitch based on the assumption that as a Netroots attendee I'd be outraged if they were less than gung ho for the team.
Article comments
1 - zingzing
oh, dave... i see you falling apart at some point. you? at a daily kos event?
i'm rubbing my crystal balls! there! i see something... coming out! there is something in the mist! oh, damn, man... i'm sorry. no, that's not mystical spit. not at all.
2 - Gaheris
I heard that they were issuing two different media badges at Netroots Nation, one for those who agreed with the organizers politically and a special one labelled "Opinion Media" for people who weren't left enough for them. Which one did you get?
3 - Matthew T. Sussman
"Blogcritic's Dave Nalle files his first spy report. As he acknowledges right off the bat, he is there undercover to see what the other side is doing. He demonstrates his complete ignorance of the left blogosphere in his description of the attendees and the dkos blogging community. Beware who you're talking to at the conference." Kos
Got your BC-issued cyanide pill, Dave?
4 - Andy Marsh
They're on to you Dave...be careful out there...keep your head down!
maybe you need to commute between these events in something really green. You can borrow my e-bike, that might make them happy!
5 - bliffle
The Wobblies? The IWW? Didn't they officialy go extinct when U. Utah Phillips died a couple weeks ago? Oh well, no more of those great concerts. And exotic foods celebrated in song like "Moose Turd Pie". He was good, though.
I'm only surprised that you went to the convention dressed in shorts, thus risking derision for exposing your varicose veined lily-white gams to public view. Why, after witnessing that display some louts might conclude that your writing is equally shameless.
6 - Dave Nalle
Bliff, I'm from Texas. I wear shorts 300 days a year, so my legs are nice and tanned. No need to fear.
Dave
7 - troll
...do you wear your chaps over the shorts cowboy - ?
8 - Dan Miller
Troll,
Cowboy chaps and shorts, while useful, do not protect the part of the anatomy which The Reverend Mr. Jackson graciously offered to remove from
The Reverend Mr.Senator Obama.Dan
9 - troll
'Blogcritic's Dave Nalle'...sounds pretty good -
those boys and girls over at the Kos take themselves awful serious-like don'cha know
10 - Clavos
"those boys and girls over at the Kos take themselves awful serious-like don'cha know"
And for no discernible reason...
11 - Dave Nalle
Got your BC-issued cyanide pill, Dave?
Dang, Matt. Mine is past the expiration date. I hope I'm not in trouble.
maybe you need to commute between these events in something really green. You can borrow my e-bike, that might make them happy!
Sadly, my BigAss Ecotruck is in the shop.
The comment on my first report over at DailyKos would be a lot more useful if it actually explained HOW I had failed to understand the left bloggers. I suspect that my failure is that I haven't bought into the concept that they speak with the voice of god.
Dave
12 - bliffle
I didn't think a guy hunched over his computer 12 hours a day pounding out fonts and columns could get enough of the blue rays of his CRTs onto his legs to give them any color. And I can't imagine sun exposure.
13 - Matthew T. Sussman
Someone's wi-fi router doesn't reach their back patio.
14 - Dave Nalle
My wifi reaches all the way to the pool, where I sometimes do my writing. Plus I've been known to frequent sidewalk cafes which have wifi when I get stuck in downtown Austin. I also type with amazing speed, leaving me time for some outdoor activities.
So, with my natural tanning ability, I'm remarkably dark.
Dave
15 - Dale
Hi,
Can anyone confirm that postcards for my anti-war satire "Military Intelligence and You" were included in the registration bags? Thanks.
16 - Dave Nalle
I have so much junk in my bag now that I'm not sure, but I'll check and get backl to you later, Dale.
dave
17 - Dave Nalle
BTW, my second report, which gives some time to the other side's alternative to Netroots Nation is posted now. Look for A Tale of Two Netroots.
More later today.
Dave
18 - Dale
Just hoping that my postcard is part of that junk...Thanks for checking.
Dale