DNC: Completed :: July 30th, 2004 ::
So, Jessamyn has completed her work at the DNC, and is most likely back in Bethel as we speak. (I’m still at work down in Rutland, so I can’t be too sure — nonetheless, I assume that things are going as we had planned). This Democratic Convention is like no other I’ve ever experienced, both in terms of the sheer volume of the coverage that I watched, and in terms of how the experience was mediated.
Sure, the blogger phenomenon was new and interesting, but I found that I was in an especially interesting position having Jessamyn blogging the thing. Through her descriptions I learned about the embargoed versions of the speeches that the press received well before the speakers actually took the stage (with the notable exception of Bill Clinton, who to this day needs to hold out till the last minute).
But overall, I found this to be the most fascinating political convention because for the first time I was able to see the events that were not so painfully scripted and rehearsed for television for presentation. Like anything else in democratic governance, the most dynamic, meaningful, and intersting stuff happens when people make real observations about what’s happening, and real connections with their elected leaders.
