Day 2 & 3 Impressions

The insanity continues...but I am starting to discern some interesting order. There are at least three orders of participants: the plebiscite that travels on foot, the political sharks seemingly lounge just inside roped barriers (how they move from party to party is still unknown) and Elite, who definitely travel by screaming motorcade.

There are also stars there, of both the political stripe and movie types. I was at a party for 14 Women, a movie about the women of the Senate. I am not sure about the movie, but the celebrities were fast and thick...Anne Hathaway, Susan Sarandon, Angela Bassett, Annette Benning, Ellen Burstyn, Toby from the West Wing, Rachel Leigh Cooke, Tony Goldwyn...etc. Since I had a press pass, I got to go up to the "VIP Lounge" and hang out with them, sort of. In many ways they were very regular folks...just with lots of security about. I spoke with a couple of them, just quick chats, but it was interesting at least.

I have not provided any impressions of the actual political speeches, events and people. That is because I only saw the convention when I actually left and watched it on TV. Frankly, I was working a lot and did not get to see anything.

That is not to say that I did not see some of the back office. I got into the "unassigned press gallery", which I thought would be some impressive set booths on the floor, something like you see in the Senate with Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Don't think so, it was two stories under the floor of the arena. There were long tables with hundreds reporters all typing and filing away on their computers. There were a number "spin doctors" floating about, but I believe they were about 14 and from Iowa...so we must have not been very important.

I also wandered behind the TV studios and got glimpses of the floor through the bright lights of the studio...but that was about it.

There were two other notable encouters. The first was with my old boss's, boss's, boss, Ed Rendell, now the Governor of Pennsylvania, but formerly the Mayor of Phiadelphia. I saw him going into the Westin and quickly introduced myself as a former employee. He stopped everybody, turned towards me and asked what I was doing now, how I was doing, etc. It was the same old Ed magic and it was thrilling for me.

The second was a 10 minute chat with Gary Knell, CEO of the Sesame Workshop. I introduced myself and he came and sat at a table I was at and we compared notes about public broadcasting. I am a great admirer of his leadership in charting a new media course at the Workshop and that was also a thrill.

OK, so this post, again, has nothing to do with public media, and almost nothing redeeming about it, but I will have to think about what I learned...and share with you the amazing footage we got at the convention for the If I Were President campaign.

Day 1 Impressions: Innovation & US Economy

Today was a bit of insanity. There were thousands and thousands of people going here and there very importantly. There were famous faces. There were faces that seemed important, or least that is how they looked. And there was security. Lots of security.

Amongst the meeting journalists, bloggers and the multitude of DNCC staffers who hand and take away tickets, lanyards and passes, I did manage to take in the New Democrat Coalition's Forum on Competitiveness & Innovation. It was a large panel that was dominated by Big Pharma - Eli Lili, Pfizer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Medco Health Solutions and Amgen and a smattering of Congress representatives. Also the CEO of Best Buy...very odd. Of course the striking thing is that there was not one person from technology, nor Silicon Valley. Two big guns from Google's government relations where there, I wander what they thought about it.

However, there were some interesting thinking being laid out everyonce in awhile.

• We Don't Invest Enough in R&D - The ratio between R&D and the US GDP has not changed since 1992.
• Everyone Should Know What is IP - The panel felt that US citizens should be aware of the importance of intellectual property...well that might be a stretch considering they are more aware of losing their homes and their jobs. Which leads us to WalMart, the place where half of America gets conditioned to goods that are copies of styles of other people's R&D.
• To the WTO! - A number of Congress folks wanted us to march to the WTO more often to take the bad guys, China I am going to assume, to task.
• Please Don't Go, Just When We Started to Like You - most of the CEOs were concerned that our visa and asylum systems were pretty terrible in keeping talent in the country. Interestingly it was "All Quiet on the Western Front" with the Congress folks on the panel...

So, what does this have to do with public purpose media? I want to think more about it, but for many it seems like we are looking at the wrong industries to get the innovation that truly challenges us.

At A Supposedly Historical Moment

Today I arrived in Denver for the start of the Democratic National Convention. The nonprofit I work for, One Economy, has a media site called 247townhall.org. The site is a place for young people to get involved, connected and have a platform for their thoughts and ideas. Our goal is to help young people begin a conversation that leads to both personal and community change.

Under the very creative and able hands of Mohammed Bilal, the Managing Editor of 247, we have launched a campaign called "If I Were President". Working with GOOD Magazine, Rock the Vote and others we have both celebrities as well as over a hundred (and growing)young people finishing the simple statement of "If I was President I would..." The responses are funny (see Mos Def's outtakes), interesting, clever and powerful.

The campaign, which will be officially launching in September through the elections have led us to come to Denver, and then Minneapolis after that to get at the heart of what it means to the leader of the United States.

I have never been to a convention, but I am hoping to meet interesting folks, be inspired and get to see how a democracy works at its most flamboyant. Everyday I will write a dispatch of what I saw, heard and did (or what was did to me...lots of security here). I also have signed up a Twitter account to keep those that are interested in what happens every second, but also as a way to take mobile notes along the way.

Up early tomorrow to pick up my press credentials and off to the Show!