Chris, Duncan, Susie, BooMan, Albert, Kyle, and eRobin have all posted recaps of last night’s DFA Meetup.
The turnout was huge, especially on a night when the heat index was of Limbaughian proportions.
All of the candidates were impressive, but I was especially taken with Patrick Murphy, a young war veteran who hopes to follow in the footsteps of Paul Hackett. Murphy is engaged, photogenic, and passionate, and I think he has what it takes to make a real difference in 2006 and beyond. It’s so gratifying to see that soldiers like Paul Hackett and Patrick Murphy have come back from Iraq, and are now speaking out about what they saw and taking part in the political process.
And since so many of these veterans are running as Democrats, it is imperative that we support them.
A few other thoughts about the night:
1. This is a Philly story, but its implications are national: readers in other cities should look at what’s happening here in order to recreate these kinds of events in their own districts. Progressives should be fielding candidates for every seat available, and working through networks such as DFA to do so.
And if you don’t see a candidate you like, why not follow Chris’ example and run yourself?
2. Susie has some great thoughts about the Philly blogosphere in her post:
Well, it’s a number of things, I suppose: Philadelphia is not a cutthroat town. From the very beginning, the local blogging community has helped each other out, and those at the top of the blogging food chain have been very good about reaching down and pulling up the rest. (We also socialize a lot, which helps.)
Maybe it’s that Philadelphia has always been a place where important ideas generate and take form – remember that little thing called the Continental Congress? Every time I talk to another local blogger, there’s a new idea – and the next time we talk, it’s already on its way to becoming real. People here are also very good at sharing – there aren’t many resources you couldn’t find here (OK, both Jim Capozzola and I really need a free dentist, but other than that…) and someone will always help.
I guess if I had to sum it up briefly (and I know you wish I would), it would be this: Some people may look at a problem and say, “We can’t do anything about that.” In Philadelphia, people look at a problem, talk about possible solutions and say, “Well, why the fuck not?”
I’m working on the dentist (seriously!).
3. Whereas telling someone you are a blogger used to provoke blank stares and vague looks of suspicion, people now perk up and ask where you blog, and politicians excitedly shake your hand and engage you.
4. I’ve uploaded some shots of the event to my Flickr site. Unfortunately, my pictures of the beer vats and buckets of foam came out much better those of the speakers at the event.
5. The owners of the Yards brewery rock.
6. Among the bloggers who were there that I didn’t get to meet were BooMan and eRobin. Next time, I hope. Or maybe they’ll make it out to Drinking Liberally one day soon.
5 Comments on "DFA Meetup Recap"
Rod:
I’m assuming that this is not the same DFA that produced the Rapture’s “House of Jealous Lovers,” although I suppose anything’s possible.
Tom Folsom:
Matt,
I’m working for the Patrick Murphy campaign, and I know Pat and the rest of us would love to get more invovled in the blogging community - if you have any thoughts on that, drop us a line at info@murphy06.com. We’ll be working on contacting Philly area bloggers soon - just wanted to say thanks for listening.
Tom Folsom
Patrick Murphy for Congress
Matt:
Thanks for visiting, Tom. I’m excited about Patrick’s campaign, and look forward covering it as the race moves forward.
By the way, I didn’t mean to sleight the other speakers at the event — like Albert, I had a hard time hearing some of them last night. But all of the candidates — Patrick Murphy, Lois Murphy, Lois Herr, Paul Scoles, and Ginny Schrader — will, as Atrios noted, make 2006 “the year we sweep all of the Republican Reps out of the suburban Philadelphia counties.”
I’ll drink to that.
Gabriel Winant:
I’m a student at Stanford, grew up in Philly, and have done a lot of work (for my age) in progressive politics. I’ve worked for Dean (in Burlington, actually—the most amazing experience of my life), Hoeffel, Tom Daschle, and Rendell, and I’ve been curious ever since it first started to blossom what makes the Philly progressive netroots scene what it is. I’m applying for a grant this fall to take an academic look at it, and its ramifications for the local and national party, as well as for the nature of politics generally.
Anyway, to get the grant from Stanford to do this (I need an apartment in Philly, etc., because my parents moved, alas) I have to submit the proposal this fall. So if there are people who would be interested in being interviewed next summer, as ridiculously early as it is to ask such a thing, it’d be very helpful if you could drop me an email at gwinant@stanford.edu.
Thanks a lot, and hope to be in touch.
PS I’m cross-posting this or similar comments on a bunch of Philly blogs. Sorry if I’m being a bit aggressive. Such is the world of undergraduate research at Stanford.
eRobin:
I won’t make it to Drinking Liberally because it’s in the city on Tuesday nights so getting out of the house is nearly impossible. I’ll be at a Chuck Pennacchio houseparty this Sunday and I’m going to go to PA for Democracy’s Birthday Party for Social Security, which should be great. The national Dem party should have had on on the freakin’ Mall, but, of course missed the moment effectively ceding it to Just Us Sunday Two. I don’t think it’s possible for the Dems to be less imaginative and more stupid. Thank goodness for DFA.
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