The beginning. Elected in January as a delegate to state Democratic Party, must show up at convention April 29-May 1. Drive up to Sacramento early Friday. Check in time starts 2 PM Friday; Environmental Caucus begins 2:30, while everyone stuck in long registration line. Who plans these things?
Am asked to run for secretary of caucus. Scribble one minute's worth of credentials/speech on back of flyer re carbon tax. Go around room, ask everyone I see to vote for me. No one else runs. I win by acclamation, no speech needed.
Only one spot in the entire convention has wifi?!? Okay, this will be my office. Must share with energetic, enthusiastic, organized Orange County Young Democrats. Keep an eye on them - they're going places.
Network in halls. Wander streets of Sac'to, sort of nostalgic for late nights 25 years ago. At Sierra Club party, then OFA party with friends from my county, very strange appetizers, much alcohol. Tired. Realize how old and boring I've gotten in last 25 years. Sleep early.
Saturday early: Congressman Garamendi wants to meet with me! Everyone in convention wants to meet with him! He wants quiet time for 1 on 1 conversation! Texts fly! Things get rearranged! Ain't gonna happen! Meantime, arrange Kossacks/Calitics meetup for lunch.
Speech by Controller John Chiang on justice and accountability: powerful, moving. Keep an eye on this one.
Speech by Attorney General Kamala Harris, channeling her inner Barack Obama: 2010 was the year we stopped drawing distinctions between being tough on crime and soft on crime, started being smart on crime. Keep an eye on this one too.
Meetup for lunch, arranging locations, when suddenly Garamendi has free time! Sorry, Kossacks! must fly! We chat on energy, his bill for a San Joaquin Delta National Heritage area, executive order on purchasing only natgas/electric vehicles, strategic coal reserve. Food is highly overrated!
After lunch: Senator Bernie Sanders speaks! I tweet! other people speak too, but mostly Bernie! He rocks!
Network in halls, again. Progressive Caucus meeting in crowded room. Sustainable Food & Agriculture meeting, sensibly, outside in a garden. I need fresh air, I need to be alone a bit, I need to stop being a delegate, I need to breathe.
Break time over, time for networking, parties, dinner, parties. Meet with fellow Kossacks, fellow delegates from my slate. At bar, corralled into karaoke. Never done karaoke before! camera shy! Speaker John Perez stands right behind me, so foolish person hamming it up captured on many cameras! argh! Many dueling parties, all loud. When in doubt, eat; head for back to back ice cream socials. Chat with Congressman Adam Schiff, proudly at AIPAC ice cream social. Meet, again, old friends surprised I ended up in politics.
Sunday morning: floor fight brewing. Party base wants resolution to change death penalty to life without possibility of parole. Governor Brown wants to put off for budget reasons (?). I am accused by fellow slate member of not being a true progressive because I don't put death penalty abolishment at top of priority agenda. Oh well. Fight fails to materialize: resolution to be brought up at smaller executive board meeting? in July. Fellow delegates: quietest convention they've seen. Some sound regretful. Remaining resolutions innocuous: protect oceans, support Iranians struggling for human rights, condemn Marilyn Davenport for racist email. All pass by voice vote.
End of convention. Long drive back, plenty of time to check Twitter. Big news on Bin Laden. End of a decade dominated by Al Qaeda news. The end.