Post your suggestions for keynote speaker at the June convention

[dragonlady]

As I recall, there was no keynote speaker last year because of scheduling problems. Who would you like to see this year? I'll go first: John or Elizabeth Edwards.

:dem:

[dembotoz]

1. clinton or obama

surely we should have a winner by then....

If they can hit coffee shops, they surely should be able to attend the state convention in a state that runs blue by the skin of its teeth.
there is not a better setting to rev up the troops to begin the push for november

[Connonym]

2. Al Gore

the new and improved Al Gore has the ability to inspire people to believe that if we work together we can make the world a better place.

[Dinger]

3. Greg Palast

[midnight]

4. I like this suggestion. The message coming from

the Edwards is a message that can't be said enough-End the war, and bring them home.

[HelenWheels]

5. Howard

Dean, Edwards or Gore

[Dinger]

6. Wesley Clark

[ewagner]

8. Clark is a terrific speaker

as much as I admire him I would really opt for one of the candidates....

[goofticket]

7. Bad behavior of Wisc GOP

Sex predator running Brown County Party.
Frank Lasee wanting guns in pre-schools.
Scott Suder suing his girlfriend as Leeson Electric ships off to Mexico...after state gives parent company $500,000 to expand in 2005!
Sensenbrenner's hissy fits in Congress, and obstructionist behavior. This is not Wisconsin's idea of responsible.
Petri has been around too long.

Mark Graul needs some prison time.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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[PeaceNikki]

10. Wow.

What exactly brought you to DU?

[blueracine]

11. suggestions

Not the Edwards. I like them but they are going to start looking desparate if they don't take some time out.
I'm sick of every convention having politicians--yes, even if they are our own they are still politicians-- preaching to the choir.
Just about every delegate already volunteers and works on campaigns, we don't need to be recruited. We should be rewarded with an hour of entertainment from someone not holding office.....Tina Fey? Al Franken? James Wolcott?
I want to laugh out loud and have fun for a break from the resolutions!

[blueracine]

12. PS Obama

Obama wasn't even going to come to our JJ dinner (now called our Gala) until pressured to do so. He's not about to come out for a convention of people he already thinks is going to work for him.

[MessiahRp]

13. Will we even have one?

Wineke's probably too inept to get a keynote speaker.

From another thread, this is what I would do if I ran the convention:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6051900&mesg_id=6059218

If I were running the party/convention:
1. We'd have a national speaker as the keynote
2. The convention would go into Sunday afternoon where all the platform/resolution voting would be done (similar to how Saturday works now)
3. Friday and Saturday night would be open to the public in the area in which the convention is run.
4. Friday night would have a concert with some politically active bands as well as a political documentary showing either in the convention hall or at a local theatre that Convention pass holders would have free admission to.
5. Saturday night would be speeches/hospitality rooms.
6. Friday and Saturday afternoon while more local speakers are talking, run Camp Wellstone classes that can teach people how to organize and campaign.
7. Use the open to the public setting to sign up new volunteers and increase membership.

By stretching the convention out, making it an event not just an elongated local party meeting and opening it up more to the public we can increase our base (thus increasing funds through increased membership rolls) and open up our party to a whole core of younger voters who are looking for a reason to be interested/involved.

The current convention caters to long time party members that enjoy sitting through the party business of going over finances and platform resolutions. I say leave 11am-2pm Sunday for those people and do it the way we always have on Saturdays but make the other two days fun and full of activities that will motivate people to come to the convention and spend money.

Have fun at night with the concerts/movie on Friday and Hospitality Suites/Big Speakers on Saturday night and have instructional classes available during the day at the same time the more local speakers are going to give people an option to increase their capabilities for election seasons instead of heading out and doing something else and coming back when bigger name speakers are talking (I know people who have done this).

Of course if I ran things we'd also focus party attention on helping all candidates equally rather than only helping candidates that are sure wins like Wineke does.

Rp

[undeterred]

14. Good ideas.

When you consider the cost of driving round trip to Stevens Point and the cost of a hotel room- and that the time of the conference is so brief- I have no interest in going. If it lasted longer, allowing more time for people to mix and enjoy themselves, I would feel quite differently.