A Wasted Drive: Why I Left The 2nd CD Convention

A Wasted Drive: Why I Left The 2nd CD Convention

I did not leave the district convention simply because there was no internet available. I sat down and started a little pseudo liveblogging during the first major speech (Blouin).

I left because after that speech I tried to track down WHY there was no internet at a 21st century congressional district convention, and Iowa Democratic Party Staff and the local arrangements folks acted like my expectation was unreasonable. The local guy said "no one ASKED, so we didn't think it was that important." The state party staffer told me I was biased against non-metro counties hosting the convention.

The convention was at Mt. Pleasant High School, built in 1999 and presumably wired like any decent sized school in the state. I shouldn't have to ask "will there be internet?" any more than I would have to ask "will there be a telephone?" or "will there be an electrical outlet?" Maybe it's the Iowa City in me but the only wifi issue I've ever had at an Iowa City school district site - weekday, weekend, or evening - is that their network has MySpace blocked as "not kid-safe." WiFi at that convention should have required one phone call to the school district, one router, and a few minutes of one geek's time.

So I decided that rather than write it up and post it on an eight hour delay, I'd rather have a human being day. At least when I tanked up in Mt. Pleasant it was a dime cheaper than here in Iowa City.

Supposedly there will be internet - wired only - at the state convention, so be sure to throw an ethernet cable in your bag and prepare to be anchored to one spot.