CA Democratic State Convention...anybody going??

I just agreed to be a proxy delegate and I definitely feel like I just got tossed into the deep end of the pool with no floaties.

I really don't know anybody who's going and I have no idea how the convention works. Is anybody else going? If so, could you give me some pointers? What should I expect?

Help!

Seriously - I've always wanted to be a delegate

but there's no way I'm passing up this opportunity.

I figure I might as well tattoo n00b on my forehead, but my plan is to lay low and soak everything in.

The convention this year will be endorsing candidates. You will be seated by your Assembly District number. The seating is rotated. 3 years ago my district - 67th- was front & center - we've been in boonies ever since.

Take a look at the agenda; decide which caucus meetings you want to attend and plan your day around that. Since we will be endorsing this year, we are in for endless speeches, I'm afraid. I did not sign up for the dinner because I don't know who the speaker will be. I don't go to the lunch anymore because I got burned by DiFi being the speaker TWO years in a row. Plus Saturday is a loooong day in the convention center - going out to lunch makes a good break in the day.

What else do you want to know

I'm also skipping the dinner and the lunch...was previously warned about their potential to be overpriced and annoying. I believe this year's dinner speaker is Nancy Pelosi and, well, meh.

I figure the national candidate stuff will be interesting, since I don't have a preferred candidate. Though the person I'm proxying for is an Obama supporter, so I'll be playing one for the weekend.

Any other tips or warnings you may have would be appreciated!

Since I do live in SD-3 and Mark is my candidate .. I will be helping him along with my other duties

Heard a very funny conversation between two gay men gathering signatures for the 'floor' tomorrow.

I live in his district. Saturday was difficult but at least we did it!

was so immature and he called me mentally unstable!

This will be my second time going as a delegate.

Pushed to the Left told me you were there as well, but you weren't around at the time. Sorry I missed you!

I had a great time and definitely learned a lot. Being relatively new to CA, and definitely to CA politics, I was more an observer than a participant, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

It also made me love the dysfunctional family that is the Democratic party. All the talk of unity and the infighting between the Clinton and Obama supporters (not to mention the epic battle of Migden v. Leno!), well, I see it as a huge benefit in the long run. after all, would the Republicans have such a spirited debate? Freedom of thought and freedom of speech at its finest. And yet, at our core there's a set of values that we all ascribe to that brings us together in the end (one hopes). ;)

On the Leno side of course!

616 sigs! no endorsement WOO HOO!