So the gang over at Voice of San Diego decided they’d like to do a “fun” political event/ mayoral debate. The questions that popped into my mind were:
a) Were there enough wonks in this City to make it worthwhile?
b) Would any of the major candidates even show up?
c) Just what the heck do you do at a “fun” political event?
And, d) why is the OB Rag playing along?
The answers are:
a) Yes (it looks like it, based on the twitter traffic I’m seeing),
b) Maybe (DeMaio and Dumanis won’t play, but the rest, including minor candidates are),
c) Drink beer, play games and do the ‘bounce’ (A game that we think has something to do with the City’s future financial condition) and
d) Because we’d like to meet you.
We’d like to encourage you to join the fun at Politifest this Saturday, September 17th starting at 10 am. The promised Mayoral debate will begin at 10:30 am (Will Cong. Filner refuse to answer questions because he doesn’t like the format?). Following the debate—promised to be in the “Lincoln-Douglas style”—there will be a an “Idea Tournament” — set up like American Idol — where more than 40 San Diegans will compete starting at Noon to see if their ideas can wow the crowd. The whole festival will get to vote on the best idea.
The OBRag will join with about 80 community and non-profit groups setting up booth and tables at the event. We’re going to be hanging out, handing out bumper stickers, selling a few tee shirts, looking to talk with new writers and hoping to add a human dimension to our web presence.
Festival fun events will include live music (The Blond Brothers), field events (tug-of-war), face painting, a community graffiti wall and animals from Sea World and the Chula Vista Nature Center. Local food trucks (Chop Soo-ey & Devilicious) will be on hand along with a beer garden (Stone).
Here’s the deets:
Saturday, September 17
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ingram Plaza at Liberty Station – 2640 Historic Decatur Road, San Diego, CA 92106 (map)
Here’s the participating groups:
Alliance for African Assistance Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition (APAC-SD) Canvass for a Cause The Children’s School Center on Policy Initiatives Chula Vista Nature Center Dreams for Change Election Integrity Project Empower San Diego Environmental Health Coalition Equinox Center Friends of Balboa Park Green Party of San Diego County iCaucus League of Women Voters of SD The Lincoln Club of San Diego County Lori Saldaña for Congress Media Arts Center San Diego Moving San Diego to a Clean Energy Future Nathan Fletcher for Mayor NBC 7 San Diego OB Rag Paradise Plundered Plaza de Panama Committee Point Loma Association Rob Harter for Mayor San Diego City Firefighters Local 145 San Diego County Bicycle Coaltion San Diego County Republican Party San Diego County Taxpayers Association San Diego Magazine San Diego Mountain Bike Association San Diego Municipal Employees Association San Diego Police Officers Association San Diego Public Library Foundation San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition San Diego Sierra Club SDG&E SDSU Social Action Committee SeaWorld Senior Community Centers of San Diego Spanish Village Arts Center Speak City Heights Women’s Equality Council Writerz Blok
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
All the Tweets I’ve posted about OBRag doing outrageous things @Politifest are NOT true. Only some of them are. Or Charlie Sheen hacked my Twitter (dougporter506) account. Or something. See you there.
It is true that the OB Rag will have a “Snark Tank” to compete with the Seaworld Animals? Will you have “Thugs for Peace” bumpstickers? Just askin….
We thought about having a “Dunk Tank” in hopes that some of our favorite commenters would show up!
This sounds way too cool for words – does that statement qualify me as a ‘wonk’ or just an incredibly geeky/boring twentysomething? The Voice link is just to the homepage – can someone confirm if festivities kick off at 10 a.m. or???
Attending a celebration of life ceremony is my main time investment Saturday, but if there’s anything cool going on early I’m going to try to squeak a couple hours out…
Dave, it starts at 10:00. Here’s a link to the event flyer. And you’re a wonk, just like the rest of us.
Hey, we just returned from this event. Met a lot of new folks, sold some bumperstickers, saw many friends, argued with some tea partiers, sloshed down acouple of free beers. Overall had lots of fun – first under overcast skies and then the sun. Frequent commenter Goatskull and I had a beer together.
Ran into two sisters I have not seen since the original OB Rag days of the early 70s. Wow! They went to Point Loma HS with Doug Porter and me.
Dave Maass interviewed me about what was driving me “nuts” and after numerous false starts due to his inadequacies in running a video cam, I finally was able to tell him that it was arguing with so many tea baggers. There were at least 3 different tables of them – one table denied that they were tea partiers, but hey, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, drinks like a duck …..
In fact, one tea party group tried to set up their table right in front of us, but the Ragsters jumped into action and got them moved! Hey at least we were officially on the table list.
Also, one of Ragster cohorts thinks that one table was staffed by the current rendition of the Lyndon LaRouchites – a fascist brand of activist that’s been around for several decades.
Bob Filner – “Bob” came by the OB Rag table, as did Lorena Gonzalez and wished us well. Bob even thanked Doug for his previous piece warning Filner not to count his chickens before they drink beer. (?) Other numerous notables – folks who are the real people of our society – also came by.
Hey thanks Voice of San Diego!