Top Comments: Netroots Nation 2022 edition

A quick look at Netroots Nation 2022, after-the-jump …...

But first: Top Comments appears nightly, as a round-up of the best comments on Daily Kos. Surely ... you come across comments daily that are perceptive, apropos and .. well, perhaps even humorous. But they are more meaningful if they're well-known ... which is where you come in (especially in diaries/stories receiving little attention).

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This year, many of our old Cheers & Jeers gang was unable to attend Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh (some with issues in the prior two weeks) yet a good time was had by all. Not having a camera, this will not be an exhaustive account … yet will have some of the highlights.

I took Amtrak one-way to get to Pittsburgh: first staying overnight in Philadelphia (to have dinner with a friend) then took The Pennsylvanian across the state the next day. One reason: to see the famous Horseshoe Curve (just west of Altoona). Alas, I was in the Business Class car in the middle, so could not get the full effect ... yet here is an image:

The next day I did some additional sightseeing (that I could not do at our previous NN in Pittsburgh from 2009) … and then to hold the traditional Cheers & Jeers Dinner at an excellent taco place across the street from our hotel. At first, it was simply myself and Linda (whose DK handle I do not know):

Then, who do we see … but Markos by his lonesome … and we invited him over. I told him I love his front-page essays on Tankies— he replied, “They make it easy!”. Others joined us, to the point where we had this worthy gathering:

In addition to the Usual Suspects of Cheers & Jeers land: I saw two familiar faces along the way. The first is the great Lizz Winstead (who moderated perhaps one of the best panel discussions of the conference, with perceptive discussions on the abortion issue) and we spoke at length, unlike brief discussions in the past.

Also, a chance to catch-up with Tom Sullivan— an activist from western North Carolina and a frequent commenter on Digby’s Hullabaloo. 

Friday, I went out at lunchtime in search of two slices of pizza …. and walked into two establishments near the hotel, to case-out-the-joints. Both were acceptable, I guess.

And then I walked into the downtown location of Pizza Parma— and found a winner!

At the last in-person Netroots in 2019: at the Pub Quiz, I was on the 2nd place team with my Drinking Liberally cohort (from Kansas City) Gary Brush… as we had several Philly residents join us. This year … not so good.

Yet all was good when our host (Adam Bonin) was assisted by two individuals that — he asserted — were his antagonists in prior years. Now, Spedwybabs as well as vicki… were his tabulators!

In 2009, I was unable to partake of the NN on-the-field evening at the Pittsburgh Pirates stadium as I was still recuperating from orthopedic surgery. This time, I took in an actual game … and of the three nights the Red Sox played there, I (of course) chose the night they were drubbed 8-2.

Still, a nice place to see a game (a 20-minute walk from downtown) and if you have a chance to go there: choose a seat on the 3rd base side, as you get a better view of the Allegheny River.

Also, next year major league baseball will expand inter-league play: so each team will play a 3-game series against each team in the other league (either at home or away, alternating each year). So if your favorite team is to play in Pittsburgh in 2023: it’s a great venue to visit.

Some of the other highlights that you can watch: opening keynote address from Pittsburgh’s new mayor Ed Gainey (whose first name sounds good to me), a panel with state attorneys general on the Dobbs decision (with Minnesota’s Keith Ellison often acting — visually — as a straight man for his Connecticut colleague, William Tong), and a panel on winning back factory towns (with the noted pollster Celinda Lake). A listing of numerous YouTube program videos can be found at this link.

After the final keynote address: dinner with Gary Brush and our Cheers & Jeers cohort Vic …. then a final nightcap in the party room hosted by vicki, Linda and Spedwybabs. My return flight: alas, thunderstorms in the morning affected flight schedules, so it was a late return (hence the song title below).

If you attended, please add any recollections or post any photos. On to Chicago next July!

Now, on to Top Comments:

Highlighted by sfinx:

In the diary by HOGvol, asking why the opposition to the student loan forgiveness— ClimateHawk delivered a Top Comment (including the addendum!)

And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........

In the diary by Darrell Lucus outlining the guilty pleas from the couple who stole the diary of President Biden’s youngest daughter Ashley (and sold it to James O’Keefe’s bogus Project Veritas organization) — outsidethelines describes some possible outcomes, especially if it can be proven the couple acted upon O’Keefe’s request.

Next - enjoy jotter's wonderful (and now eternal) *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment featuring that photo.

TOP PHOTOS August 24th, 2022 (NOTE: Any missing images in the Quilt were removed because (a) they were from an unapproved source that somehow snuck through in the comments, or (b) an image from the DailyKos Image Library which didn't have permissions set to allow others to use it.)

And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:

1)  Polling is assuming a midterm slump in enthusias … by FishOutofWater +198

2)  Perhaps….just perhaps….the last few years in tru … by The Marti +194

3)  Desantis is a real danger to democracy.  Ju … by billyzero +182

4)  He needs to become a national object of ridicule … by Ocean Rain +163

5)  The Kansas result was also a huge polling failur … by joeknapp +149

6)  Polling is not keeping up with the Dobbs backlas … by thesphynx +142

7)  Perhaps that is because Democrats are not really … by necturus +120

8)  That’s a lie. … by Elwood Dowd +118

8)  In 18 months, he didn’t make copies?? by Elwood Dowd +118

10) Man, I so agree with what you are saying about B … by quagmire47 +112

11) FEEL GOOD, AMERICA! Happy Days ARE Here Again! … by The Geogre +108

12) Pollsters are having nightmares. They have to us … by WineRev +105

13) It’s a little too optimistic to say “abortion ri … by Elwood Dowd +104

14) Which would of course be another crime, in and o … by libera nos +102

15) It’s not just a lag in polling, either. … by The Marti +100

16) Perfectly timed. Masterful. by Matt Z +98

17) maybe Putin can send a copy over to tfg by annemitchell19590 +93

18) Sorry to Hear About Delaney.   by JekyllnHyde +90

19) It likely applies to any actual function of Cong … by Phoenix Rising +89

19) If the Dems can hold the House and add a couple  … by jfromga +89

21) So sorry for your loss, you will see her again b … by Hellyann +87

22) I’m surprised Fetterman hasn’t tweeted something … by stayingsilent +86

23) My best advice: Ignore the polls and vote like o … by The Marti +83

23) It’s not remotely true. As kos has explained sev … by TheShadowKnows +83

23) This is good news! by MarcKyle64 +83

26) It also almost certainly doesn’t cover speech ma … by Toro Blanco +82

26) It would have been cheaper to use a tank. by stevemb +82

28) X 10,000. … by Gaelsdottir +81

29) This makes zero sense. Mueller found ten cases o … by Noahvale +80

30) No, they aren’t. Not true. Most of the federal g … by Ian Reifowitz +79

30) Old lady here. I read every word, and both appre … by oakroyd +79