It was an interesting meeting up in Kansas City! We started around 7:30, and had a short (10 minutes) presentation of a few of the stories that have went through Kos that have related to our two states.
Several candidates and groups provided content and videos and we had representatives from the Paul Davis campaign for Governor who were kind enough to address us and talk about why Kansas is winnable in 2014.
It is interesting to me how meetings take shape. There were a few we had expected to arrive who unfortunately had to cancel, but with a total of 26 walking through and taking a seat, I have to be happy with the in-the-room turnout But while our meeting was going on, several of us noted we had quite a few 'in the hallway' who stood outside of our ballroom listening in. I didn't think much of it, because as the night wore down by about 11:30, I figured: just people who wanted to see what this meeting was all about.
After our meeting was all over, and as staff was packing away tables and I was loading up equipment, we had, what can best be called a 'second meeting', a small group of stragglers who felt bad about 'being late' who just hung out at the bar (2 people) which made me think I should have motioned for them to come on in.. we weren't that formal, and several members of the wait staff he hung around and wanted to talk and a few absolute outsiders who hadn't heard of the event - but heard us all talking.
At one point in our discussions, especially in exchanges with groups present the words 'increase minimum wage' definitely resonated somewhere, as we had a few off-hours employees who had no problem explaining that while they made better then minimum wage, better then minimum wage still wasn't great. We also had dance lesson couples who were closing out an event next door to us (yes, of all things!) who popped by to shake hands and tell us they could hear some of the conversation and take cards.
I ended up getting out of the Marriott around 1AM, and found it to be a night very well spent.
I have to thank all of those that turned up - our friends from Progressive Missouri, the Davis Campaign, the Wakefield Campaign, and a few others who provided me things they wanted said, a speaker that they offered and some notes.
But mostly, I have to thank all of the Kossacks and non-Kossacks - especially non-Kossacks as that was the majority for contributing their viewpoint and experiences. Especially those who didn't throw fruit at me at key moments ;)
Navajo had provided us cards to hand out to the non-Kossacks, and I clipped up 30 of them; by the time I left near 1, most were gone, with staff and others asking if they could take some.
One of the things that we discussed often was that sometimes you have to articulate the argument because you don't know who is listening and how it impacts you. I'm sure there were a lot of people in that room who didn't have at the front of their mind that people in the hallway were listening in, and did care about what was being said. And I don't think anyone could have appreciated the staff and the dance group in the ballroom opposite us wanting to chime in.
Nowhere in my planning did I anticipate a swing dancing couple who knew nothing of Kos walking over near midnight and say 'hey, we could hear you over the wall, and I've got to tell you..' Those are the kind of conversations that make my day.
I know that there are a few who commented on conversations at the bar - where people voiced their support. And the best part of my night was having some of the waitresses tell me that they were really glad they were in our room, handling our event, and how they had to bite their tongue to prevent from chiming in.
It is great to meet people who are interested in change for 2014. What is better is the number of people who are complete outsiders who hear about this event, the people who stood in the hallway and just listened to the discussion and the people who gave their own voice to the event.
I told my wife: we walked into a meeting with a bunch of hardened activists looking forward to the next year. I walked out talking to a previously on the fence dance-lessons couple and some off duty employees who had their tongues freed.
Not a bad night at all.
Thanks to all!