In case anyone's curious...
[spoiler=The Meeting]<Goodwood> The meeting I went to yesterday was...underwhelming.
<TrakNar> Ah
<TrakNar> How so?
<Goodwood> It felt more like a gathering of enthusiastic college kids than a statewide party meeting.
<Goodwood> Though of course the membership spanned the age spectrum, I think I was the youngest person there.
<TrakNar> Hm.
<Goodwood> And the only one dressed even remotely like a politician or a candidate wannabe.
<Goodwood> The guy who's looking to run for governor for the Greens is a long-haired fellow with a very soft voice, and he kind of slouches.
<Goodwood> I was unimpressed when he went up to speak.
<Goodwood> There's another guy who wants to run for US Senate, too, though he kinda smells like a joint and has this long, thin tattoo on his right forearm.
<Goodwood> God.
<Goodwood> At times I felt like an apex predator in the midst of a herd of opinionated sheep.
<TrakNar> Why did you feel that they were opinionated?
<Goodwood> Because they are.
<TrakNar> How so?
<Goodwood> Doug told me that I was lucky, because "the anti-professionalism wing isn't here."
<Goodwood> Well, all party members are going to be opinionated, but these folks' thoughts tended to differ quite a lot. I had to keep my skeptic hat on for large portions of the meeting.
<Goodwood> Fortunately, I seemed to make a good impression on just about everyone there.
<Goodwood> The nominating convention is in May, but a date hasn't been set yet.
<TrakNar> What kind of things did they talk about that struck you as being opinionated? Just curious.
<Goodwood> Opinionated. You know. Having an opinion.
<Goodwood>
<Goodwood> Stop it.
<TrakNar> Fine then. You're opinionated, too, as you have an opinion, and so do I and everyone on this planet.
<Goodwood> Heh.
<Goodwood> Let me put it to you another way, then.
<Goodwood> I've been to Democratic state party conventions. I've been to many, many local meetings and functions visited by politicians ranging from city leaders to Presidential candidates. I've also observed County Commission meetings and other political proceedings.
<TrakNar> Okay.
<Goodwood> The meeting I went to yesterday, by contrast, was a day at a local high school's Hipster Club.
<Goodwood> That said, I intend to pursue this course.
<TrakNar> So, a bunch of yuppies talking about things of which they have no clue.
<Goodwood> Pretty much.
<Goodwood> Except they do have clues as they relate to their pet issues and little else.
<Goodwood> Doug and I were easily the most rational people there.
<TrakNar> Hm. Anything interesting happen? Any interesting comments, issues, anything you could play off of for your speech?
<Goodwood> Not for that purpose, no. I had already prepared my outline and I was able to largely stick to it.[/spoiler]
I think he picked up on my trolling back there. I admit, I do enjoy playing devil's advocate.