Once again into the breach, and on the heels of Comic Con, Politicon 2017 comes to Pasadena, California.
Politicon is a fan convention for the politically minded. Not a rally, but an opportunity to see and perhaps speak with some of the people who are shaping today’s American politics.
This year’s speakers promise to be as interesting as last year’s: Alison Lundergan Grimes, Michael Steele, Jon Favreau, James Carville, Paul Begala, Clay Aiken, Anne Coulter, Greg Proops, Anthony Scaramucci (yes, that Scaramucci), Grace Parra, Bill Kristol (the other Bill Kristol), Jake Tapper, Chelsea Handler, Tomi Lahren, and many more. And those last two will be on the same stage. If you like punditry, you won’t want to miss that talk.
You won’t agree with everyone. You may not even respect everyone. But at what other venue will you see these and more political pundits, advisors, comedians, and others get together and square off with the luxury of time? These events promise to provide a level of discussion that we don’t see on TV or even online.
Last year was enlightening. I learned a lot about folks that I disagree with when they were given a chance to speak for more that 1 minute. Did it change my mind? Not necessarily, but it did reinforce the idea that these are people, not demagogues, and it was worth it just for that.
I’ll be reporting on my experiences after the fact, but if you will be in Los Angeles this weekend, and you care about politics, you should at least head on over to their site to see what’s on offer. It’s a lot to fit into two days – July 29 and 30 – and you can’t see everything. Last year they made some videos available, you can find them here. But otherwise the only way you’ll benefit is by attending.
Plus there are exhibitors and other extras to check out, too. Just like any fan convention. I wonder if anyone will be cosplaying… there were some last year!
Check out Politicon and see. July 29-30, 2017 Pasadena Convention Center.
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Eliot has been orbiting show business for over 20 years as an improv comedian, video director, and general guy you might barely recognize. Currently best known for his work on the comedy podcast Never Not Funny: The Jimmy Pardo Podcast. He wrote previously for MacEdition.com, and is working on a collection of short sci-fi and weird tales that will probably be published someday. He is also one of three principals in Modest Games.