So that happened.
For the second year in a row there have been interruptions at major keynotes at Netroots Nation. Last year the Vice-President was interrupted by an organization made up of DREAMers. Yesterday, Governor O'Malley and Senator Sanders were interrupted by Black Lives Matter.
While the Vice President handled the situation he faced well, yesterday's was bungled by both O'Malley and Sanders. Rather badly.
What's worse, the whispers are out that the protest had the tacit approval of, and foreknowledge by, both Raven Brooks and Anna Galland. Raven Brooks is the executive director of Netroots Nation, and Anna Galland is the head of MoveOn.
If I'm Senator Sanders or Governor O'Malley, a thought running through my head is that I was invited to speak in order to be a vehicle for the protesters without my knowledge.
I don't know about you, but I would feel extremely insulted, no matter how important the message.
Next year is a Presidential election year.
Next year, Netroots Nation is in St. Louis, only a few days before the Republican National Convention.
Usually, by this time in July, a nominee is already decided on through the primary process. It's not expected to be different next year.
Netroots Nation has always been the home of the activist base--the ones who do the work; who are in the trenches and in the streets. We are the rabble-rousers and the canvassers; the ones asking you for a minute of your time outside the store when it's 10 below and have been out there all day.
It's in a nominee's best interest to "fire us up" for the election--to have that solid core of volunteers who will help the campaign in that final push to get all the voters to the polls to win the election.
But after yesterday, will the presumptive nominee come to speak to "fire us up"? Even though the Republicans will be arriving even as Netroots Nation is going on and it's a perfect opportunity?
Will the presumptive nominee even send a video message?
Don't you have the feeling that if Senator Sanders was the presumptive nominee that before he comes back he would have to insist on strict procedures to prevent what happened yesterday from happening again?
Will any other major political figure ever show up again?
Have we just become irrelevant?