THE ROVING PECKER PRESENTS: "The DNC 'DemPALOOZA' Expo" by Asparagus Pee!

Greetings, Manor Hors! Periodically, "The Roving Pecker" presents urgent missives from filthy esteemed guest writers. Today's is from Asparagus Pee!

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I know you all wish you'd been in Chicago for the DNC (and probably for the hot dogs, too), but since you weren't, I’m here to fill you in on what they affectionately call “Coach-chella.” 

Or more specifically,"DemPALOOZA," a multi-day expo filled with training sessions, panels, briefings, and activations to get people fired up for the election in November, and to help ensure that the Blue Wave is a tsunami. Speakers from all over guided people on the ins-and-outs of campaigning, gave tips on effective activism, and how to get organized to keep the wheels of democracy turning.

But first, some nerd shit!

While the DNC's main convention was being hosted at the United Center on Chicago’s west side, "DemPALOOZA" was being hosted at McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America. This place is ENORMOUS. Like 2,670,000 sq ft (248,000 m2) of exhibit floor space. Originally built right on Lake Michigan in 1960, it was named for colorful character Robert Rutherford "Colonel" McCormick, lawyer and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, who championed an exposition center to draw commerce to the city. 

McCormick was also a conservative Republican and a general pain in the ass to anyone he didn’t agree with. This included local, state, and national politicians, gangsters and racketeers, labor unions, Wall Street, Democrats, The United Nations, socialists, Liberal Republicans, communists. So basically everyone! Political cartoonist Cecil Jensen went so far as declaring him a "pompous, paunchy, didactic individual with a bristling mustache and superlative ego." He (sadly?) (shrug) passed 5 years before ground was broken on his vision, but the City would still give him credit.

Its main hall caught fire and was destroyed in 1967 (L), but was rebuilt into the steel and glass behemoth we have today (R).

The campus has expanded west of DuSable Lake Shore Drive exponentially since the 70s, and now includes Wintrust Arena, multiple exhibition halls, and McCormick Place Bird Sanctuary, created in 2003. The northern end includes a recreated prairie, covering the roof of the center's underground car park, requiring the clever use of shallow-rooted plants to help preserve the beauty of our lakefront.

They even converted the space into a makeshift hospital at the start of COVID in 2020, to help with the influx of patients. I bet the “Colonel” would have hated that!

Today it's a sprawling campus of hotels and green spaces, and is really quite lovely for something that could easily look like a giant warehouse.

Now onto the Expo! I can’t lie, y’all, it was pretty boring. The setup was confusing, and with all the streets closed down around the convention center, even trying to get in through the right gate was a nightmare. Poor Ecce would have walked himself right into the lake! Still, it wasn’t as crowded as I feared, with mostly delegates and non-profit folks hanging out. The highlights were DJ Jayla, who was mixing some fun tunes, and the most bored drag queen who kept checking her phone.

Bless, hunty!

They also had an adorable children’s mariachi band. The singer was way off key, but he was singing his little heart out. Props to the horn section!                                       

After too many hours and an overpriced ham sandwich, it was finally time to join the session "We Rent, We Vote: Solutions to America's Housing Crisis," featuring Congresswoman Maxine Waters and hosted by the Center for Popular Democracy. 

It was an informative meeting for community organizers who are working on ways to energize renters to cast their votes for meaningful change. The homelessness epidemic is being fueled by private equity and we can change that by engaging with our elected representatives at home and in DC; if they can’t hear us, they won’t know what we need from them. If we can be louder and more persistent than those lousy finance bros, we can house everyone fairly.

Auntie Maxine refused to roll in until we were all chanting for her, as she should (don’t @ me about the vertical video. I didn’t want to be obnoxious when I was recording this one).

She spoke about the importance of asking for what you deserve, and if that doesn’t work, DEMAND IT. Engagement is everything.

Reclaiming our dimes


The organizers from CPD Action on the panel were from different parts of the country and are making great headway in getting local policy changed to benefit renters.

All in all, it was great to be in rooms with people at the DNC DemPALOOZA, where everyone had high hopes for the future and are passionate about keeping our democracy from dying. If we don’t participate, we don’t get to bitch about what happens in Chappell Roan’s America, right? When we fight, we win!

Photo Credits: Democrats.org; Wikipedia; Saucy Kitty