Having missed the festivities (something about a veteran, some punches, and a blogger) on Friday night, a bleary-eyed Kenton Ngo, wandering around Christopher Newport University last Saturday morn, finally happened upon the David Student Center. At the entrance was a lonely table with a “Blogs United” logo taped on it, and no further direction. A pair of CNU employees, taking pity on the lost blogger, directed me to the second floor.

CNU has one hell of a student center. Imagine a good hotel conference center, throw in a few more chandeliers, and downstairs, a Chick-fil-A, unfortunately closed for Saturday.

I walked in at 5 to 9 AM, the projected launch time, knowing full well that an assembly of hung-over, tired bloggers would never be compelled to show up that early. I munched on a couple danishes as the crowd of 4 chatted aimlessly. People slowly began streaming in, including Jim Hoeft, who, despite his arm losing a battle with gravity, ran the conference more smoothly than one could imagine a conference with a cavalcade of fidgety bloggers in attendance. Bloggers slowly streamed in, and the conference lurched to a start at about 9:30 with the Attorney General, Bob McDonnell.

I wish I could simply write about the conference itself, but bloggers being bloggers (the most difficult and aggravating part of politics is people), nothing could possibly happen without a pre-conference brouhaha. A small portion of my day was spent listening to various versions of the reason why a large chunk of the Democratic blogosphere was not in attendance–and, whether you like it or not, a significant group of bloggers happen to be Democrats. In a way, “Blogs United” did what I expected. After the buckets of sunshine and idealism that came out of the first conference, in which bloggers of all stripes gathered in peaceful harmony in idyllic Charlottesville (then they got home, but that’s another story), it was unlikely that such unity could be achieved again.

The crowd had a clear partisan tilt. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It was Blogs United after all. But the show must go on.

Bob McDonnell was the first speaker. Had I not stashed my notes in the black hole that became my laptop bag, I would be able to give you a fuller, more complete rundown, but it was the speech one will be likely to hear over the next two years anyway. He gave a solid, polished presentation, and left a clipboard where those in attendance could sign up for his mailing list.

We were too busy to sign up, though. With the conference running slightly behind schedule, we transitioned straight into the panel on Anonymous Blogging, a perennial topic. I, personally, was not quite sure we broke new ground on this one–everyone was in agreement that there is little true anonymous blogging, that pseudonyms were only as credible as the content they espoused, and really, you ought to put your name on things.

Next was the media panel. I sensed that print journalists had finally, begrudgingly for some, accepted that blogs were here to stay, like a fault line. It’ll always be there, and it could shake things up without notice after lying dormant for a while. The pair of journalists at the helm of the conference room spoke of the troubles the traditional media had, but had grown more accustomed to the idea of working with the blog, as opposed to thinking that they were a fad that would soon disappear. Both expressed slight frustration with their parent papers, and the industry as a whole, but overall remained mostly positive. The Virginian-Pilot brought free swag.

I’ll say what I said last time, the Mainstream Media Is Not Going To Die. It will evolve, yes, but it will not die. Journalism has to be someone’s day job, after all.

Lunch arrived. A hoagie, chips, an apple, and Delegate Brian Moran, who schlepped down from Alexandria to be 2009 candidate Number Two [Disclaimer: I'm one of Moran's summer interns. I am very, very unbiased.]. The question and answer session focused mainly on those blasted abuser fees that won’t let us speed anymore, and praise be to Allah, speeding is our constitutional right! Or something like that.

Moran, needing to get back to Alexandria, was the first sign-up on Bob McDonnell’s list before he left.

The 7-West team followed. Delegate Kris Amundson gave a delightful presentation on Britney Spears and blogging ethics, and handed the microphone off to Delegate Bob Brink. As soon as I can dump the video off my camera, it will be up here. Afterwards, an interesting exchange between Amundson, Brink, and a certain Black Velvet Bruce Li saw the entire room give up the floor. Beneath the verbal jujitsu that the three were tossing around, a polite contempt was clear. It’s amazing what happens when people finally meet face-to-face.

The next speaker had little to do with the state blogosphere, but I found him to be one of the most interesting ones there. Jack Holt, OSD-Public Affairs, was the man in charge of taking the military (not exactly a swift, forward-moving institution!) to the frontiers of the New Media. He had the unfortunate job (depending on what side you’re on) of either trying to cut through the filter of the dastardly liberal media, or grimly reporting the utter disaster Iraq has become. Holt’s products include the MNFI-Iraq YouTube channel, among other blogger and new media outreach programs.

As far as I could tell, his efforts were mostly concentrated on passing information to the domestic audience. Holt adopted a view that was unsurprisingly for keeping our troops on the ground. Catching up with him later, however, he seemed to not quite be the mindless cheerleader. Obviously, pushing the New Media on some of the stodgier leadership in the Pentagon was a tough fight, and Holt seemed less gung-ho about the casus belli for Iraq. His job, however, focuses on the present.

Fair-use followed as the next topic. Short version: don’t go stealing other people’s stuff without asking. Got it?

Afterwards, the bloggers assembled batted around plans to make Blogs United a more permanent organization. I got involved (or entangled) with drafting a constitution. Other tasks were delegated. A target date for next February in Richmond during the GA session was discussed.

Then came a well-deserved break.

Johnny and I, without means of actually leaving CNU, took a self-guided tour of the campus (hint: there are lots of dorms, they look the same), and then returned to the Student Center for dinner. Chicken was on the menu, like it was last year, and the year before. The remaining pair of 2009 candidates gave their speeches.

Overall, I saw a very well-run, if not quite “United” conference. Special thanks to Jim Hoeft and Christopher Newport University for hosting a loud, restless bunch of laptop warriors. I look forward to seeing everyone next year! (And that means you.)

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