Texas Defending the American Dream Summit

I just got back from the Texas Defending the American Dream Summit... and it was AWESOME! (Just a quick post before retiring so I can be up bright and early for day two tomorrow. Contrary to the title of this blog, I don't actually enjoy staying up particularly late.)

I learned a ton from the various sessions I attended and had some great conversations. It was such a positive environment - I've never met so many people on the same wavelength, so excited to be there sharing what they know. The gentlemen from Texas College Republicans were especially nice, and there were quite a few other young people there as well. After a whole year at an extremely liberal university, it's so nice to see that I'm not really alone!!

There were some great sessions on how to effectively use the Internet for conservative activism, featuring Raz Shafer (@razshafer), Melissa Clouthier (@melissatweets), Will Franklin (@willisms), and Matt Lewis (@mattklewis). I'm quite new to Twitter in particular, so these speakers were very helpful.

Keynote speakers for dinner were:

• Steven Crowder, who was hysterical as usual
• Rick Perry, whose awesomeness I can't say I fully appreciated until now (more on that in a later post)
  
• Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal, from whom I learned more economics in an hour than I ever did from my high school economics teacher (which, granted, isn't saying much, but still...)

Next time Americans for Prosperity holds a summit in your state, I highly encourage you to go. The Texas summit is only halfway through, but already it's been well worth the time and money.

DAY TWO UPDATE: The conservative people of Texas are a truly remarkable bunch. I met dozens, even hundreds of fellow Texans who are concerned by the direction their government is going. And I was lucky enough to make a few new friends along the way.

Before attending sessions on cap and trade, states' rights, and the textbook controversy, everyone gathered in the ballroom again for speeches by some of the most well-known conservative political figures - Michael Williams, Joe the Plumber, John Fund, and Herman Cain (my new favorite person in the entire world).

Clips:

I don't think I've ever been so proud to be Texan and so proud to be American as I am today. And I encourage all of you to look into Americans for Prosperity.