Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Taps with Tester event hosted by the Merkley campaign. Although I had to travel into deep, unfamiliar, industrial NW Portland, it was well worth it for good beer, good conversation, and good times. I'll give you a rundown of my evening, done mostly chronologically, with my observations and funtime perspectives.

Although I arrived a little early (as is my wont), it allowed me a chance to mingle with the campaign staff. That would soon change, however, as people came pouring in as soon as the clock struck 7 p.m. The venue, the Taproom would end up utterly packed-- I'd estimate that upwards of 100-150 people (maybe more) wandered in and out before the night was through.

Once people started arriving in droves, I drained my delicious hefeweizen, worked the room, and eventually was dragged into an enclave of several funloving bloggers, like us! I spent the most time with Mitch of WiseAss.org and Bradley/his roommate Andrew of Forward Oregon. I also ran into Sarah of Lefty Lane, who has a nice event recap over at Daily Kos. Nice people, all!

One of the biggest highlights came when, as the evening began to get cooking, I got to meet the good Senator Jon Tester! I even shook his hand! Fantastic. At the behest of Carla from Merkley campaign, Mitch and I got the opportunity to talk to the Senator in a decently-intimate setting. The topic of conversation: his endorsement, and the importance of the netroots. He was very plain in noting that he wouldn't have succeeded in Montana without his netroots, and he is sure the same will be the case here in Oregon. At the same time, we also asked him what was the single most important factor in his endorsement of Jeff Merkley; without a beat, he responded that it was because they shared the same background: they both worked so hard to turn their respective state houses from Republican to Democrat control. In that light, Tester has the utmost respect for the work Jeff has done, and is confident in the work he will do in the U.S. Senate.

The evening really got going after that, as Governor Kuolongoski introduced Jeff to the room. Jeff then spoke from the heart, noting the importance of: ending the Iraq War; achieving energy independence and focusing on renewable sources of energy; realizing true healthcare reform; and working to better our nation's jobs and education system. In the time since I first met Jeff at his campaign kickoff, he has come a long way. He's really worked on his delivery, speaking from his heart and with the strength of his convictions. He's also funny, but earnest, not pandering. Jeff has strong roots in Oregon, and I know he'd do us right if and when he is elected to serve.

But here's the theme we all need to remember: in D.C., Oregon currently has 10% of an effective vote. Our Senior Senator, Ron Wyden, does a great job advocating for Oregon. But when Gordon Smith votes 90% of the time with George Bush and Dick Cheney, he cancels out Ron's votes. As it was put so well last night, do we want net representation 10% of the time? No. That's why it's time to send a man for the people to D.C.

The rest of the night was simply delightful. Jon Tester, the pseudo-keynote, is charming and convincing. He's down-to-Earth and is a man of the people; namely, he's exactly the mold we're looking to send to D.C. Immediately after he spoke, we also heard from Governor Barbara Roberts, who always amazes me with her dynamism and conviction.

The evening winded on from there. Endless fun conversation, good food, and big personalities. It was the most fun I'd had at a political event in a long time. In that, I can say that there was a palpable energy in the room. Everyone was having a blast, but there was an urgency as well. When Gov. Roberts noted that we needed to get out there and work as hard as we could for the campaign, people were eager-eyed and attentive.

We'll have to wait and see where it all goes; but, from the campaign staff to the bloggers and would-be volunteers, last night was a good momentum-builder. Everyone was on the same page, and ready to hit the ground running when the time comes.

If you were there, what were your thoughts? What were your highlights?