The first major politician to sign up to speak at Yearly Kos was Mark Warner. Warner's a centrist democrat, the ex-governor of Virginia, and someone whom my friends have talked to me about for a while.

Coming into Yearly Kos my primary impression of Warner was competence. He ran a very tight administration of Virginia, one which cleared up the deficit and made incremental gains in a lot of areas, including education and health care. He hires very competent people and lets them do their job and as a result has a very good team - he surrounds himself with the best he can find.

Friday night Warner threw a party for the conventioneers and it was a smashing success with amazing food and drink. I did hear some hair-shirt Democratic wailing at the cost (which I've heard as anywhere from 70K to 100) but overall it was enjoyed by all who went.

Saturday he showed us a film and gave a speech. Both were well crafted, both relied heavily on his record in Virginia - both in terms of his specific policy successes like signing kids up for health care and balancing the budget; and in terms of his ability to appeal to rural voters.

Warner's a good speaker. He does appear somewhat overly stiff, but he did his best to make eye contact, spoke clearly and used his body appropriately.

The speech was, overall, a success, but it wasn't a smashing success. What Warner did say was "I'm very very competent. I believe in health care and I believe strongly in opportunity for everyone. Oh, and did I mention I'm competent?"

What he didn't say is "I'm with you."

What Warner bought himself, with his time and money, wasn't the netroots' support. What he bought himself was peace. Warner isn't a progressive, and he hasn't come out really hard against Bush in a high profile way. What the netroots wants first are fighters, what it wants second are progressives. Warner hasn't branded himself as either.

But he did get enough good will that people probably won't take too many gratuitious swipes at him. By speaking at the netroots' convention, he can say he is (as he said often) a man who understands the 21st century and how technology was changing things.

He got his money's worth. Peace and cachet were worth what he spent. And, in fact, that he recognized that he needed to shore up his flank in this way simply reinforces my impression of him - that he is... competent.

I doubt it'll be enough, because he isn't inspiring, he isn't progressive and he isn't a fighting Dem. Nonetheless Warner didn't strike me as a man one should write off.