‘This is for us’: New politics convention storms Hollywood

Politics are taking the red eye this weekend as the organizers behind Politicon aim for their first-of-its kind West Coast gathering to become an annual destination for political junkies.

“The comic book fans have got Comic-Con, new media and music fans have got South by Southwest, the intellectuals have got TED Talks,” Politicon founder and executive producer Simon Sidi explains to ITK. “This is for us.”

{mosads}Sidi describes Politicon, being held Friday and Saturday at the Los Angeles Convention Center, as a “Comic-Con-style event for politics and pop culture,” complete with panels, debates, comedy shows, art exhibits, television and movie screenings and meet-and-greets.

“Whether you watch Fox or MSNBC, or read The Hill every single day, or maybe you just like watching ‘Veep’ or ‘House of Cards’ or ‘Scandal,’ ” says Sidi. “Whatever it is, that will be at Politicon.”

Sidi says the idea for Politicon came to him more than two years ago, when he heard the audience enthusiasm on a political podcast.

As a designer and producer for live entertainment shows (he’s worked with hit-makers such as Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics, Kanye West, Depeche Mode and Muddy Waters), the London-born Sidi says the intensity of the podcast’s audience sparked the idea. “It was a noise I heard every day of my working life.”

Among the Politicon lineup: political commentators James Carville and Paul Begala, both Bill Clinton campaign alums; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.); David Axelrod and Dan Pfeiffer, former senior advisers to President Obama; Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.); former Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.); and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele.

“It’s designed to be nonpartisan,” says Sidi. “We’re able to have everybody from Ann Coulter to Cenk Uygur of ‘The Young Turks,’ and everyone in between.”

From the entertainment world, new “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah, Tony Hale from HBO’s “Veep,” comedian Jeff Ross, actor Tate Donovan, “American Idol” runner-up and former Democratic House candidate Clay Aiken and actress Mara Marini are all poised to appear.

Sidi said as many as 7,000 attendees are expected at the inaugural event, which he envisions becoming a yearly tradition that could pop up in other cities and countries.

Asked why Politicon is being held in California rather than Washington, Sidi says Los Angeles is the “right” place.

“I think it would’ve been far too serious, far too worthy an operation if we’d done it in D.C.,” he says.