Since Denver, I have had occasional questions about the process by which one becomes a delegate to a national party convention. Obviously the next opportunity won't be here until 2012, but there are things you can do in the meanwhile to put yourself in a good position to be elected. What I mention below applies to Massachusetts; rules may differ in other states.
If you aren't already, register as a Democrat. That's a basic requirement, and the only one, really, to become a national delegate. In Massachusetts, you can change your party affiliation at any time at your town or city clerk's office, or (if you're unenrolled in a party or "independent") after any election -- just ask at the polling place when you go to vote.
Join your city or town's Democratic committee. If you live in Massachusetts you can look up the leadership of your town committee here. Each town committee, by charter, should have several meetings each year -- some meet monthly -- as well as holding other activities that bring Democrats together -- speakers' nights, community events, fund-raisers for local candidates. In Massachusetts, town committee members are actually elected to their posts on the primary election ballot during presidential years (the one just held in September). But in the interim, most towns have an open-door policy and welcome new members at any time. It's usually not competitive for those who want to join -- most committees will welcome you with open arms!
Attend your city or town's February caucus. In Massachusetts in early February each year, town committees hold caucuses to elect delegates to the annual state Democratic convention. Ask the chair of the committee when yours will be held in 2009 -- s/he should know the exact schedule after Jan. 1. You need only to be a registered Democrat (not a member of the town committee) to attend the caucus
At the caucus, run for delegate to the state convention. In most towns, this is a fairly casual event, but unlike other committee meetings there are rules, nominations, and a voting procedure. This is a good "dry run" and a less informal way of learning the convention-nominating process. Again, you need only be a registered Democrat (not a town committee member) to run and be elected a state convention delegate.
Attend the state convention, whether or not you are a delegate. They're usually held on a weekend in late May or early June -- usually it's just a one-day commitment (Saturday), but there are parties and activities to attend on Friday night if you want to make a weekend of it. In odd-numbered years, the agenda is mostly policy issues and party rules, but there will be interesting speakers as well.
In even-numbered (election) years, the state convention ratifies a party platform as well as, importantly, candidates running for statewide office. In addition to filing papers with signatures of registered voters, candidates for positions like US senator or governor must be ratified by vote of at least 15% of the delegates at the state convention in order to be put on the primary-election ballot. In 2010, there'll be a governor's race, and with Gov. Deval Patrick planning to run for re-election, it should very interesting. In hotly contested races, the campaigns for various candidates will try to elect "slates" of delegates committed support their man or woman. I was a Patrick delegate to the 2006 state convention, which was one of the most interesting political experiences of my life. I also got involved in the Patrick campaign (I was town coordinator), and I credit that experience with making me a believer in the democratic (small-d) process and getting me involved in Democratic (capital-D) politics.
If you understand how caucuses in Massachusetts select delegates to the state convention, you've already got a good grounding in how to run for national delegate.
Naturally, the national-delegate election process is more competitive but will be easier if you're on the radar screen of the Democratic organization in your area. Like the state-level process, it takes place at a caucus. The schedule of delegate-selection caucuses is determined by the national party and the state party in consultation with the presidential candidates' campaigns.
This year, I made the decision to run as a national delegate in March. I signed and filed a simple one-page application with the state Democratic committee declaring my intention to run. I have to say that it helped that I was a name familiar in some local Democratic circles. It also gave heft to my candidacy that I had worked on the Obama campaign in my area during the run-up to the Massachusetts primary. (Which see all the good reasons to become involved locally now.)
The caucuses were held in April: the one that elected me also elected a male delegate, Mike Wheeler of Gloucester, both of us pledged to Senator Obama. Caucuses are held in each Congressional District (there are ten in Massachusetts), one for each Presidential candidate who receives a plurality of the vote in the primary (this year, both Clinton and Obama). So, all told, there were twenty caucuses this spring, all taking place in different locations around the state on Saturday, April 5.
All caucuses are held at the same time precisely so that voters attending them must make a choice: in the 6th Congressional District (which is mostly Essex County, our Congressman is John Tierney), the Clinton caucus was held in Saugus on April 5, and the Obama caucus was held in Topsfield at the same time. Only Democrats registered in your Congressional District can attend and vote at the caucuses. As a delegate-candidate, the name of the game is getting as many of them there as you can muster: family, friends, neighbors and relatives all can attend the caucus on your behalf and vote for you. (That's called "getting out the vote," or GOTV. I learned the best techniques to do that by working on the Patrick campaign in 2006. You see the benefits of political involvement early?) GOTV is really a matter of making lots of phone calls. writing notes and sending emails -- using any method you can to ask people to attend the caucus and vote for you. Your town committee can become a nexus of this support. It's good to ask for help from others who are running as delegates too. This process is actually a lot of fun (in my view, anyway).
Once you've declared to run, you'd be surprised how willing other Democrats will be to help you get elected. Put me in that boat: going to Denver was such a fantastic experience that I've made a commitment to help other first-timers go to the next DNC, in 2012. The state party is a resource, too: they post useful information on their web site, including forms and deadlines. The state party also held a training meeting in March for people intending to run for delegate. It was a good way to get basic questions answered and meet other serious contenders for delegate seats.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Denouement: Friday, August 29
I owe you one more "official" post, about the amazing events of yesterday evening.
Delegates were transported to Invesco Field by bus and brought to a special entrance for access to the ground floor of the field. If you were looking at the stage on TV, the delegations were arranged in something of a "T" on the field, the stage set up being at its crossbar, on the 50-yard line. (Mile-High Stadium is, of course, a football field first and foremost, home to the Denver Broncos. A large sculpture of a rearing horse crowns the stadium rooftop right above the scoreboard.) Massachusetts was to the leftmost end of the T's crossbar. This meant that much of our seating was obstructed by camera towers and lights -- we could see the right side of the stage set-up pretty well -- but thanks to the several large screens, no one missed a trick. In fact, the use of high-tech stage and sound sets made the whole atmosphere very 21st- century.
Besides, the air in the field was electric with excitement. A hot, humid afternoon turned beautifully clear and cooler, once the sun dipped behind the stadium walls. Seats in all four upper decks were chock-full by 5:15, nearly three hours before Sen. Obama was to speak.
On the scene:
* Gov. Michael Dukakis brought his entire family -- wife Kitty, two daughters and a son-in-law, and one lively grandson -- to the event. They were seated immediately in front of me. Except for their political celebrity (and preferential seating!), they were not unlike many other families one could glimpse in the stands -- entire families, babies, youngsters, oldsters.
* Senator Kerry worked the crowd, and acceded to the request of a group of veterans to pose for some pix information with an honor guard.
* Patrick Kennedy also worked the crowd and sat nearby for a while.
* Congressman Ed Markey, sponsor of Thursday morning's Mass. delegation breakfast, was in the crowd, as was Congresswoman Nikki Tsongas.
Lots of press roamed our seating area, the easiest to access from the outside gate, for background photo shots and crowd scenes. Joe Scarborough (MSNBC's "Morning Joe") and his crew stopped by the Mass. delegation to meet and greet.
Speakers and music were interspersed throughout the day, not unlike the convention program in the Pepsi Center on the previous three days. Early in the evening, Cheryl Crowe 's medley of songs was wonderful and popular with the crowd. But it took Stevie Wonder to really get us going. Groups of delegates were dancing in the aisles and the atmosphere was festive, not unlike a rock concert. Among the many who addressed the crowd Al Gore was a popular choice to speak on this last night, along with (conversely) the panel of voters from all over America who told why they were supporting Barack Obama for president. Best line, from an Indianan named Barney Smith, who had suffered economic hardship in the past eight years: "It's time for our government to think first of helping Barney Smith, not helping Smith Barney."
When the video of Barack Obama's life story aired, it calmed the festivities to a more serious mood appropriate for the speech to come. As the video ended, Senator Obama bounded onto the stage, and a roar of welcome and applause erupted that lasted for several minutes.
The speech itself was, of course, marvelous: specific, high-minded, purposeful and clear. The pundits have already pored over it at length, so I will just add my own sentiments here: I had the sense that I was witnessing greatness, that this was a moment against which time (political and otherwise) might be measured in future. And I was right: the next day, in a crowded Denver airport, we who were lucky enough to have heard Obama's speech live spotted one another sporting Obama t-shirts and buttons and asked one another, "Were you there last night?"
The Mass. delegation partied until the wee hours (so I'm told) at a skybox at Coors Field, the baseball park that's home to the Colorado Rockies. We had a full view of the resplendent field under the lights, wonderful food and drink, and the last of each other's company as a delegation.
Delegates were transported to Invesco Field by bus and brought to a special entrance for access to the ground floor of the field. If you were looking at the stage on TV, the delegations were arranged in something of a "T" on the field, the stage set up being at its crossbar, on the 50-yard line. (Mile-High Stadium is, of course, a football field first and foremost, home to the Denver Broncos. A large sculpture of a rearing horse crowns the stadium rooftop right above the scoreboard.) Massachusetts was to the leftmost end of the T's crossbar. This meant that much of our seating was obstructed by camera towers and lights -- we could see the right side of the stage set-up pretty well -- but thanks to the several large screens, no one missed a trick. In fact, the use of high-tech stage and sound sets made the whole atmosphere very 21st- century.
Besides, the air in the field was electric with excitement. A hot, humid afternoon turned beautifully clear and cooler, once the sun dipped behind the stadium walls. Seats in all four upper decks were chock-full by 5:15, nearly three hours before Sen. Obama was to speak.
On the scene:
* Gov. Michael Dukakis brought his entire family -- wife Kitty, two daughters and a son-in-law, and one lively grandson -- to the event. They were seated immediately in front of me. Except for their political celebrity (and preferential seating!), they were not unlike many other families one could glimpse in the stands -- entire families, babies, youngsters, oldsters.
* Senator Kerry worked the crowd, and acceded to the request of a group of veterans to pose for some pix information with an honor guard.
* Patrick Kennedy also worked the crowd and sat nearby for a while.
* Congressman Ed Markey, sponsor of Thursday morning's Mass. delegation breakfast, was in the crowd, as was Congresswoman Nikki Tsongas.
Lots of press roamed our seating area, the easiest to access from the outside gate, for background photo shots and crowd scenes. Joe Scarborough (MSNBC's "Morning Joe") and his crew stopped by the Mass. delegation to meet and greet.
Speakers and music were interspersed throughout the day, not unlike the convention program in the Pepsi Center on the previous three days. Early in the evening, Cheryl Crowe 's medley of songs was wonderful and popular with the crowd. But it took Stevie Wonder to really get us going. Groups of delegates were dancing in the aisles and the atmosphere was festive, not unlike a rock concert. Among the many who addressed the crowd Al Gore was a popular choice to speak on this last night, along with (conversely) the panel of voters from all over America who told why they were supporting Barack Obama for president. Best line, from an Indianan named Barney Smith, who had suffered economic hardship in the past eight years: "It's time for our government to think first of helping Barney Smith, not helping Smith Barney."
When the video of Barack Obama's life story aired, it calmed the festivities to a more serious mood appropriate for the speech to come. As the video ended, Senator Obama bounded onto the stage, and a roar of welcome and applause erupted that lasted for several minutes.
The speech itself was, of course, marvelous: specific, high-minded, purposeful and clear. The pundits have already pored over it at length, so I will just add my own sentiments here: I had the sense that I was witnessing greatness, that this was a moment against which time (political and otherwise) might be measured in future. And I was right: the next day, in a crowded Denver airport, we who were lucky enough to have heard Obama's speech live spotted one another sporting Obama t-shirts and buttons and asked one another, "Were you there last night?"
The Mass. delegation partied until the wee hours (so I'm told) at a skybox at Coors Field, the baseball park that's home to the Colorado Rockies. We had a full view of the resplendent field under the lights, wonderful food and drink, and the last of each other's company as a delegation.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Day 4: Thursday, August 28
10:45 am Attended the last Massachusetts delegation breakfast this morning, sponsored by Cong. Ed Markey. Again, a roster of terrific speakers: John Podesta (pres./CEO of American Progress), Lt.-Gov. Tim Murray, Sec. of State Bill Galvin, State Rep. Diane Wilkerson, and -- the coup de grace -- Sen. George McGovern, who's just as salty and spry as ever in his mid-80s. It was a thrill to shake the hand of the man who was the candidate for President in the first election in which I could vote (he got mine, too).
Channel 7 thrust a camera and mic in front of me and asked questions about my reactions to last night's speeches. So as not to let a local news broadcast "scoop" my own blog, I'll give you those impressions below.
A word about logistics. Our hotel, the Renaissance, is situated in Stapleton, some 20 minutes' drive from downtown Denver. This means that, once you head downtown, you're there for the duration. The Pepsi Center, where all of the convention's formal business was conducted, is actually not very large -- smaller than our own Fleet Center -- and (thanks to exremely tight security all around its perimeter) kind of isolated on its own "campus." Buses take delegates everywhere we need to go (the delegate's credential is like a ticket to heaven around here), but guests, press and other folks here in Denver just to be a part of it all are at considerably greater difficulty to get in to things and get around. Many of the "unofficial" meetings and caucuses have been held at the Colorado Convention Center, another large venue downtown. The various parties and social events, from luncheons to teas, cocktail parties and late-night bashes put on by each of the state delegations, are held downtown in various large restaurants and clubs that line 16th Street, the owntown dpedestrian zone. Now, having been here a few days, I have a general sense of how best to navigate the city. But I'm leaving tomorrow!
Commentary on last night:
The roll call
I arrived at the Pepsi Center, as on other days, for the 4 o'clock gavel-down -- but yesterday, the proceedings had already begun. From the delegates' perspective, and because most of us had availed ourselves of the early-voting option in the morning, the rollcall of states' votes was very much an afterthought. And that's how the campaign wanted it. Every delegate got to vote -- we all got literally to sign our names and place our x'es on the ballot next to our candidate. We all felt heard. The culmination of the rollcall on the convention floor last night, then, could become the focus of some real drama -- and the convention's best opportunity to unite us all.
It worked. And it was the highest point of the convention for me so far.
When Illinois ceded to New York and Hillary Clinton made the announcement to suspend the roll call's rules and nominate Barack Obama by acclamation, the loudest shouts of the week echoed through the hall. It was extremely moving for supporters of both camps, who felt this was the best possible result and a stroke of theatric genius toward party unity. For my part, I thought Senator Clinton was a really classy act.
Miscellanea:
I was thrilled that all 30 of New Hampshire's votes went to Barack Obama! I heard this news on one of the arena's TV monitors in the outer hallway as I was making my way to my seat. It vindicated slogging around in February slush. (Note: for the record, the Massachusetts roll call ended up as: 65 for Obama, 52 for Clinton.)
The speeches: Miscellaneous observations
* Seeing all the women of Congress on stage with Nancy Pelosi was just terrific.
* The remarks of Tammy Duckworth -- the Iraq war veteran from an Illinois military family and a likely appointee to complete Senator Obama's Senatorial term if he is elected President -- were especially incisive.
* One of the other minor speakers who made an impression was a retired Army general from New Hampshire (that part of his introduction caught my attention), who recently dropped his life-long registration in the Republican party to become a Democrat. Before we even knew why he had been chosen to speak, I turned to my seatmate, Worcester City Council Chair Rick Rushton, and said, "That guy's a Republican."
* Many of us wished that Senator John Kerry had spoken so forcefully as he did last night, during his own campaign for president four years ago.
* Bill Clinton, of course, did what he set out to do: the torch has officially been passed from the wildly popular (with the delegate crowd) former president to Barack Obama. He put Obama into an important historical context that blessed him with the mantle of success in the presidential role Obama hopes to earn on Nov. 4. Clinton was magisterial: his command of facts, his intellectual wattage and the extremely personal way he delivers his message wowed us all.
* In my book, the real star of the evening, even more than VP nominee Joe Biden himself, was Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, in his moving and heartfelt introduction of his father. Through his words we all came to see Senator Biden in a new light -- and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
* And how about Joe Biden's mother, and Barack Obama's uncle? The playing of Sister Sledge's popular tune "We Are Family" at the end of the evening was a suitable sentimental choice. The evening was one big group hug.
A funny moments of the evening --
Boston Mayor Tom Menino was sitting in front of me last night, patiently suffering being poked by the kid next to him with the American flags we all were waving, and braving an occasional blow from me, too, with the myriad of placards that we were given to wave. When Bill Clinton generously praised Barack Obama's VP choice of Joe Biden by saying, simply, that he "knocked one out of the park," Hizzoner turned with a look of surprise and said loudly to anyone who would listen, "He stole my line!"
Channel 7 thrust a camera and mic in front of me and asked questions about my reactions to last night's speeches. So as not to let a local news broadcast "scoop" my own blog, I'll give you those impressions below.
A word about logistics. Our hotel, the Renaissance, is situated in Stapleton, some 20 minutes' drive from downtown Denver. This means that, once you head downtown, you're there for the duration. The Pepsi Center, where all of the convention's formal business was conducted, is actually not very large -- smaller than our own Fleet Center -- and (thanks to exremely tight security all around its perimeter) kind of isolated on its own "campus." Buses take delegates everywhere we need to go (the delegate's credential is like a ticket to heaven around here), but guests, press and other folks here in Denver just to be a part of it all are at considerably greater difficulty to get in to things and get around. Many of the "unofficial" meetings and caucuses have been held at the Colorado Convention Center, another large venue downtown. The various parties and social events, from luncheons to teas, cocktail parties and late-night bashes put on by each of the state delegations, are held downtown in various large restaurants and clubs that line 16th Street, the owntown dpedestrian zone. Now, having been here a few days, I have a general sense of how best to navigate the city. But I'm leaving tomorrow!
Commentary on last night:
The roll call
I arrived at the Pepsi Center, as on other days, for the 4 o'clock gavel-down -- but yesterday, the proceedings had already begun. From the delegates' perspective, and because most of us had availed ourselves of the early-voting option in the morning, the rollcall of states' votes was very much an afterthought. And that's how the campaign wanted it. Every delegate got to vote -- we all got literally to sign our names and place our x'es on the ballot next to our candidate. We all felt heard. The culmination of the rollcall on the convention floor last night, then, could become the focus of some real drama -- and the convention's best opportunity to unite us all.
It worked. And it was the highest point of the convention for me so far.
When Illinois ceded to New York and Hillary Clinton made the announcement to suspend the roll call's rules and nominate Barack Obama by acclamation, the loudest shouts of the week echoed through the hall. It was extremely moving for supporters of both camps, who felt this was the best possible result and a stroke of theatric genius toward party unity. For my part, I thought Senator Clinton was a really classy act.
Miscellanea:
I was thrilled that all 30 of New Hampshire's votes went to Barack Obama! I heard this news on one of the arena's TV monitors in the outer hallway as I was making my way to my seat. It vindicated slogging around in February slush. (Note: for the record, the Massachusetts roll call ended up as: 65 for Obama, 52 for Clinton.)
The speeches: Miscellaneous observations
* Seeing all the women of Congress on stage with Nancy Pelosi was just terrific.
* The remarks of Tammy Duckworth -- the Iraq war veteran from an Illinois military family and a likely appointee to complete Senator Obama's Senatorial term if he is elected President -- were especially incisive.
* One of the other minor speakers who made an impression was a retired Army general from New Hampshire (that part of his introduction caught my attention), who recently dropped his life-long registration in the Republican party to become a Democrat. Before we even knew why he had been chosen to speak, I turned to my seatmate, Worcester City Council Chair Rick Rushton, and said, "That guy's a Republican."
* Many of us wished that Senator John Kerry had spoken so forcefully as he did last night, during his own campaign for president four years ago.
* Bill Clinton, of course, did what he set out to do: the torch has officially been passed from the wildly popular (with the delegate crowd) former president to Barack Obama. He put Obama into an important historical context that blessed him with the mantle of success in the presidential role Obama hopes to earn on Nov. 4. Clinton was magisterial: his command of facts, his intellectual wattage and the extremely personal way he delivers his message wowed us all.
* In my book, the real star of the evening, even more than VP nominee Joe Biden himself, was Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, in his moving and heartfelt introduction of his father. Through his words we all came to see Senator Biden in a new light -- and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
* And how about Joe Biden's mother, and Barack Obama's uncle? The playing of Sister Sledge's popular tune "We Are Family" at the end of the evening was a suitable sentimental choice. The evening was one big group hug.
A funny moments of the evening --
Boston Mayor Tom Menino was sitting in front of me last night, patiently suffering being poked by the kid next to him with the American flags we all were waving, and braving an occasional blow from me, too, with the myriad of placards that we were given to wave. When Bill Clinton generously praised Barack Obama's VP choice of Joe Biden by saying, simply, that he "knocked one out of the park," Hizzoner turned with a look of surprise and said loudly to anyone who would listen, "He stole my line!"
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Day 3: August 27, 2008
2:15 pm A few words on the scene in the convention hall, and the press.
The Mass. delegation's seating area is behind New York and below Arizona, both pretty spirited delegations in their own right. When you're looking at the speaker on the stage, we are to the left (speaker's right) and up in the "bowl" (i.e., not on the ground floor). These are really pretty good seats and capable of seeing everything very well, even if we're not as close to the on-stage action as some delegations -- Illinois and Delaware, for example -- being Obama's and Biden's home states respective, they get the plum spots. Our state sign (vertical lettered posts visible when cameras pan the delegations) is not always visible because it's tucked alongside a pretty tall wall.
The campaign hands out demonstration signs of all sorts at regular intervals. Last night we had five or six different signs passed out within the space of a few hours.
The VIP boxes in which Senator Biden and his family were seated for the past two nights are immediately behind us (behind Arizona's last rows) -- so our entire sector of the convention floor is getting lots of attention from the press. One CNN cameraman parked himself semi-permanently just two rows in front of me on the first night (he's probably the culprit for my 15 seconds of fame), to the great chagrin of the delegates in the row in front of me -- their view was blocked in several directions every time Mr. Camera decided to shoot B roll.
Right on the convention floor, the major US media outlets have small bullpen-like affairs built head-and-shoulders above the delegate seating. It is from one these makeshift perches that, for instance, David Gregory interviewed Gov. Bill Richardson last night before (during? after?) Hillary Clinton's speech. Wolf Blitzer and CNN have a similar set-up, as do CBS and ABC. Andrea Mitchell is a "roving reporter" -- I came face to face with her the first night as she was picking her way down to the main floor. (Yes, she is as petite and intense as she often comes across on TV, and let me just say makeup does wonders for aging skin.) Sam Donaldson nearly fell out of the balcony, calling some urgent matter to her attention.
All around the top ring of the convention center are press boxes and suites, prominently advertising their brand on large lightboards turned toward the convention hall: the BBC and Al-Jazeera are among the foreign press present.
When you sport a delegate's creds, it seems that you have to do very little to have a camera thrust in your face or to be asked a question by a (mostly very young) press person with a spiral notebook in hand.
11 am: At this morning's delegate breakfast, early-voting procedures for the delegate balloting were announced, which would help to move along the proceedings for this afternoon's all-important convention business.
Here I cast my vote for Barack Obama, and Mike Wheeler of Gloucester follows suit. We were in heady company: Governor Deval Patrick did the same, and thenkindly paused for a quick "photo op."
Speakers at this morning's delegate breakfast included, among others, the ever-popular, ever-garrulous Cong. Barney Frank, Boston Mayor Tom Menino, and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley.
The Mass. delegation's seating area is behind New York and below Arizona, both pretty spirited delegations in their own right. When you're looking at the speaker on the stage, we are to the left (speaker's right) and up in the "bowl" (i.e., not on the ground floor). These are really pretty good seats and capable of seeing everything very well, even if we're not as close to the on-stage action as some delegations -- Illinois and Delaware, for example -- being Obama's and Biden's home states respective, they get the plum spots. Our state sign (vertical lettered posts visible when cameras pan the delegations) is not always visible because it's tucked alongside a pretty tall wall.
The campaign hands out demonstration signs of all sorts at regular intervals. Last night we had five or six different signs passed out within the space of a few hours.
The VIP boxes in which Senator Biden and his family were seated for the past two nights are immediately behind us (behind Arizona's last rows) -- so our entire sector of the convention floor is getting lots of attention from the press. One CNN cameraman parked himself semi-permanently just two rows in front of me on the first night (he's probably the culprit for my 15 seconds of fame), to the great chagrin of the delegates in the row in front of me -- their view was blocked in several directions every time Mr. Camera decided to shoot B roll.
Right on the convention floor, the major US media outlets have small bullpen-like affairs built head-and-shoulders above the delegate seating. It is from one these makeshift perches that, for instance, David Gregory interviewed Gov. Bill Richardson last night before (during? after?) Hillary Clinton's speech. Wolf Blitzer and CNN have a similar set-up, as do CBS and ABC. Andrea Mitchell is a "roving reporter" -- I came face to face with her the first night as she was picking her way down to the main floor. (Yes, she is as petite and intense as she often comes across on TV, and let me just say makeup does wonders for aging skin.) Sam Donaldson nearly fell out of the balcony, calling some urgent matter to her attention.
All around the top ring of the convention center are press boxes and suites, prominently advertising their brand on large lightboards turned toward the convention hall: the BBC and Al-Jazeera are among the foreign press present.
When you sport a delegate's creds, it seems that you have to do very little to have a camera thrust in your face or to be asked a question by a (mostly very young) press person with a spiral notebook in hand.
11 am: At this morning's delegate breakfast, early-voting procedures for the delegate balloting were announced, which would help to move along the proceedings for this afternoon's all-important convention business.
Here I cast my vote for Barack Obama, and Mike Wheeler of Gloucester follows suit. We were in heady company: Governor Deval Patrick did the same, and thenkindly paused for a quick "photo op."
Speakers at this morning's delegate breakfast included, among others, the ever-popular, ever-garrulous Cong. Barney Frank, Boston Mayor Tom Menino, and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley.
Day 2, continued -- Tuesday, August 26
1:30 am. This evening's proceedings honestly left me deflated.
There was a long procession of governors who spoke, punctuated by the keynote speech by Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia. His speech was, I thought, underwhelming -- heartfelt, interesting, but not very original and just a tad too long.
Our own Deval Patrick's was the best of the lot (as usual), but even he seemed a bit off the mark tonight. His themes weren't new (to me), although admittedly they may have been to most. He didn't seem to pause for applause lines long enough to relish the many good moments. But it still made the Massachusetts delegation go a little nuts when he was introduced and when he was finished. He is incredibly popular with the entire delegation.
Gov. Schweitzer of Montana just seemed goofy to me, although most of my fellow delegates disagreed -- he seemed to serve the role of frothing people up just before Hillary's video was played (prelude to Chelsea Clinton's introduction of her mother).
When Hillary's video was played, the convention erupted around me -- but I was not a part of it. I was on the outside, looking in.
When Hillary began recounting her campaign's war stories, I was at first angered, thinking this shouldn't be about history, it should be about the future. But she hit her strongest points when she turned these stories into reasons to support Barack Obama -- her "Were you in this campaign just for me?" series of questions became vindications of how close the two candidates really are on the issues, and should have robbed her supporters of any lingering reason to withdraw or not support Obama. Her best line in my book was, "No way, no how, no McCain."
Still I have this lingering disbelief. And I am nervous about the denouement.
The after-hours party was actually the highlight for me, when Deval Patrick turned up at the restaurant and I had a chance to greet him and congratulate him on his speech.
Worrisome report: a fellow (Obama supporter) delegate from the Mass. delegation was stopped on her way into the convention hall and asked to sign a pledge to insist on a roll-call vote for Hillary Clinton. She refused.
There was a long procession of governors who spoke, punctuated by the keynote speech by Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia. His speech was, I thought, underwhelming -- heartfelt, interesting, but not very original and just a tad too long.
Our own Deval Patrick's was the best of the lot (as usual), but even he seemed a bit off the mark tonight. His themes weren't new (to me), although admittedly they may have been to most. He didn't seem to pause for applause lines long enough to relish the many good moments. But it still made the Massachusetts delegation go a little nuts when he was introduced and when he was finished. He is incredibly popular with the entire delegation.
Gov. Schweitzer of Montana just seemed goofy to me, although most of my fellow delegates disagreed -- he seemed to serve the role of frothing people up just before Hillary's video was played (prelude to Chelsea Clinton's introduction of her mother).
When Hillary's video was played, the convention erupted around me -- but I was not a part of it. I was on the outside, looking in.
When Hillary began recounting her campaign's war stories, I was at first angered, thinking this shouldn't be about history, it should be about the future. But she hit her strongest points when she turned these stories into reasons to support Barack Obama -- her "Were you in this campaign just for me?" series of questions became vindications of how close the two candidates really are on the issues, and should have robbed her supporters of any lingering reason to withdraw or not support Obama. Her best line in my book was, "No way, no how, no McCain."
Still I have this lingering disbelief. And I am nervous about the denouement.
The after-hours party was actually the highlight for me, when Deval Patrick turned up at the restaurant and I had a chance to greet him and congratulate him on his speech.
Worrisome report: a fellow (Obama supporter) delegate from the Mass. delegation was stopped on her way into the convention hall and asked to sign a pledge to insist on a roll-call vote for Hillary Clinton. She refused.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Day 2: Tuesday, August 26
3:40 pm
Another breakfast roster of stellar speakers started the day for the Massachusetts delegation:
Al Franken, candidate for US Senate from Minnesota, was hilarious, incisive -- and sensible. Hope he wins.
Robert Kennedy, Jr., opined about the energy crisis with a good deal of passion and vintage Kennedy style. His two sons, both 20-somethings, accompanied him -- both are involved politically in state or national campaigns.
Gov. Michael Dukakis remarked with characteristic humor and liberal umbrage on subjects as varied as our crumbling transportation infrastructure, to John McCain's mean streak, to why we should all volunteer in grassroots capacities during the fall campaign.
Rumors:
* Gov. Deval Patrick's speech has moved to a prime time spot.
* Some Clinton delegates still want to cast their votes, and will probably have a symbolic opportunity to do so.
* Boston may have its own brand-new liberal talk radio in a few months' time. Boston comedy favorites like Jimmy Tingle will be tapped to offer his talent on air.
Day 1, continued -- Monday, August 25
What an amazing first day. Inaugural days of conventions are, conventionally, boring: this one was anything but.
Michelle Obama's speech was a triumph. She was able to let us in to her own life --what she called her "improbable journey" -- and her husband's in a very personal way, but -- more important -- in a way that attached the trajectory of her life to the American dream we all dream. She shares a gift for the language of hope that has made Barack Obama a celebrated orator. Being that close must rub off in good ways.
Senator Ted Kennedy's address evoked amazing emotions -- the entire Massachusetts delegation welled up, nearly as one, when he took the stage. It didn't take me that long: when Caroline Kennedy introduced her uncle, the thought crossed my mind that she looks ever more like her father -- and I was saddened anew that she is the lone survivor of that gifted, beloved nuclear family. A delegate sitting next to me from the Cape was especially touched by the video's views of the Senator at sea on his sailboat -- in familiar waters, right off Hyannisport. There was a clear sense that Massachusetts has contributed more than its share of talent to the Democratic leadership of the nation over the years. And Caroline's introduction of her uncle as "everybody's Senator" was touching and generous.
Michelle Obama's speech was a triumph. She was able to let us in to her own life --what she called her "improbable journey" -- and her husband's in a very personal way, but -- more important -- in a way that attached the trajectory of her life to the American dream we all dream. She shares a gift for the language of hope that has made Barack Obama a celebrated orator. Being that close must rub off in good ways.
Senator Ted Kennedy's address evoked amazing emotions -- the entire Massachusetts delegation welled up, nearly as one, when he took the stage. It didn't take me that long: when Caroline Kennedy introduced her uncle, the thought crossed my mind that she looks ever more like her father -- and I was saddened anew that she is the lone survivor of that gifted, beloved nuclear family. A delegate sitting next to me from the Cape was especially touched by the video's views of the Senator at sea on his sailboat -- in familiar waters, right off Hyannisport. There was a clear sense that Massachusetts has contributed more than its share of talent to the Democratic leadership of the nation over the years. And Caroline's introduction of her uncle as "everybody's Senator" was touching and generous.
Click here to see delegates' responses to Sen. Kennedy's speech -- including our own Mike Wheeler! (at minute 2:17 of the clip).
Bullet points from earlier in the day:
* In the morning, I attended a very interesting caucus of Democratic leadership on ethnic groups. Did you realize that 13% of the American electorate self-identify as a member of Euro-ethnic groups? That's more than the margin of victory in a close election. There is a strategy that will be applied, especially in battleground states, specifically to target and persuade voters who identify with these groups -- e.g., Polish Americans in rust-belt states -- and get out the vote among these groups for the November election.
* Jovial first- morning breakfast and credentialling: we were welcomed to his home state of Colorado by former Senator Gary Hart. We heard remarks from Senate President Therese Murray and Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi, and Governor Deval Patrick really got us going: his popularity among the state's Democratic leaders is palpable. Took pictures and got autographs -- I'm shamelessly enjoying the celebrity moments of this experience.
* Saw more than my share of media headliners today, too: at the MSNBC headquarters near the Pepsi Center, we saw anchorman David Gregory arrive for a taping session. In the convention hall, I came face to face with Andrea Mitchell and watched Sam Donaldson nearly fall out of a balcony while trying to get Mitchell's attention on the convention floor.
* Was part of the footage shot by a CNN cameraman who lurked near our rows of seats for more than an hour.
* Two of us, Arthur Powell and me, were interviewed about the evening's speeches by a journalist from Chicago Public Radio as we left the hall.
* Great party at a downtown jazz venue, Alto, boasted terrific music and delicious food and drink, and went on until the wee hours.
Look for pictures tomorrow on many of these events and more by returning to this page and clicking here.
Bullet points from earlier in the day:
* In the morning, I attended a very interesting caucus of Democratic leadership on ethnic groups. Did you realize that 13% of the American electorate self-identify as a member of Euro-ethnic groups? That's more than the margin of victory in a close election. There is a strategy that will be applied, especially in battleground states, specifically to target and persuade voters who identify with these groups -- e.g., Polish Americans in rust-belt states -- and get out the vote among these groups for the November election.
* Jovial first- morning breakfast and credentialling: we were welcomed to his home state of Colorado by former Senator Gary Hart. We heard remarks from Senate President Therese Murray and Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi, and Governor Deval Patrick really got us going: his popularity among the state's Democratic leaders is palpable. Took pictures and got autographs -- I'm shamelessly enjoying the celebrity moments of this experience.
* Saw more than my share of media headliners today, too: at the MSNBC headquarters near the Pepsi Center, we saw anchorman David Gregory arrive for a taping session. In the convention hall, I came face to face with Andrea Mitchell and watched Sam Donaldson nearly fall out of a balcony while trying to get Mitchell's attention on the convention floor.
* Was part of the footage shot by a CNN cameraman who lurked near our rows of seats for more than an hour.
* Two of us, Arthur Powell and me, were interviewed about the evening's speeches by a journalist from Chicago Public Radio as we left the hall.
* Great party at a downtown jazz venue, Alto, boasted terrific music and delicious food and drink, and went on until the wee hours.
Look for pictures tomorrow on many of these events and more by returning to this page and clicking here.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Day 1 -- Monday, August 25
6:20 am The biggest news from last night's round of parties was that Senator Ted Kennedy will appear and speak to the convention tonight. Senator John Kerry announced the news during his remarks. This was news to most of us as he was expected to address the convention only "long distance," by satellite downlink.
Of last night's jovial round of parties, I just stuck close to home -- Senator Kerry's welcome reception for the Massachusetts delegation was held in the lobby bar of our hotel, the Renaissance Stapleton. Governor Deval Patrick welcomed us all to Denver, and then introduced Senator Kerry.
After we Massachusetts folk had schmoozed a-plenty in the hotel's lobby, we were invited to a lower level of the hotel for an ice cream excursion with the Maryland delegates, also at our hotel. Commonly overheard on the elevator: "You from Maryland too? Or Massachusetts?" Inevitably common links are quickly discovered. "I grew up in Duxbury." "You know people in Gaithersburg?"
By the way, there seems to be every attempt to keep delegates well-fed: the snacks last night were more than substantial. The state party keeps track of delegates by issuing us a plastic bracelet for each event. This keeps things simple when you go to the bar to have your wine refreshed.
There also seems to be "gifting" a-plenty: upon arrival delegates received a gift bag with all kinds of useful goodies (a hat from the Governor, a t-shirt from the Obama campaign, plus buttons, oversize Nalgene water bottle and other items galore). A double old-fashioned cocktail glass was Senator Kerry's gift to us at last night's party, which I found doubled nicely as an ice-cream dish!
Of last night's jovial round of parties, I just stuck close to home -- Senator Kerry's welcome reception for the Massachusetts delegation was held in the lobby bar of our hotel, the Renaissance Stapleton. Governor Deval Patrick welcomed us all to Denver, and then introduced Senator Kerry.
After we Massachusetts folk had schmoozed a-plenty in the hotel's lobby, we were invited to a lower level of the hotel for an ice cream excursion with the Maryland delegates, also at our hotel. Commonly overheard on the elevator: "You from Maryland too? Or Massachusetts?" Inevitably common links are quickly discovered. "I grew up in Duxbury." "You know people in Gaithersburg?"
By the way, there seems to be every attempt to keep delegates well-fed: the snacks last night were more than substantial. The state party keeps track of delegates by issuing us a plastic bracelet for each event. This keeps things simple when you go to the bar to have your wine refreshed.
There also seems to be "gifting" a-plenty: upon arrival delegates received a gift bag with all kinds of useful goodies (a hat from the Governor, a t-shirt from the Obama campaign, plus buttons, oversize Nalgene water bottle and other items galore). A double old-fashioned cocktail glass was Senator Kerry's gift to us at last night's party, which I found doubled nicely as an ice-cream dish!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Day 0: Travel to Denver -- Sunday, August 24
For more pictures of the day's events and political celebrities, please click here or go to www.nancysnewsnetwork.blogspot.com.
9:45 am: Boarded American Airlines flight 327 for Dallas en route to Denver. Wearing my tiny discreet "Women for Obama" button -- but it feels like everyone around me must be able to read my excitement at finally being on the road for the DNC.
Before checking my bags, a member of the ground-crew staff asks my destination. I blurt out, "Denver: I'm going to the convention!" (What she really needed to know was Dallas, my first destination.) She smiled and indulged me anyway.
5:45 pm After a largely uneventful couple of flights book-ending a long-ish layover in Dallas, I arrive in Denver. Whisked away efficiently by a SuperShuttle, I check into the Renaissance Denver Hotel in Stapleton, which is billeting the Massachusetts and Maryland delegations. The hotel is abuzz with people -- it must be a sellout week all over town. The first thing I see when I walk in the door is a big banner, "Massachusetts Democratic Party," where a tableful of staffers are checking people in and providing useful information. Before I have a chance to check things out, I hear my name called and state committee member Kathy Pasquina is embracing and welcoming me. (Kathy and 1st Essex-Middlesex publicity liaison Nancy Weinberg arrived on Friday.) Kathy re-introduces me to Joe Kaplan, another state committee member whom I had met the evening of our platform discussion in Boxford. (As a member of the national Platform Committee, Joe came to observe, listen and participate in our discussion.)
Tonight there will be welcome receptions by Senator Kerry for our state delegation, and afterward an Ice Cream Social sponsored by both Massachusetts and Maryland delegations. So far, the convention seems like one big party.
6:15 pm Just officially "checked in" with the state party at the lobby registration area. Advice, friendly faces, and a gift bag awaited. Still not sure how possible it will be to bring my laptop with me into the convention building itself; blogging will be a bit of an adventure. At least the hotel room is set up with free wi-fi, so filing a blog from there (as I am doing now) will be easy.
Met three friendly Maryland delegates on the way up the elevator, one who grew up in Duxbury! Massachusetts is never very far away, it seems.
For pictures of the day's events and political celebrities, please click here or go to www.nancysnewsnetwork.blogspot.com.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Biden's Obama's VP -- and how we learned about it
We are all waking up this morning to the news this morning that Senator Joe Biden is Barack Obama's choice for running mate. But I also woke up at 3:34 this morning to the sound of three little beeps on my phone, sending me this text message: "Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3 pm ET on www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word!"Many like me, I imagine, signed up for the text-messaging promised by the campaign -- making literally millions of us among the personal "first" to learn of Obama's VP choice. It's an intriguing and powerful use of technology to keep supporters "in the know" on campaign news -- and no campaign has done it better or on as mammoth a scale as Barack Obama's.
It gives me more than just hope -- rather, a certain confidence -- that someone who campaigns so ably will be able to govern ably too.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Denver: What to Expect
In addition to giving voice to the usual parade of speakers and paeans to the presumptive nominee, the goal of the Denver convention is to have America get to know the Obama family better. Starting with Michele Obama's speech to the convention on Monday night, Barack Obama's personal story will unfold, placed squarely in the context of the great American dream. Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings put it well to the New York Times when he described the broad strokes of Mrs. Obama's speech: "We are the American story. Americans say get an education, give every single thing you do your best — we’ve done that, and now we’re ready to be a part of fulfilling Martin Luther King's dream."
The hope is that this strategy will help voters concerned about Obama's "otherness" over the hurdle and into the ballot-box. Senator Obama acknowledges that he has an onerous task. In an interview last month, he noted, “My biography is not typical of a modern American president.” He underscored that getting voters to suspect their disbelief in his difference is "asking a lot of the American people." Many of us who have supported Obama for many months now went past this point a long time ago, but as we switch into general-election mode it is incisive of his campaign staff (and typical of its discipline) to remain focused on this as the most significant challenge facing Senator Obama in November.
The other, more obvious theme we'll see played out in Denver is "change." With an overwhelming majority of Americans claiming that our country is headed in the wrong direction, change is clearly a priority for many of us. The great enthusiasm that registered this spring and the record numbers of ballots cast during the Democratic primaries underscore this thirst for change in no uncertain terms. It will now be up to the Obama campaign and the Democratic party to utilize the party's platform to make specific to American voters what change will look like.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Gov. Deval Patrick to address DNC
(Photo courtesy of Sharon Heller)This just in: Governor Deval Patrick has got his own 15 minutes of fame at the DNC in Denver -- on Tuesday night. Look for the governor's prime-time remarks on C-SPAN (but probably not on major-network TV).
Keynote speaker announced: it's Mark Warner
Former Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, August 26.Mark Warner is running for the U.S. Senate from Virginia for the seat that will be vacated now that Senator John Warner (R) is retiring. This Senate race and the prominence both of the retiring Senator and the Democratic hopeful have cast more than a little public light on Virginia, a battleground state in the national election.
It was the convention's keynote address in 2004 that made Senator Barack Obama's name a household word -- in Democratic households, at least.
There's also been speculation in the press that naming former Governor Warner to give the keynote speech in Denver is a signal from the Obama campaign that current Virginia Governor Tim Kaine will not be picked as Senator Obama's vice-presidential running mate.
Governor Warner has made regular stops in the Bay State a part of his campaign road show. He attended the Roosevelt Day dinner in Boston in June, and last Thursday he was the featured guest at the Obama campaign's New England Steering Committee's weekly meeting.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Denver Convention Update
Things are heating up for the Democratic Convention that begins later this month in the Mile High City.
Speakers have been announced for each night of the convention. Michelle Obama will speak Monday night, followed by Senator Hillary Clinton on Tuesday and Barack Obama’s vice presidential nominee on Wednesday. Read more details here.
Some of you may have caught the deliberations of the Platform Committee on C-SPAN on Saturday, chaired ably by our own Governor Deval Patrick. The Denver Post hailed the final platform as a concensus document intended both to appease Senator Clinton's supporters even while it sets a new direction for the country, clearly and firmly in language Obama supporters will find familiar.
The Massachusetts delegation has been having conference calls each Tuesday, when state committee staff update us on convention plans, invitations, details and information. I have got numerous emails and voicemails: some were polls asking my opinion, some were invitations to Denver events, still others asked for my support of specific programs and issues.
Speakers have been announced for each night of the convention. Michelle Obama will speak Monday night, followed by Senator Hillary Clinton on Tuesday and Barack Obama’s vice presidential nominee on Wednesday. Read more details here.
Some of you may have caught the deliberations of the Platform Committee on C-SPAN on Saturday, chaired ably by our own Governor Deval Patrick. The Denver Post hailed the final platform as a concensus document intended both to appease Senator Clinton's supporters even while it sets a new direction for the country, clearly and firmly in language Obama supporters will find familiar.
The Massachusetts delegation has been having conference calls each Tuesday, when state committee staff update us on convention plans, invitations, details and information. I have got numerous emails and voicemails: some were polls asking my opinion, some were invitations to Denver events, still others asked for my support of specific programs and issues.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Happy Birthday, Barack
A couple of my friends had a front-row view at Barack Obama's Boston Birthday Bash last night at 60 State Street, and were kind enough to share some photos.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
"Greening" the DNC
The Democratic party is making an all-out effort to offset the considerable carbon emissions caused by putting on an event the size of this year's DNC. Some 35,000 people in all are expected to descend on Denver for the event. Getting us all there, putting us up, feeding us, transporting us from place to place -- all these things will take a toll on the environment.
Two ways you can help:
Join me and make a small donation of $12 to the DNCC "Green Delegate Challenge." How it offsets our carbon footprints is explained on the web site, and donating is quick and easy.
Closer to home, go green while you do good: consider supporting a Massachusetts non-profit, LiveCooler: this organization installs energy-efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) lightbulbs in the homes of low-income families in the Bay State. My $15 donation, and yours, will reduce carbon emissions by one ton, and save families $300 on their energy bills over a 5-year period.
Two ways you can help:
Join me and make a small donation of $12 to the DNCC "Green Delegate Challenge." How it offsets our carbon footprints is explained on the web site, and donating is quick and easy.
Closer to home, go green while you do good: consider supporting a Massachusetts non-profit, LiveCooler: this organization installs energy-efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) lightbulbs in the homes of low-income families in the Bay State. My $15 donation, and yours, will reduce carbon emissions by one ton, and save families $300 on their energy bills over a 5-year period.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Citizen of the World
The images we saw this week of Senator Obama certainly were presidential. This should come as no surprise, since part of the intent of the trip was, as the pundits said repeatedly, to "burnish" the senator's "foreign policy credentials," and the campaign adroitly sought to capitalize on these benefits visually. Pictures speak louder than words, so Obama's trip certainly accomplished this goal. But for me it served as a reminder of something more basic: that we have in Barack Obama a presidential candidate who is comfortable in many parts of the world because he has seen them.If you've read Obama's book Dreams from My Father, you know that Obama lived in Indonesia as a child and traveled to other parts of the world as a young adult. As college students, many of us in the Baby Boomer generation took
to the road, backpack strapped on and thumbs up, to see the world. (Our children, it seems, are following suit in record numbers.) We traveled when and because we could, indulging diverse curiosities (intellectual or otherwise), and it seemed that the whole world was traveling with us. At the time, we didn't know or care to anticipate what benefits we might reap from our collective junior year abroad. Even though the current resident of the White
House shares our generational membership, he didn't share our generation's thirst for international travel. He didn't travel as a student, or much at all as an adult, either. In fact, I was shocked to learn, several years into his presidency, that George W. Bush had never been across the Atlantic until he was President. In 1960 Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase "global village," and as any of us who've been abroad lately can attest, the global village has arrived. Given the realities of global geopolitics today, it should be a requirement on the resume of anyone seeking the highest office in the land that s/he understand the world from firsthand experience. Being the most powerful nation on earth and its most successful pluralistic society, we have an obligation to do this. Moreover, we now have much work to do, because America's reputation has been so badly tarnished in recent years. Let's hope the work begun during Barack Obama's trip during this campaign can be built upon, once he is elected president.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
An American endeavor
I'm pleased to report that civic engagement is alive and well in these United States.
On Tuesday night, several dozen people from thirteen North Shore towns gathered to discuss the issues foremost on their minds, issues on which they hope for change from their government. Ours was a platform meeting, one of some 1,400 such discussions held this week all over the country to advise the Platform Committee of the Democratic party. And very specific advice it will be: our discussion moderator helped the group to brainstorm a list of topics, then to consolidate them in practical ways -- for example, tax equity and trade policy became part of the broader category of the economy; achieving peace in Iraq and using diplomacy more broadly were tucked under the umbrella of foreign policy. We broke into four smaller groups to delve into as many Big Ideas -- the economy, foreign policy, the environment and health care. For a half hour, we debated, suggested, challenged, agreed, and ultimately proposed a handful of bullet points on our respective topics -- talking points to help craft the Democratic platform. Finally, we came together as a large group once again, to air each topic's "wish list," to ask questions and finalize recommendations.
It was a most satisfying evening, in the way endeavoring to serious purpose can be. My fellow citizens brought passion, judgment and insight to the table. Our proposals were mostly clear and reasonably concise. We didn't always find agreement but we painted with broad strokes, and the picture that emerged should pave an easier way to concensus for the Democratic party's Platform Committee when they meet in Pittsburgh next week. It was gratifying that one of their number was among us: he spent the evening listening and came away impressed by our seriousness of purpose and the caliber of our ideas.
I went home wondering where but in America you would find people giving up a summer's evening to discuss the common good. The meeting's organizer described "a hunger out there" for this sort of substantive participation. Given our rural location, the group that came together was surprisingly diverse -- a result that exemplifies America's unique characteristic: we are, in the words of a foreign policy scholar I know, the first truly successful pluralistic society in the history of the world. Clearly, some of us care deeply about this American experiment: by offering opinions and ideas, we do our part to form a more perfect union. On Tuesday night, we were following a pursuit that would have made Jefferson and Adams proud.
On Tuesday night, several dozen people from thirteen North Shore towns gathered to discuss the issues foremost on their minds, issues on which they hope for change from their government. Ours was a platform meeting, one of some 1,400 such discussions held this week all over the country to advise the Platform Committee of the Democratic party. And very specific advice it will be: our discussion moderator helped the group to brainstorm a list of topics, then to consolidate them in practical ways -- for example, tax equity and trade policy became part of the broader category of the economy; achieving peace in Iraq and using diplomacy more broadly were tucked under the umbrella of foreign policy. We broke into four smaller groups to delve into as many Big Ideas -- the economy, foreign policy, the environment and health care. For a half hour, we debated, suggested, challenged, agreed, and ultimately proposed a handful of bullet points on our respective topics -- talking points to help craft the Democratic platform. Finally, we came together as a large group once again, to air each topic's "wish list," to ask questions and finalize recommendations.
It was a most satisfying evening, in the way endeavoring to serious purpose can be. My fellow citizens brought passion, judgment and insight to the table. Our proposals were mostly clear and reasonably concise. We didn't always find agreement but we painted with broad strokes, and the picture that emerged should pave an easier way to concensus for the Democratic party's Platform Committee when they meet in Pittsburgh next week. It was gratifying that one of their number was among us: he spent the evening listening and came away impressed by our seriousness of purpose and the caliber of our ideas.
I went home wondering where but in America you would find people giving up a summer's evening to discuss the common good. The meeting's organizer described "a hunger out there" for this sort of substantive participation. Given our rural location, the group that came together was surprisingly diverse -- a result that exemplifies America's unique characteristic: we are, in the words of a foreign policy scholar I know, the first truly successful pluralistic society in the history of the world. Clearly, some of us care deeply about this American experiment: by offering opinions and ideas, we do our part to form a more perfect union. On Tuesday night, we were following a pursuit that would have made Jefferson and Adams proud.
Monday, July 21, 2008
European symbolism
Almost as much ado is being made about where Senator Obama will meet with European leaders as what might be said. Two NY Times op-ed pieces today weigh in on the issue: Roger Cohen on France and William Kristol on Germany. Curious what any readers out there think on this issue?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Foreign policy advice
If you didn't read this article in yesterday's NY Times, you should. What an impressive system of filtering expert advise to get Senator Obama up to speed on the myriad complicated issues of foreign policy. I loved knowing that he starts his day thinking about the rest of the world. His process for doing so seemed thoroughly in keeping with the smart way he's run his campaign, and bodes well for what kind of future President he would make, seeking advice widely and immersing himself in the issues. I couldn't help but doubt that the current resident of the White House approaches the subject of foreign affairs -- or any subject -- in such a focused, professional way.
Although the piece was nominally about foreign affairs, it caused me to reflect on the serious consequences of how a president governs, nearly as much as what is achieved. Process is not something we voters reflect upon, much, in the media heat of a campaign. But is it any wonder that our current president's hands-off, leave-it-to-the-experts style of government has resulted in gross incursion of our civil rights at ome and an erosion of trust in America abroad? We would be better off for more procedural transparency from those who govern, not just on what they decide but on how they reached their conclusions.
Although the piece was nominally about foreign affairs, it caused me to reflect on the serious consequences of how a president governs, nearly as much as what is achieved. Process is not something we voters reflect upon, much, in the media heat of a campaign. But is it any wonder that our current president's hands-off, leave-it-to-the-experts style of government has resulted in gross incursion of our civil rights at ome and an erosion of trust in America abroad? We would be better off for more procedural transparency from those who govern, not just on what they decide but on how they reached their conclusions.
Friday, July 18, 2008
38 Days and Counting...
...until the Democratic National Convention opens in Denver. I promised to launch a blog for anyone interested in my observations as a delegate (and probably other political opinions besides), so here it is. I'll make a diary entry daily if I have something worthwhile to say. Please feel free to post your comments, suggestions and responses.
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