WOW Wednesday at the DNCC!

Wednesday was yet another wonderful day at the DNCC! I began my day at the Texas delegation breakfast where our keynote speaker was Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (from my home state!). He discussed unity and the importance of bringing Americans together during this election minutes. I was able to introduce myself and visit with him for a few minutes. After breakfast we cast our official votes for our presidential candidates - the biggest business of the convention!
In the afternoon I attended a meeting of the Clinton National Delegates where Senator Hillary Clinton gave another inspiring address and released her delegates. Later that evening when the convention reconvened there were nominating speeches bringing the names of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama into nomination for the Democratic Nominee for President. The speeches were then followed by a roll call vote where each state reported the number of votes cast by delegates for each candidate. When the roll call votes are cast each state is called alphabetically and they then give a short speech describing their state's accomplishments and accolades. States have the choice of releasing their vote counts, passing to the next state, or yielding the floor to another state. California has the most votes and they passed so as to allow Illinois to have the votes that allow Obama to reach the threshold that he needed to achieve the nomination. However, to create a sense of unity among the convention, when New Jersey yielded the roll call vote to Illinois for threshold the vote was again yielded to New York. At that time, Hillary Clinton came to the floor of the convention (just below where Texas was seated!) and made a motion to suspend the rules of the convention and the roll call vote in order to vote Barack Obama in as the nominee by acclaimation. Many people may not understand the processes of the convention, but they follow parlimentary procedure. Much of Wednesday's events were confusing to the American public because they don't have a complete understanding of convention rules and procedures.
After the roll call, the convention proceeded with speeches that focused on foreign policy. President Bill Clinton addressed the convention to introduce the ideas that Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden would address in his acceptance speech. There were tributes to military personel and veterans, musical performances, and more moving speeches ending with Biden's acceptance speech. Yet again, nearly all of the members of the convention were moved to tears with Biden's message of change. The final presentation of the evening was a surprise appearance by Barack Obama - who was not scheduled to make an appearance until his acceptance speech on Thursday.
If you missed any of the speeches you can check them out at online resources such as www.cnn.com www.nbc.com www.cbs.com etc.

Friday's Quotation

Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.

Oprah Winfrey (1954 - ), O Magazine, July 2003

What are your goals: Long term? Short term?

Thursday's Quotation

Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.
Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931), Harper's Monthly, 1932

Who do you know that is an example of "genius?"

Wednesday's Pictures

It was roll call day at the convention and a historic day for America!

DNCC - Tuesday 8/26/08

This convention will be a mark in history itself, but it also marks the anniversary of many historical events. Tuesday was the 88th anniversary of the passing of the 19 Amendment to the Constitution. That amendment added into law the right for women to vote in America. To honor that anniversary and the women in history that made suffrage possible for the rest of us - Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and more - there were several events that took place on Tuesday. There was a parade through the streets of Denver to kick off the day. Women and men dressed in white just like the suffragettes would when they marched, and they peacefully walked the streets to honor the accomplishments of the suffragists.
I attended the EMILY's List fundraiser where Nancy Pelosi (the first woman Speaker of the House), Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama were key speakers. The program opened with a moving tribute to the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. The speakers were inspiring as they shared their wonderful accomplishments and the audience was frequently moved to tears.
That night at the Convention, women served as featured speakers and were recognized for their efforts in helping to get women elected into offices and fight for women's issues. Of course, the featured speaker for the evening was Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. As Barack Obama said tonight, she "rocked the house." People were cheering her on for her accomplishment of receiving more votes (18 million +) and more delegates (1900 +) in the presidential primary than any other woman in America's history! Her speech was inspiring, moving, and motivating. Many people in the convention center were again moved to tears as she spoke. Clinton's speech was a great end to a great day celebrating women's accomplishments in the realms of politics and government.

DNCC - Tuesday (pictures)

Again, a busy schedule is infringing on the time I have to write lengthy blogs. So, for now, I will just drop off my pictures from Tuesday. It was definitely another amazing day filled with inspiring and energizing speeches!

Wednesday's Quotation

Human beings have an inalienable right to invent themselves.
Germaine Greer, O Magazine, September 2002

DNCC - Monday (part 2)

Well, I finally have a few minutes to blog about yesterday's events. The Texas delegation breakfast was a great kickstart to the day with featured speakers Leticia Van de Putte, Kathleen Sebelius, and Chet Edwards. Their speeches were motivating and helped us get ready for a long day of convention business. After the morning meeting we had just a few minutes before we loaded buses to head into Denver (the Texas delegation got a bad draw on hotels, so we're out in Aurora!). The bus took us through some beautiful neighborhoods in the city - the architecture of the homes and the gardens were amazing. Our destination the Texans in the Rockies reception featuring Congressman Charlie Wilson! Former Speaker Jim Wright was also in attendance for the event. It seems like everywhere I turn I am meeting amazing people who have done their part to make a difference for the people of America!
In the afternoon I spent some time on 16th street downtown and stopped by a Clinton group headquarters to take some time out for meeting more people and talking with the press. I made sure to make my way to the Pepsi Center in time for the opening gavel of the Convention. While many people decided not to come until later, I didn't want to miss the opening of my first National Convention! There are national and international press everywhere! The Texas delegation is seated right by BBC and ABC. It's somewhat odd to see people like Dan Rather and Diane Sawyer up close and personal.
Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi spoke to take care of the business of opening the Convention and President Jimmy Carter stopped by for a tribute, but the real treat came with the featured speakers of the night: Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama. They both gave moving and emotionally driven speeches that really helped to unite the DNCC. There were smiles, cheers, and tears in the audience. It's a sign of the great things to come the rest of the week and I'm certainly looking forward to continuing this amazing experience.
One day down, three to go!

Tuesday's Quotation

There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence and energy of her citizens cannot cure.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969)

DNCC - Monday (part 1)

Whew! Yesterday was busy! I got back to the hotel late and with uploading pictures and everything my computer decided to act up. I have a delegation breakfast, after which I will post Monday's blog. But I wanted to go ahead and post the picture video. Enjoy!

First night in Denver!

Well, I have survived my first night in Denver (I came back early compared to most!) and I'm exhausted! Everywhere I go I'm meeting new people: from Texas, Hawaii, California, Wisconsin, and even Americans who came from their overseas homes to be a part of the convention. I met a new friend who is an campaign activist on the Texas delegation bus and we traveled into the city for the Friends of New Orleans welcome reception - featuring some jazz and cajun food (gumbo and red beans and rice - delicious!). I finally got to put some faces to names and formally meet people who I have spoken to on the phone and via e-mail getting ready for the convention. After Friends of New Orleans, I walked down the famous 16th Street with some new friends and headed up to the Young Democrats of America reception where we did an interview with some reporters/bloggers and waved to the camera for a television network. It's all about the networking and meeting as many people as you can! I had thought about making some "business cards" with contact info, and now I know I should have!

Monday's Quotation

Think about McCullough's statement. What work do you love?

Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.
David McCullough (1933 - )

In Denver!

I have arrived in Denver! There were several delegates, volunteers, and other interested parties on the flight from Dallas. It's funny because when you think of Colorado, you probably think of mountains, but when we were landing at Denver Int. Airport everything is as flat as Texas - or flatter! But the airport is outside of the city (you can't land a plane on a mountain!) and the Rockies are in the distance.
Even though I have made a notebook to try to keep my schedule organized for the week, I keep getting more and more information. It seems nearly impossible to keep track of it all. I can't even remember if I sent in my RSVP for the kickoff reception tonight! Organization skills are a must! I'm hoping that at the Texas delegation breakfast meeting in the morning I'll get a better schedule of events.
Many more posts to come!

Leaving for Denver!

I'm getting ready to leave for Denver! Too many things to do and too little time to do them! Look for Colorado posts starting tomorrow.

I'm also posting a few pictures from the Texas State Convention as a test to make sure I have the system right before I head out.

Big THANKS!

Last night was a great addition to the wonderful experiences that I have had so far as a National Delegate. I gave a presentation to an enthusiastic group at the Grayson County Democrats monthly meeting. Folks there shared pizza and tea as they listened, asked questions, and discussed upcoming election events. There were also some local candidates including Gregg Middents and Glen Melancon who shared information about their campaigns and the work they are doing to prepare for November's election.
There was some press coverage at last night's event. You can check out the video of local news station KXII's coverage online at http://www.kxii.com/news. Look for the "First News at Ten: Tues, Aug 19" link on the right hand side of the webpage. The clip begins at 5:53 on the timeline.
Last, but not least...THANK YOU, to all those who came out to support the Grayson County Democrats and listen to my presentation. I also received several donations from those in attendance. I was able to raise enough to cover my plane ticket to Denver! Only 4 days until the DNCC!

Presentation on Tuesday, August 19

I will be giving a brief presentation at the Grayson County Democrats August meeting on Tuesday, August 19 at 6:00pm. The meeting will take place at the headquarters building on the corner of Travis and Wall Streets in Sherman. Anyone is welcome!
I will be discussing my experiences thus far in the political system, as well as my plans for the DNCC in Denver. I will be sharing information about this blog, the receptions and events I plan to attend, my volunteer services while in Denver, etc. I will also welcome questions from those in attendance.
In an effort to cover my costs I am also seeking "sponsors." Anyone interested in donating to my Denver funds can contact me! I am hoping to raise enough money to purchase some carbon offsets and make my trip more green!

First Blog

Well, this is my first blog on my newly created blogspot. I've decided to create a separate space for keeping up with my experiences as a National Delegate at the DNCC in Denver, Colorado. I plan to post information leading up to my trip, and most importantly to post pictures and blogs about my experience at the Convention. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I plan to take full advantage of! Follow along and keep up with all of the events!