WOW! I thought Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were amazing...they were just the beginning! Thursday's events at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium were beyond belief. It was busy, crazy, exciting, and above all inspiring. I made sure to get on the first bus to go to the delegate entrance at Invesco. We were told that delegates are under the jurisdiction of the secret service so we had to have an armed officer on our official buses at all times. The bus was packed and we headed off to the stadium. Even though we were one of the first groups to arrive, the line was already almost a half a mile long! The security measures were heightened because of the size of the crowd. The sun was beating down on us and it seemed like forever before we made it to the security tent. Finally inside, we ventured down to the floor where we were thrust into a packed house and rushed to finds seats with our delegation.
We danced and cheered and heard some (more) amazing speeches! I finally got warm enough that I needed some water and you know what that means, a follow up trip to the restrooms! my fellow SD 30 delegate Abbas and I decided to hit the food stands as well, but we got separated when trying to reenter the floor. I got pushed out because the Fire Marshall said the floor was overcrowded! In a panic, I raced to the delegate entrance; however, it too was closed! We tried to figure out what to do - we were missing Al Gore and Stevie Wonder! We waited and waited and people started pushing and arguing. John Kerry entered and we got some good pics of him while we waited. Finally, they cleared the floor and allowed delegates to reenter. I think it helped that one gentleman reminded the special agents monitoring the gate that delegates must have priority over press and guests! I think they may have even removed some people to make room for us!
Finally back on the floor, I didn't leave my seat for the rest of the night (except to stand up and cheer!). I didn't want to miss anything else! Needless to say, the rest of the convention was AMAZING! (I think I've already said that a few times!) I was moved to tears - again - and inspired to continue my involvement in the political process. I felt a renewed sense of patriotism - something that has been lacking in my life for about 8 years now - and I'm ready to do what I can to make a difference.
Throughout my experience as a delegate to the DNCC I was blessed to be able to hear amazing speeches, be witness to history, and meet all kinds of wonderful people. Even traveling on the buses and trains I would have conversations with other delegates, convention attendees, and just regular folks from denver. It felt great to have meaningful conversations with people of various backgrounds and political beliefs. We were able to share our knowledge, experiences, and opinions with each other in a positive atmosphere where everyone was on equal footing and could learn from being an open-minded listener. I have decided that my new mission is to get the young activists to reach beyond their familiar groups and outside of their college campuses to do more community outreach. There are so many people who do not participate in the political process in America. This is definitely a year that can make a difference in America's future, so every person should have an opportunity to be involved in making decisions that affect them and future generations!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
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.
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?
Oprah Winfrey (1954 - ), O Magazine, July 2003
What are your goals: Long term? Short term?
Thursday, August 28, 2008
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?"
Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931), Harper's Monthly, 1932
Who do you know that is an example of "genius?"
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.
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.
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