Wednesday, August 27, 2008

I Know, He Had to Eat a Lot of Words

Say what you want about Terry McAuliffe, but I really like the guy. He addressed us at the Arizona breakfast this morning. (BTW we are being fed really well. Monday breakfast was sponsored by APS, Tuesday by Pfizer, and today by SRP - thanks for the great food, corporate sponsors.)

McAuliffe told us that the latest poll shows McCain up by only 5 points in AZ. He also talked about us losing in 2000 and 2004 because the Republicans wanted to win more than we did. Every day after the 2000 election, while the recounts were going on, there were protestors outside the VP's house on Massachusetts Ave. with signs calling Gore a sore loser. There were no Democrats out there to counter that. In 2004 there is no way we should have let the Republicans do to Kerry's service record - a man who twice voluteered to go to Vietnam - what they did when Bush used his family connections to sit it out in the National Guard.

There is a rule that you don't go negative during the other political party's convention, but that rule has been broken this year. The stuff we are going to see in this race will make the Swift Boat ads look like PSA's.

We have to want it more. This is what touched me the most about McAliffe's remarks: he said we have to want it more because we need to be fighting for the people out there who don't get a breakfast like we are enjoying. Our worst day is better than the best day for those struggling to get by. They are counting on us to fight for them.

Hilarious

If you haven't checked out Ted's live blogging from the convention floor, I highly recommend it. Very funny. He also has profiles of several delegates posted.

Look Who Else Showed Up



Future First Lady Michelle Obama and George McGovern (also right behind us!). Don't know who the other guy is.

Live From the Convention Floor...

I will be calling in to the Jeff Farias show on KPHX 1480 AM at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday. If you're not in Phoenix, you can stream it here.

Look Who Showed Up


Senator Joe Biden and President Jimmy Carter (right behind us!).

Hillary's Night

Well, being from Arizona, it was also Janet's night, but the highlight for me was obviously Hillary.

Janet was great. She talked about the unsuccessful runs at the Presidency that Arizonans have had - Barry Goldwater, Mo Udall, Bruce Babbitt - and said that's one tradition she hopes we keep. She is pretty confident that Arizona can go for Obama. I'm not someone who always pays attention to all of the polls, but a recent one shows McCain up by only 6 points in AZ.

Lilly Ledbetter of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007 (you can read more about her case here) was also on the agenda. She was an amazing speaker and received a standing ovation.

My favorite quote of the evening (except for Hillary's entire speech) was Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts who said Democrats don't deserve to win just because Republicans deserve to lose.

And Brian Schwietzer, Governor of Montana, was highly entertaining.

I just loved Hillary's speech. Yes, it made me cry. If you did not like Hillary on the campaign trail, all you need to do is watch this speech and you will understand the inspiration she is to so many Americans. It was just so good, and I think what so many people needed to hear from her. I really don't have any more words for it.

After the speech, I was interviewed by a newspaper reporter from the Netherlands (he just randomly stopped me). If I can find the article, I will share it. I, along with a couple other Clinton delegates from AZ, also talked to KFYI (550 AM, Phoenix), so I am guessing they will use clips of the interviews on their news coverage of the convention. It seemed like most reporters were looking for Hillary delegates who either a) said they wouldn't support Obama, or b) said the speech pushed them off the fence towards supporting Obama. The thing is, everyone I know who is a Clinton delegate or supporter is a Democrat. The one thing we Democrats are united in is that America can't afford a McCain White House. I don't know anyone who needed Hillary's speech tonight to push them off the fence and support Obama.

Another Cool Thing About Denver

They figured out a way to fund homeless services.

What You've All Been Waiting For...More Chum




THIS is a Serious Problem!


Emerge

Emerge is what really started this whole foray into politics for me. Well, foray makes it sound a little temporary, but I don't think I can ever get out now. Anyway most of you that know me know about Emerge, but please indulge this explanation for those readers that are not familiar.

Emerge is a political training program for Democratic women who want to run for office. It began in the Bay Area in California in 2003, was successfully replicated in Arizona in 2004, and is now Emerge America, with affiliates in 7 states.

Why Democrats? Well, duh. If we want more women in office, we want the RIGHT ones.

Why women? I believe that we will never reach our full potential as a nation until women participate equally at all levels of government. The barriers for women running for office are much greater than for men. Emerge is about the new girls' network, helping women to overcome those barriers and have the confidence they need to take that leap and run.

I was a part of the inaugural class of Emerge Arizona in 2004.

There are several Emerge women that are here as delegates, so Emerge America hosted a lunch today. It was a nice little break in all of the convention activities and a chance to connect with some awesome women from around the country who are doing amazing things.

Women's Caucus

Tuesday I attended the Women's Caucus. I missed a lot of it because I'm still trying to navigate. Donna Brazile, mentioned earlier, spoke. Donna is a superdelegate who commentates for CNN and kept quiet about who she was supporting for President. I didn't hear her, but Dana told me she spoke about signing the petition to make sure that Hillary Clinton's name is placed into nomination. She said (paraphrasing because I wasn't there, and remember I don't do quotes so well anyway) she did it for Shirley Chisolm, she did it for Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (who was a Clinton supporter), and she did it for the unity of the party.

I think there are a lot of Obama supporters who just don't get how allowing a floor vote for Clinton will help with party unity, but as a Clinton delegate, it makes perfect sense. A lot of people just need to be able to vote for the person they were elected to vote for, and not feel like they are being silenced. I hope that makes sense. It is not whining, it is not about catharsis, or whatever else the pundits are saying.

Women's Equality Day

Yesterday (even though as I'm posting this, it is the end of a very long Tuesday, it is technically Wednedsay) was the 88th anniversay of women being granted the right to vote. If you are reading this and for some strange reason, you are not registered to vote GO DO IT NOW!!!!!! If you are registered to vote, but for some strange reason just don't, I would suggest watching Iron Jawed Angels to perhaps motivate you to do so. This is one of my favorite movies ever. Yes, it makes me cry. And for God's sake PLEASE vote for Barack Obama on November 4th, whether you've always had the right to vote, or just gained it 88 years ago.