Today I was a delegate at my New Hampshire Democratic State Convention. As the Chair of Vice for my town Democratic committee, I am an Automatic Delegate. Cool huh?
But before I get to my day at the convention, I'd like to wish Ted Kennedy well. He is a lion of our party and as a fellow Democrat I must say the news of his illness hit me in the gut. I was reading the news on my Treo while crazy Democrats were trying to tack all kinds of amendments onto the party platform. Like most of these meetings the hard work is done ahead of time and the schedule is tight. Dean was due at 1 and Jeanne Shaheen was also coming in to speak. When I read my Treo I went up front and grabbed Ray Buckley, our chairman. I told him about Kennedy and that I thought he might want to tell the assembly, knowing that he was looking for a way to stop the useless bickering. He shut us up, had us all stand and told the news that he thought really was a little more important than our bickering. The meeting moved along just fine after that.
So, I sat in on a session about using new media. The Panel was Dean Barker and Laura Clawson of Blue Hampshire and Nate Thames of Act Blue sitting between them. Laura is of course Miss Laura of dKos fame.
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More of Laura and Howie Dean on the flip side.
That's Miss Laura and I have to say that she was one of the best panelists I've ever heard. Dean did a wonderful job explaining blogs and how the newbies in attendance could get going on a place like blogger with no technical skills. But, Laura (a teacher) related her introduction to blogging as a means to promote then candidate Paul Hodes in his run for Congress. With a few touches of humor and really conveying the conversation aspect, Laura, I think, left the clueless in the room with a lot more comfort in this cyber world some of us take for granted. Laura and I may differ in our politics, but I have nothing but respect for one, how she manages Blue Hampshire and two how she gives of her time and knowledge to help the Democratic Party of New Hampshire.
We had the expected rallying and cheering. Speeches by Congreswomen, Governors, state reps, Democratic State Senators and Speaker Norelli. Mostly women.
But the 800 pound Gorilla was in the hall.
This was the first statewide get together since the primary and it became obvious that making nice was the order of the day. Kathy Sullivan, co-chair of Hillary NH and her counter part from the Obama campaign both asked us to come together for the nominee in November. Kathy went so far as to have us all stand and raise our right hands and pledge to vote for the Democratic nominee.
I'm sad to say that I remained seated. I'm not ready to swear allegiance just yet and as a life long dem it hurts.
Anyway. I'm sure I'll get crap for that but I'm trying to be honest rather than the BS nice nice I'm seeing here from the other side lately.
We also had some protest. As Howard Dean entered the hall to cheers I heard some definite booing. There were also two state reps holding signs throughout his remarks. State Reps. Ricia McMahon (D- North Sutton) and Eleanor Kjellman (D-Hopkinton) held signs asking that Dean seat Florida and Michigan delegations at the national convention.
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What is really telling about this entire primary season is something I suspected but had proven today. Remember, Hillary won the NH Primary by 3% but here in a room with 800 or so party insiders I felt like a stranger. The party regulars, the town committee members throughout the state are mostly Obama supporters. When Kathy Sullivan said "I know some of you supported Hillary Clinton in the primary" there was cheering from less than a third of the room. When she said "and I know some of you supported Barack Obama", the cheers and screams were deafening. For all the sales pitch, Obama is the chosen candidate of the party insiders, the party elite. But the people want the upstart woman, the one who has real plans to improve their lives.
If New Hampshire was a caucus Obama would have won hands down because the insiders, the extroverts and people who are used to speaking up support him. Hillary is the people's choice, Obama is the party choice.The people want the lady who toured the distillery of the gods today. The lady who knows great bourbon when she sees it.
Makers Mark, my sip of choice.
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