John Edwards in San Antonio
Mon Jul 26, 2004 at 11:43:35 AM PDT
I went to a great fundraiser for John Edwards yesterday, the first I'd ever attended. It was held at Sunset Station, San Antonio's old railroad station just east of downtown that has now been converted into a cluster of restaurants and bars. My sister and I drove down from Austin and arrived at 11:30, when the event was due to begin. I was surprised that there was no security at the entrance to the Mexican food restaurant where the attendees were served brunch, i.e. no electronic monitors or wands.
After we had finished eating, we were led into the event hall, where the old railroad concourse used to be. The attendees were a good mix of young and old , Latino and Anglo, men and women--about 200 people total. Everyone was energized and upbeat. A mariachi band played and the media's cameras were lined up on a platform next to them. Soon after this, Secret Service agents began to arrive and various San Antonio Democratic office holders took their turns onstage speaking to the group--the mayor, a Congressman, assorted state representatives, former Austin mayor Kirk Watson.
The stage lights were quite hot and things seemed to be running slightly behind schedule. An African-American man standing next to me joked that Edwards was coming from morning service at an African-American church in town, where he was probably shaking hands with everyone in the congregation.:) This gentleman commented to me that he was planning to vote early in Texas, then spend Election Day in his hometown in Ohio driving relatives and their neighbors to the polls. It was great to see someone taking such concrete action and made me wish that I also had family members in a swing state so that I could do the same thing.
More mariachi music, the national anthem, a bilingual prayer said by a local priest. Soon after this, Henry Cisneros took the stage and announced that the brunch had brought in $600,000, the most ever raised at a political event in San Antonio. (Yay!) Then the Secret Service agents pulled back the pipe-and-drape and out came John Edwards and Elizabeth Edwards, to the tune of "Small Town" by John Cougar Mellencamp. An overwhelming response from the crowd. Edwards began right in with his talk--he focused first on healthcare. (Healthcare must be the hot-button issue coming out of focus groups, because everyone who spoke yesterday emphasized it.) He then segued into education and said that we have two public school systems in America today, one for the haves, the other for the have nots. He mentioned tax refunds for daycare and support for college tuition. (This got some of the biggest applause.) Then John Kerry's experience in Vietnam, Democrats reclaiming the language of "values" and, finally, focus on a "politics of hope." It was short and sweet, no more than 15 minutes, the perfect length, since imo there is nothing worse than a politician who talks too long.
The sound system started up with "Johnny B. Goode" and JE and EE started working the rope line. About 1/2 to 3/4 of the crowd stayed to shake hands and take pictures. I got to shake hands with both of them and I was very impressed with Elizabeth Edwards, maybe even more so than with her husband, if that's possible. She is quiet but focused, unhurried and sincere. She really listened to each person as they spoke with her and responded to them. It wasn't that kind of public-figure, formal glaze but real interaction. As to John Edwards, he does indeed exude "it." There's a buzz of energy that surrounds him, but at the same time, as cliched as it may sound, he seems accessible, like someone you could have over for dinner with your family. He was heavily surrounded by Secret Service agents, but shook everyone's hand and genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself. Then he and his wife were whisked away, on to some battleground state, I imagine. All in all, a great day.
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