Just arrived at the IBEW Union Hall in Pasadena Texas for our SD convention. I will be a state delegate by the end of the day...the only one from our precinct (415)...and am an unabashed Obama supporter (but will vote Clinton in the unlikely event she prevails).
It's a madhouse here, but otherwise civil and organized at this point.
I will attempt to update during the day...rumor has it this will be an all day event.
Amazing energy in here:)
It's a madhouse here, but otherwise civil and organized at this point.
I will attempt to update during the day...rumor has it this will be an all day event.
Amazing energy in here:)
UPDATE: Sign in process going on now...I must log off for a bit and find some power for recharge...
UPDATE 2:
Well, lunch approaches and we finally have our credentials. Some great great speaches to keep us energized as the process plays out. Despite a host of issues with the credentials and sign-in sheets, everybody in the end from both sides had there issues addressed in a positive and respectful way.
We will be sending 66 delegates + 23 add-on delegates to Austin today (and i'll be one:))
I'll update with results as they roll in, but the excitement here is palpable...don't count Texas out on going Blue in November...it's within reach
UPDATE 3: My wife is live blogging this at Momocrats and has eloquently described the pre-caucus speakers reposted below...
Bell say De Lay like herpes: gift that keeps on giving
Live from Senate District 11 in Texas' convention...
Ousted rep Chris Bell just completed an extremely moving speech about unifying the Democratic party.
Four years ago when I moved to Texas I quickly became a Bell fan and became part of a minority that voted to keep him in Congress after De Lay's illegal re-re-districting. What a loss.
Today Bell is a marvelous Texas Democratic party leader and writes a weekly column for the Examiner (replacing the sad loss of Molly Ivins).
What were some of the incredible highlights of Bell's speech that brought the crowd to their feet?
"Tom De Lay is like herpes; the gift that keeps on giving," Bell said, referring to the re-re-districting that cost him his seat in Congress.
His speech moved up a level and tackled what Bell called Bush's failures for the citizens of the US, "The rich are richer, the poor are poorer, and the middle class is caught in the vice of governmental indifference. The top 1% of the highest income exceeds the entire bottom 50% combined," Bell said, then asked how many were ready for a change.
The crowd roared in agreement.
Bell said it was time to take back the state and turn it blue.
He then addresses the healthcare crisis in the US, citing a recent trip through Texas with Bill Clinton.
"In El Paso, President Clinton asked the crowd to raise hands if they knew anyone without healthinsurance, and every single person raised a hand, every single person,"Bell emphasized. He promised Democrat leaders would change that when elected.
He called for ethical government, as well. Bell recently formed Faith in Texas, a group designed to help reform government. he said the people were the key behind this, "We have seen what happens when we let complacency take hold: De Lay happens. And I checked, and that word is a propoer substitute for the word you normally see there."
The crowd whistled, yelled, and applauded.
He concluded his speech with a persuasive call for all Democrats to unify, put any divisiveness behind them, and actively support the Democratic candidates, at all levels.
"296 more days until the national nightmare ends and a new Democratic day dawns," Bell said, ending with a reminder that majority brings responsibility.
Sylvia Garcia, Nick Lampson, and Joe Jaworski all also spoke.
At noon the credentialing process for the convention is finally complete, and the call to order is planned to happen soon.
Update 4: Caucuses being turned in now...and I'm am now an official delegate for the state convention...awaiting tabulation.
Update 5: Just to add some closure...the sign-in split was 51.6% obama 48.4% clinton. Despite out caucusing clinton 44-22, they split the convention 46-43 for obama giving clinton 21 of the 23 at-large delegates.
Seemed strange to me that they would use the at-large delagates to overturn the caucus results, but it seems the role of the at-large is to get the slegate split as close to the percentage split as possible. So it goes...
FWIW, my wife was selected as an at-large alternate...so we get to party together:)