Hey everyone,
I am starting to get the hang of this blogging stuff so here comes another one. A few days ago I decided to run for the position of pledged delegate for Senator Obama in the lovely Commonwealth of Kentucky.Thus far it has been an interesting experience. Kentucky, unlike many other states, chooses it's delegates through a two stage convention system. Both conventions I have to miss on account of summer law classes and a close friends wedding. But I am still fighting diligently. I have begun by emailing my newly elected county chairwoman and presenting a detailed history of my political activities.I know hardly anyone here is in my district or much less cares about this peculiar process but I thought I aughta share.
I hope you all will help me get elected to a pledged delegate position for the Democratic Convention in August. The other day I faxed in my formal application to be a pledged delegate representing the state of Kentucky at the DNC. As some of you know I already plan to attend the convention as an executive of the NDLSC.The thing is, I want to go and vote. Kentucky needs more youth activity in it's politics. We have been stuck in a good-ol-boy system for quite some time. We have been fortunate that many of those that have benefited from this system have been good Kentuckians and democrats. But we will not feel the benefit of the broad sweeping democratic wave that will come in November unless we motivate the youth of Kentucky who have long been orphaned from the system.
I have pledged my support for Senator Obama. The decision to do this certainly wasn't easy. All of us being voters know that it is very difficult to decide, especially with two very strong democratic candidates. The dillema I have is that if I achieve delegate status I am publicly endorsing someone, not that I have any sway or anything, and that is something out in the open and on record. I am sure we all remember how after Bush turned out to be a fool so many people claimed to have not voted for him but may very well have. You don't get the benefit of secrecy in being a delegate.
Why did I chose Obama?
I saw three strong candidates for president this year. After Edwards dropped out I became one of those wayward souls of democratic politics. One those highly-active energetic individuals that loved the party and everything he has seen it do. I desperately wanted to be involved. I drove myself headlong into organizations at school and elsewhere. But I still felt like the odd-man out. Everyone else had a horse in the race. I did my research. I found Hillary's healthcare plan to be stronger, but that became a bit of non-issue after meeting Congressman Conyers and his assurance to us that He will push through a strong and fully covering healthcare plan come hell or highwater. It really came down to three things for me. Education, attitude and the courts. Education is something I am deeply passionate about and very aware of it's problems. I attended public grade school and middleschool. As I look back now I know that those building were dilapidated and that the system lacked the funding it needed. The teachers though, they never lacked heart. They loved what they did and they would do anything to help us, even the most delinquent of us. I benefited from my families hard work and attended a private catholic highschool in Louisville. The difference alarming. I truly treasure my time at this institution and believe it is one of the reasons I have been blessed with the opportunities I have had. The problem though Is that I should not have received those benefits alone. Why is it that we have such low retention rates? Why is it that our schools are falling apart? Why is it that our teachers have to eek out a meager existence? Perhaps some of it is a social problem but most of it is institutional and governmental. I believe that Senator Obama presents the strongest plan on education and that he will work to improve our public school system. Because, people, this is where it starts. The economy, jobs, everything, it all comes back to education.
I find Senator Obama's attitude amazing. Just think about what this man has overcome. If you had asked him 20 years ago if he was going to be president or have this kind of impact on America he would have thought you a madman. But he kept the right attitude and did the right things. He lived the American dream. I believe that he has the ability, and the desire, to unite the new generation of voters and build a democratic majority that will not enact liberal or conservative ideas, but intelligent, measured, well thought out decision that will benefit Americans of all races genders and creed for decades to come.
I have heard a few names that have been bounced around or are supposedly on Senator Obama's SCOTUS short list. And frankly some of these men and women are stellar people. I won't go spilling the beans on these because it's all hearsay and what not. However, Senator Obama's experience as a constitutional law professor in a well respected law school I feel places him in a unique position to be well equipped to fill vacancies in the federal court system. I suspect that the courts will have a completely new tone after his first four years.
Why me?
I have been a resident of Kentucky all my life, a Democrat since I knew what one was, and have always been willing to stand up and work for what I believe in. While Senator Obama did not receive much support in the Commonwealth, much less the Second District, he did win some support and delegates. Let me start by providing you with a bit of my political history. I attended a college in southern Indiana. The school had not had a College Democrats chapter in the memory of most professors. I set out to start one and during the summer of my freshman year succeeded in chartering the chapter and receiving the support of the county democrats. We worked hard to educate students, many of whom had never even voted, and register them. I spent some time working in a small role with the Kerry Kentucky campaign over the summer. We used election as a springboard for our College Democrats and quickly obtained the support of few thousand students on a very small, conservative campus. The following year we started member maintenance programs to keep people interested in the non-election years. After that, I worked through my role as chairman with the Baron Hill campaign in doing GOTV. We also worked with a local representative’s bid for election. I am happy to say upon graduating, I left the college chapter in a strong position with solid funding and growing support. It was also during this time that I was successful campaign advisor in my home county. During these years I attended CDA conventions and training, YDA conventions and training, and off year DNC
conventions.
Currently, I am enrolled in law school in Washington, D.C. Within a month of being at the law school, I was tapped to be the Fundraising Chair for the law school's Democrats. My first fundraising event was considered an immense success by our own and other organizations. A few months later, I attended the National Democratic Law Students Conference representing my school. I successfully ran from the floor for the position of Director of Technology defeating two other candidates by the widest margin of any race in those elections. Since taking the position, I have been working on membership database management for the group along with other duties. Upon return from the conference, I was elected the Chairman of my law school's Democrats. I have am working with other law schools to organize the D.C. metro area’s law students. I have made it a personal goal on the executive board to help start chapters at UofL, UK, and other law schools in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Hope everyone enjoys all this stuff.
Cross posted at
Big Blue Hill