MOMocrats™

Why the Tea Party Convention "Delegates" Aren't

The National Tea Party Convention being held this week in Nashville, sponsored by the Tea Party Nation group run by Tennessee traffic law attorney Judson Phillips, has been calling its 600 convention attendees "delegates." If you've been following media coverage of this event, you may have seen news organizations (outside of Fox) printing the term in scare quotes as I just did, or referring to the Tea Party attendees as "so-called delegates." Why?

As a former delegate to the 2008 Missouri Democratic Convention, I can tell you exactly why.

Here is the Merriam Webster dictionary definition of the verb, to delegate:

1 : to entrust to another <delegate authority>
2 : to appoint as one's representative

At a traditional political convention, whether at the state or national level, the delegates in attendance have been entrusted with the authority to represent other members of the party. Though the selection process for political convention delegates varies from party to party and state to state — some convention delegates (like the Democratic Party's superdelegates) are appointed by party officials at the national, state, or local level; some are actually elected by party members at local meetings held before the convention takes place — the position of delegate is meant to be a representative one. As in, delegates undertake their duties with the explicit understanding that they have been invited to a convention not to represent their own personal interests, but to represent the interests of a group  — the interests of their city or township, for example, or, at the national level, the interests of their state.

WE: Women Empower, "Women at War with Women and How That Impacts the Election"

Participants:

Session Host: Lisa Nelson (LN)

Session Moderator: Campbell Brown, CNN (CB)

Session Speakers: Amy Holmes, CNN (AH); Susan Estrich, CNN (SE); Susan Pinkus, LAT (SP)

(Looks like they're about to get started soon. I predict lots of reference to Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, naturally.)

Introductory remarks by LN, of Visa. Pep talk about economic growth and "lifting yourself out of poverty"--via microfinancing. She's referencing a program last evening I didn't see. Discusses "financial literacy" program. VISA empowers women financially around the world.

Introduction of CB, the moderator. Daughter of a Democrat, married to a Republican consultant.

Glenn Nye: The Next Generation of Politics

While at the Virginia Democratic Convention this weekend, I had the opportunity to interview Glenn Nye, a Democrat running for Congress in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.  He's taking on Republican Thelma Drake, a GWB moonie if I've ever seen one. 

You know that airless bubble that GWB walks around in?  The one that has clearly damaged some brain cells and impaired any judgment he may have once had?  The bubble from which he declared "Mission Accomplished" and continues to assert that history will vindicate him?  Thelma seems to want to live in that bubble too.

While most Republicans are trying to Photoshop Bush out of the photos on their office walls, Thelma Drake is still hoping he'll ask her to the prom and continuing to insist that he's a God.  That's how bad she is.  Now, I do know that Thelma Drake will move heaven and earth for her constituents.  I've met her more than once and I know this to be true.  But still, she needs to stop drinking the Bush/Cheney Kool-Aid by the gallon.

With that background, I'll move on to Thelma Drake's challenger, Glenn Nye.

Is Healing the Democratic Party Possible? One Citizen Journalist's View

In the weeks that have passed since Hillary Clinton suspended her presidential campaign, the Democratic line has been all about unity.  Clearly, the Barack Obama campaign needs to bring Senator's Clinton's supporters back into the fold.  I think that rumors of mass numbers of Clinton supporters who will now support McCain rather than Obama are, frankly, bullshit created by the McCain campaign.

However, the Democrats need all the support they can get during this race.  Frankly, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are nearly indistinguishable in their platforms and either of them would be a substantial improvement over the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Neither the Obama nor the Clinton campaign has been blameless in this primary created division, so why not let bygones be bygones and work on what's important: putting a Democrat in the White House.  It really shouldn't be a problem.

Or so I thought until yesterday.

During Virginia's convention yesterday, I roamed the coliseum corridors between sessions, checking out the vendors with t-shirts and buttons, and stopping to talk to people who looked interesting.  (Incidentally, my favorite was a toss up between two t-shirts.  One said "Vote Republican: Eat tainted meat, breathe poison air, drink nasty water, help only yourself."  The other read, "Democratic Women are the Life of the Party!")

I happened to see a knot of 10 or so women about my age who were obvious Hillary Clinton supporters.  They all had Hillary campaign materials sticking out of their bags and in their arms.  I walked up to introduce myself and said, "I've found some of the Hillary supporters!"  Their apparent ring leader said, "Yeah, we don't talk to the press," looking pointedly at my press badge.  Floored, I explained that I was a blogger for a DEMOCRATIC blog made up of both Clinton and Obama supporters.

Raising Kaine in Virginia

When Virginia Governor Tim Kaine took the stage at the Virginia Democratic Convention today, my stomach was growling.  I realized that I had made a severe strategic error in bringing only one of the kids' packets of goldfish as an emergency snack.  You see, there really wasn't much food available unless you were a delegate.  The press room contained only water and styrofoam cups.  (We *must* talk Virginia Democrats!)

One of the Washington Post reporters followed up on a rumor that there was indeed a snack machine on the other side of the coliseum, but she returned to inform us that it contained no diet soda and no FOOD.

I later ended up buying a cup of coffee (again in Styrofoam) and a mini muffin.  Total = $3.00.

I bring this up because those who know and love me understand that I get really bitchy when I'm hungry.  I like to blame it on the diabetes, but I'm definitely not pleasant to be around.  So it was a surprise that I enjoyed Tim Kaine's talk and Q&A so much. 

I do, however, think my hunger bitchiness explains why I finally took my press pass and my big ass camera and parked myself on the floor in front of the first row of delegates and just under the podium where Kaine was speaking.  You know, with the professional photographers.  I now have some excellent photos of Tim Kaine's nose hairs.  (Tim, they do make personal trimmers these days....)  But I digress.  You want to know what he actually said.  Oh, right.

McCain Could Learn Something From Webb

The first major speaker at the Virginia convention was our Democratic Senator Jim Webb.  Forget the "Straight Talk Express" Jim Webb is the real thing. During his speech we didn't hear much that was new substantively,  Senator Webb touched briefly on many issues: Iraq, reducing the rate of incarceration, his GI bill, many things we've heard from Webb before and know he's passionate about.

My favorite line of the speech? "The President has neither the authority nor the moral right to keep our troops in Iraq."  Or something to that effect.  I wanted to drop my camera and cheer.  (Although the price tag on my Nikon kept one of my hands firmly wrapped around the camera body.)

However, I had a chance to experience something refreshing - a forthright politician.  (Or at least the  appearance of one.)  He started off by mentioning Tim Russert and how much of a loss it will be to journalism.  Webb also spoke about Hillary Clinton, her legacy, the historical importance of her candidacy, and how much she means to the Democratic Party and the United States.  I wasn't surprised to hear this.  The party has to heal its wounds somehow and unity was a theme at the convention today.

From Red to Blue in Virginia?

In the lead up to the Virginia Democratic Convention today, there's been much speculation about whether Virginia will go Blue in the Presidential election.

Virginia is a pretty red state, although those of us who've lived in Washington, DC tend to forget that.  Virginia is where the South and a wide swath of red begins. Although the Northern Virginia area is a nice shade of deep blue, by the time you get to Fairfax County, about 7 miles outside of D.C., the atmosphere becomes positivelypurple.  Go another 15 miles and break out the hydrocortisone cream because everyone looks red and it might be catching. 

The red rash covers the rest of Virginia, with only a few healthy spots of Blue along the coast, Norfolk, being one of them. Nevertheless, everyone thinks Virginia is in play.  Certainly the Obama campaign does. Virginia has been graced with his presence in just the last week.  And not simply in Blue Arlington, but in purple Prince William County and Red as rubies Bristol, Virginia.  We're being courted.  Finally, the Democratic party is trying to heal Virginia's red rash.

Virginia turning Blue would be an event of note.  We haven't voted for a Democrat for President since Lyndon B. Johnson.  Johnson!  So why are we in play now?

Mother's Day Weekend at the Missouri Democratic Convention

Last Friday, May 9th my husband and I, who were both elected state-level Obama delegates at our township caucus, drove to Columbia, Missouri for the Missouri State Democratic Convention.

May 9th was my son's fourth birthday, and I had a hard time leaving him behind, even though we'd already had a party for him one day early. But, I've become so involved in the political process this year for my son, because I worry about his future if our society continues down its current path. I skipped out on his fourth birthday because I don't want him signing up to be drafted for the war in Iraq on his eighteenth. Because I don't want him struggling to afford housing or health care on his thirtieth. Because I don't want him lacking access to clean water or affordable food on his fortieth.

Of course, it's hard to explain all that to a kid on his fourth birthday. So I still felt a little guilty.

It turns out, though, that I wasn't the only one with our children's future at the forefront of my thoughts at the Convention over Mother's Day weekend.

Phil Donohue railing against corporate media's role in perpetuating war leads me to wonder about casket photos

Phil Donohue spoke to the press at last week's California Democratic Convention. He was there to promote his new documentary Body of War and also to give the keynote speech at the party convention dinner.

While we didn't see his keynote, Glennia commented that we got a taste of what his speech would have been like in the press room. The time that we spent with him listening to him speak and answer questions was nothing short of inspiring, and the two minute trailer he showed were enough to steel my resolve that those of us who opposed the war from the start need to do more to stop it.

Donohue made the movie in part, he explained, because he thinks he is someone who can help end the war. At first that statement seems a little self-inflating, but when you think about it, if high-profile, out-spoken, well-spoken, well-respected people don't speak out, then who?

And how do high-profile people speak out? They use their influence (and their money) to create and promote projects that they hope will have maximum impact.

California Democratic Convention: Who Wants to Be Governor of California?

On the first full day of the California Democratic Convention, I made my way into the big hall, bright green "INTERNET MEDIA" press pass dangling from my neck, wondering who was going to stop me and tell me that it was off-limits.  I thought as lowlife bloggers, we'd be shuttled into a windowless, cinderblock sideroom where we would watch the action from a portable Zenith black & white television set with rabbit ears.  Instead, I was told to go sit on a platform at the back of the room, with a great view of the stage, above he heads of the delegates in the crowd, right beside the TV news crews from CBS, CNN, and other major networks.  I found a seat in the back row of the blogger ghetto, and opened up my laptop.

As I was sitting there, about a half dozen or more people representing various causes and candidates came by to hand me literature, asking if I would write about their causes.  A guy with a firm handshake with the made-for-politics name of Joe Nation, candidate for State Senate, came by to talk to the bloggers. He said that he bought carbon off-sets to neutralize the entire Bay Area delegation's carbon footprint for the convention.  He seemed like a very nice guy, but one of the bloggers kicked him off the blogger platform and said that the area was for press only.