I am so proud to be a Democrat.
The open-air event at Invesco Mile High Stadium in Denver was a show of Democratic unity and values.
The best way to understand this is to take the time to watch Obama’s magnificent speech.
I can’t anything to improve on what the man said. Please look at his amazing speech. Do it twice. These are words to remember.
For those of you who want even MORE depth, look at Al Gore’s speech. It rocks!
Remember: The most important thing is to Elect Barack Obama and a Democratic Congress. There is SO much damage from the Bush administration to repair.
Future Blogging
Writing this blog and communicating with the hundreds of you who read it has enhanced my experience of the Convention. I am grateful for the comments I received both directly and posted on the blog. Thanks to you all.
I'm going to stop for a while, but will resume when I return to Holland.
To stay reasonably brief (and to let me get to bed before 4 a.m.!) I omitted a lot of the things that happened.
For example:
At Democrats Abroad breakfasts we were honored to have speeches from two terrific members of Congress: Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Democrat from New York (who happens to represent my home district in Manhattan), who founded the Americans Abroad Caucus in Congress, and Senator Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, as well a being the ranking member on the Helsinki Commission for security and cooperation with Europe.
Senator Cardin’s best quote: The Bush administration has trampled on our civil rights, and destroyed our fiscal responsibility” We MUST elect Baraka Obama to repair this damage.
At the LGBT Caucus, we were addressed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome, who started doing same-sex marriages in San Francisco in defiance of then state law.
The Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Gov. Howard Dean, also spoke to the LGBT Caucus. He is the best friend we could have. As Governor of Vermont, in 2000 Governor Dean signed the first legislation in the United States permitting same-sex civil registration.
Being a Delegate to a Democratic National Convention was a great experience, which I recommend to anyone.
I realize Obama seeks to be President of the entire country, and not just the Democratic Party. But I regret the Convention’s references to religion, and repeatedly to “America’s Warriors”.
Those are not my values. Religion should be kept out of politics. I yearn for secular, civil government, where no particular religion, or religious belief in general, is held above those who believe differently. And our military might must be used rationally, and only where needed. I admire and support those brave men and women who risk their lives for America. We disrespect them when we use them wrongly.
Where on earth will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Convention Day 3 - Obama by Acclamation!
They did the deed! And they did it beautifully. Barack Obama is the candidate of the Democratic Party for the Presidency of the United States, and Joe Biden Obama is the Vice Presidential candidate.
It’s a dynamite team. Obama inspires. Biden fights. Both are brilliant. This is going to be good.
And it happened by acclamation. That means no vote was needed. The entire convention voiced (well, shouted) its approval as one. As if to show the complete unanimity of the support.
And the acclamation was a surprise act of grace and generosity by Hillary Clinton.
You can see this extraordinary moment (with a bonus blip of me in the picture).
The event was so thrilling, that I’d like to explain how it worked for those of you who like these fascinating details. Everybody else should stop reading.
The Acclamation:
First, Senator Nancy Pelosi, the Secretary of the Convention, called the usual role all. When we got to Democrats Abroad (right after Delaware), our Chair, Christine Schon Marques, made a great little speech about the 6-7 millions abroad whom we represent, and then cast our measly 12 votes. The contrast between population and votes was clear.
Almost every state voting had massive votes for Obama. This confused me, because I didn’t recall his winning by such huge margins. Someone told me that since 1980 candidates are not “really pledged” any more, so many Clinton candidates have shifted their votes to Obama.
When we got to California, they “passed”. That huge number of votes was not counted! I was confused, but we decided that California probably wants to vote last, so as to “make the difference.” Ah, well.
When we got to New Jersey, the state cast its entire 127 votes for Obama. All their Clinton people had defected. Massive cheering followed.
When we got to New York – here’s the clincher – things changed. Hillary Clinton came out from behind the delegation, walking slowly down the aisle to where the New York State delegation was sitting. The house erupted into cheers and applause. That took five minutes. When she finally reached her destination, her aide handed her a paper, which she read out loud:
“With eyes firmly fixed on the future, in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country let’s declare together in one voice, right here and right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate, and he will be our president."
“Madame secretary, madame secretary, I move that the convention suspend the procedural rules and suspend the further conduct of the roll call vote. All votes cast by the delegates will be counted, and that I move Senator Barack Obama of Illinois be selected by this convention by acclamation as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of" the United States.”
Nancy Pelosi called for a “second” to the motion, as the rules require, and thousand cheered. She then called for a vote on the motion. And thousand cheered again.
The deed was done!
I later learned that the reason California probably passed was to allow this acclamation to happen. The states are called alphabetically, and if the California votes had been counted, Obama would have had enough votes to win before the voting got to New York.
Biden, too!
Then Joe Biden was ALSO nominated by acclamation. He gave a terrific speech, too. Heart-warming, tough, intelligent.
Bill Clinton’s Speech – The best.
For me, the highpoint was Bill Clinton’s speech, the last of the evening. When he stepped on the stage, we all remembered that at one point or another, we have loved Bill Clinton. He was the finest, wisest President since Kennedy. His administration accomplished so much, and left the country in better shape than it has ever been. It is a tragedy that the Bush Administration has trashed these advances, leaving behind huge debt, trade deficits, war, poverty, and social dislocation.
In his second sentence, Bill Clinton praised Barack Obama, said he was “ready” to be President, and said, “Hillary and I will support him fully in his campaign for the Presidency” (I paraphrase). This was an historic statement. It can change the future of the world.
Obama’s surprise visit.
Obama then walked on the stage. A surprise visitor! The house – which could not have gotten much more excited – went wild. Cheers, followed by a warm and short speech by Obama.
The evening ended with the Obama family and the Biden family (including numerous children, spouses and cute grandchildren) coming out on the stage for massive ovation.
The new age begins…
Where on earth will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.blogspot.com
It’s a dynamite team. Obama inspires. Biden fights. Both are brilliant. This is going to be good.
And it happened by acclamation. That means no vote was needed. The entire convention voiced (well, shouted) its approval as one. As if to show the complete unanimity of the support.
And the acclamation was a surprise act of grace and generosity by Hillary Clinton.
You can see this extraordinary moment (with a bonus blip of me in the picture).
The event was so thrilling, that I’d like to explain how it worked for those of you who like these fascinating details. Everybody else should stop reading.
The Acclamation:
First, Senator Nancy Pelosi, the Secretary of the Convention, called the usual role all. When we got to Democrats Abroad (right after Delaware), our Chair, Christine Schon Marques, made a great little speech about the 6-7 millions abroad whom we represent, and then cast our measly 12 votes. The contrast between population and votes was clear.
Almost every state voting had massive votes for Obama. This confused me, because I didn’t recall his winning by such huge margins. Someone told me that since 1980 candidates are not “really pledged” any more, so many Clinton candidates have shifted their votes to Obama.
When we got to California, they “passed”. That huge number of votes was not counted! I was confused, but we decided that California probably wants to vote last, so as to “make the difference.” Ah, well.
When we got to New Jersey, the state cast its entire 127 votes for Obama. All their Clinton people had defected. Massive cheering followed.
When we got to New York – here’s the clincher – things changed. Hillary Clinton came out from behind the delegation, walking slowly down the aisle to where the New York State delegation was sitting. The house erupted into cheers and applause. That took five minutes. When she finally reached her destination, her aide handed her a paper, which she read out loud:
“With eyes firmly fixed on the future, in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country let’s declare together in one voice, right here and right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate, and he will be our president."
“Madame secretary, madame secretary, I move that the convention suspend the procedural rules and suspend the further conduct of the roll call vote. All votes cast by the delegates will be counted, and that I move Senator Barack Obama of Illinois be selected by this convention by acclamation as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of" the United States.”
Nancy Pelosi called for a “second” to the motion, as the rules require, and thousand cheered. She then called for a vote on the motion. And thousand cheered again.
The deed was done!
I later learned that the reason California probably passed was to allow this acclamation to happen. The states are called alphabetically, and if the California votes had been counted, Obama would have had enough votes to win before the voting got to New York.
Biden, too!
Then Joe Biden was ALSO nominated by acclamation. He gave a terrific speech, too. Heart-warming, tough, intelligent.
Bill Clinton’s Speech – The best.
For me, the highpoint was Bill Clinton’s speech, the last of the evening. When he stepped on the stage, we all remembered that at one point or another, we have loved Bill Clinton. He was the finest, wisest President since Kennedy. His administration accomplished so much, and left the country in better shape than it has ever been. It is a tragedy that the Bush Administration has trashed these advances, leaving behind huge debt, trade deficits, war, poverty, and social dislocation.
In his second sentence, Bill Clinton praised Barack Obama, said he was “ready” to be President, and said, “Hillary and I will support him fully in his campaign for the Presidency” (I paraphrase). This was an historic statement. It can change the future of the world.
Obama’s surprise visit.
Obama then walked on the stage. A surprise visitor! The house – which could not have gotten much more excited – went wild. Cheers, followed by a warm and short speech by Obama.
The evening ended with the Obama family and the Biden family (including numerous children, spouses and cute grandchildren) coming out on the stage for massive ovation.
The new age begins…
Where on earth will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Convention Day 2
Maya, Dennis and Hillary
For Democrats Abroad, the day began with a breakfast presentation by Maya Soetero-Ng, who is Obama’s half-sister. Like Obama, Maya speaks with great charm and intelligence. It’s a real pleasure to listen to her.
Both Maya and Barack have multi-cultural backgrounds. (Maya’s father was Indonesian). How odd that Obama, with an international background, has been accused of lacking “foreign policy” knowledge. Nonsense! He (and Maya) have a deep understanding of this multicultural world that we live in.
--
At the Convention
The burning question for weeks has been: Will Hillary and her people support Obama? It’s important that they do, if we are to win this election.
Today she made it magnificently clear that she does and she will.
First, Hillary visited the Democratic pro-choice women’s group Emily’s List together with Michelle Obama. I wasn’t there, but I hear they made a great team, and it was abundantly clear that Hillary will work hard to be sure Obama is elected. He has her full support. There were smiles all around.
At the Convention, a series of speeches built up to Hillary’s own speech, the highlight of the evening.
For me, the pre-Hillary topper was Dennis Kucinich. See it if you can. His energetic presentation was based on three simple words: WAKE UP, AMERICA! – Wake up to the great damage the Bush Administration is doing to our economy, to the lack of health care for many, to growing income disparities, by creating reliance in foreign oil, and burgeoning debt, etc. An electric speech!
Elizabeth Kucinich, who is English, is a friend of Democrats Abroad and spent time with us during our meeting in Heidelberg. She was happy to see us again in Denver.
The theme of the evening was economic, entitled Renewing America’s Promise. It focused on the suffering of working people under Bush, and the need to rebuild America’s middle class, a term which stretches to include the working poor.
Speakers included eight state governors, two US senators, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, as well as AFL-CIO President John Sweeny ad the President of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards.
I like that we are not shying away from our values. The speeches made that clear. We are not afraid of being labeled “liberal”. This time, we are not letting the opposition determine our agenda. We are on “the attack”, as they say.
But we are only attacking on substantive issues. We are not making personal attacks (unlike the Republicans). In fact, at one point Hillary Clinton said that “John McCain is my friend and colleague, who has served honorably as a Senator for many years”.
We oppose McCain because his policies are wrong, are nothing more than a continuation of the destructive Bush years. But our side treats the opposition with respect.
Of course, Hillary’s speech was the high point of the evening. Introduced by daughter Chelsea, Hillary got a five-minute standing ovation when she entered. The profound love, respect, and gratitude that she engenders were palpable.
Hillary’s speech was close to perfect. Her work to advance the rights of women was a recurrent theme. She stated the values that propelled her work, and said that she supports Barack Obama because those values are his, as well. She gave him, Joe Biden, and Michelle Obama unqualified support. She was intelligent, gracious, and grateful for the support that is around her. You can read the speech online at www.nytimes.com. It’s beautiful.
The press was everywhere, looking for signs of conflict or harmony between Obama and Clinton. WABC TV, the New York City affiliate, wanted one of us to give live comments on Hillary’s speech.
CNN’s Jonathan Mann (a very nice guy) interviewed several of us, and said he wanted to report on Democrats Abroad as a matter of public service.
Just like yesterday, when CNN caught me dancing, today Fox TV caught me studying my palm. I got emails and calls from friends in New York about it.
Bob
Where on earth will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
For Democrats Abroad, the day began with a breakfast presentation by Maya Soetero-Ng, who is Obama’s half-sister. Like Obama, Maya speaks with great charm and intelligence. It’s a real pleasure to listen to her.
Both Maya and Barack have multi-cultural backgrounds. (Maya’s father was Indonesian). How odd that Obama, with an international background, has been accused of lacking “foreign policy” knowledge. Nonsense! He (and Maya) have a deep understanding of this multicultural world that we live in.
--
At the Convention
The burning question for weeks has been: Will Hillary and her people support Obama? It’s important that they do, if we are to win this election.
Today she made it magnificently clear that she does and she will.
First, Hillary visited the Democratic pro-choice women’s group Emily’s List together with Michelle Obama. I wasn’t there, but I hear they made a great team, and it was abundantly clear that Hillary will work hard to be sure Obama is elected. He has her full support. There were smiles all around.
At the Convention, a series of speeches built up to Hillary’s own speech, the highlight of the evening.
For me, the pre-Hillary topper was Dennis Kucinich. See it if you can. His energetic presentation was based on three simple words: WAKE UP, AMERICA! – Wake up to the great damage the Bush Administration is doing to our economy, to the lack of health care for many, to growing income disparities, by creating reliance in foreign oil, and burgeoning debt, etc. An electric speech!
Elizabeth Kucinich, who is English, is a friend of Democrats Abroad and spent time with us during our meeting in Heidelberg. She was happy to see us again in Denver.
The theme of the evening was economic, entitled Renewing America’s Promise. It focused on the suffering of working people under Bush, and the need to rebuild America’s middle class, a term which stretches to include the working poor.
Speakers included eight state governors, two US senators, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, as well as AFL-CIO President John Sweeny ad the President of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards.
I like that we are not shying away from our values. The speeches made that clear. We are not afraid of being labeled “liberal”. This time, we are not letting the opposition determine our agenda. We are on “the attack”, as they say.
But we are only attacking on substantive issues. We are not making personal attacks (unlike the Republicans). In fact, at one point Hillary Clinton said that “John McCain is my friend and colleague, who has served honorably as a Senator for many years”.
We oppose McCain because his policies are wrong, are nothing more than a continuation of the destructive Bush years. But our side treats the opposition with respect.
Of course, Hillary’s speech was the high point of the evening. Introduced by daughter Chelsea, Hillary got a five-minute standing ovation when she entered. The profound love, respect, and gratitude that she engenders were palpable.
Hillary’s speech was close to perfect. Her work to advance the rights of women was a recurrent theme. She stated the values that propelled her work, and said that she supports Barack Obama because those values are his, as well. She gave him, Joe Biden, and Michelle Obama unqualified support. She was intelligent, gracious, and grateful for the support that is around her. You can read the speech online at www.nytimes.com. It’s beautiful.
The press was everywhere, looking for signs of conflict or harmony between Obama and Clinton. WABC TV, the New York City affiliate, wanted one of us to give live comments on Hillary’s speech.
CNN’s Jonathan Mann (a very nice guy) interviewed several of us, and said he wanted to report on Democrats Abroad as a matter of public service.
Just like yesterday, when CNN caught me dancing, today Fox TV caught me studying my palm. I got emails and calls from friends in New York about it.
Bob
Where on earth will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
Michelle Obama and Gay People
The big LGBT event today was the luncheon for delegates, hosted by Rep. Barney Frank, Rep. Tammy Baldwin and the Human Rights Commission. Le tout LGBT world was there. Close to 1,000 people, I’d guess, for a fancy sit-down lunch at the Sheraton Hotel.
But the big surprise was the visit by Michelle Obama, who was received with a powerful standing ovation.
We were so grateful that Michelle had come. Her visit was a statement that Barack is aware and concerned about our problems, and she made that clear in a thoughtful speech.
This was different than the speech the night before at the Convention, where Michelle focused on family and general values. In this speech of over 20 minutes, Michelle showed the good lawyer she is. She discussed the legal issues that affect the LGBT community, and showed her sincere concern and desire to help.
She pointed out that Barack has:
- voted to overturn the so-called Defense of Marriage Act which bars the Federal government from acknowledging any same-sex relationship,
- voted against the Federal (anti-)Marriage Amendment to the Constitution
- opposes the don’t ask/don’t tell rule in the military
- opposes discrimination in the workplace
Some of her remarks brought tears to my eyes. I was so very moved to see our possible future first lady standing strong and clear for LGBT rights. Michelle rightly said that, “discrimination has no place in a nation founded on equality” and encouraged us to work for the world “as it should be”. Alluding to the political issues surrounding LGBT rights, she said “We can win if we can move people away from fear and toward hope.” How true.
I was lucky enough to shake her hand as she left the hall. I thanked her for visiting our community, and told her how much it meant to us. I also asked her to think of us Americans who must live abroad because we have a foreign partner we cannot get a US visa for, and she looked me in the eye, and said, “We have to get you back home!”
That ended it for me. My eyes got moist.
Michelle is terrific.
Bob
Where on earth will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
But the big surprise was the visit by Michelle Obama, who was received with a powerful standing ovation.
We were so grateful that Michelle had come. Her visit was a statement that Barack is aware and concerned about our problems, and she made that clear in a thoughtful speech.
This was different than the speech the night before at the Convention, where Michelle focused on family and general values. In this speech of over 20 minutes, Michelle showed the good lawyer she is. She discussed the legal issues that affect the LGBT community, and showed her sincere concern and desire to help.
She pointed out that Barack has:
- voted to overturn the so-called Defense of Marriage Act which bars the Federal government from acknowledging any same-sex relationship,
- voted against the Federal (anti-)Marriage Amendment to the Constitution
- opposes the don’t ask/don’t tell rule in the military
- opposes discrimination in the workplace
Some of her remarks brought tears to my eyes. I was so very moved to see our possible future first lady standing strong and clear for LGBT rights. Michelle rightly said that, “discrimination has no place in a nation founded on equality” and encouraged us to work for the world “as it should be”. Alluding to the political issues surrounding LGBT rights, she said “We can win if we can move people away from fear and toward hope.” How true.
I was lucky enough to shake her hand as she left the hall. I thanked her for visiting our community, and told her how much it meant to us. I also asked her to think of us Americans who must live abroad because we have a foreign partner we cannot get a US visa for, and she looked me in the eye, and said, “We have to get you back home!”
That ended it for me. My eyes got moist.
Michelle is terrific.
Bob
Where on earth will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Convention Day 1
If the next three days of the convention are as good as the first day (they will be), this is going to be a fantastic week!
What was the highpoint last night? That’s almost hard to say:
Caroline Kennedy – President John Kennedy’s beautiful daughter - gave a stirring speech about both Obama and her uncle, Ted Kennedy. She said: "Some people say Barack Obama inspires them as much as my father did.” I was moved by that. It brought it all together, the traditions of the Democratic Party that are being fulfilled by Barack Obama. Her homage to her dear uncle was homage to 50 years of Kennedy leadership stretching from JFK to the present.
When Senator Ted Kennedy appeared, the love-fest began in earnest. He is suffering from advanced cancer, and he is not young, and it clearly as not easy for him to walk. He began his speech by saying: “NOTHING would keep me away from this celebration.” And the crowd went wild. We cheered the man who has fought hard for the right causes for decades. We cheered the Democratic leadership we respect and want more of.
But Michelle Obama was definitely the star of the show. Her closing speech was personal, political and philosophical. She told the story of her family’s roots as working people who struggled to survive, but who succeeded with deeply-rooted principles and a belief that:
- If you want something, you have to work very hard to get it.
- Keep your word. Keep your promises.
- Have faith in the future.
Deeply American values of hard work, honesty and optimism.
She told the story of how she met Barack, of her parents’ lives, of her work as an attorney, of her children who she loves so very much. It was a heart-rending speech, and hard not to love her at the end.
She brought out her two daughters, sweet little girls.
Barack himself appeared by video, from the house a family he is visiting in Kansas. He asked his daughters, “How did Mommy do”, and they told him! He told of his first date with his wife. They shared their family with us, in a way that was wonderfully genuine and simple.
Also stirring speeches from Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., Obama’s sister Maya Soetero-Ng, Michelle’s brother Craig Robinson,
And an appearance by President Jimmy Carter and Roslyn Carter.
And the music was great, too! A large band with great singers playing music you can MOVE to. Apparently, CNN got a shot of yours truly dancing in the aisle, and it flashed around the globe. I’ve gotten emails from Australia, California and New York from friends who saw it.
Looking forward to tomorrow,
Bob
What was the highpoint last night? That’s almost hard to say:
Caroline Kennedy – President John Kennedy’s beautiful daughter - gave a stirring speech about both Obama and her uncle, Ted Kennedy. She said: "Some people say Barack Obama inspires them as much as my father did.” I was moved by that. It brought it all together, the traditions of the Democratic Party that are being fulfilled by Barack Obama. Her homage to her dear uncle was homage to 50 years of Kennedy leadership stretching from JFK to the present.
When Senator Ted Kennedy appeared, the love-fest began in earnest. He is suffering from advanced cancer, and he is not young, and it clearly as not easy for him to walk. He began his speech by saying: “NOTHING would keep me away from this celebration.” And the crowd went wild. We cheered the man who has fought hard for the right causes for decades. We cheered the Democratic leadership we respect and want more of.
But Michelle Obama was definitely the star of the show. Her closing speech was personal, political and philosophical. She told the story of her family’s roots as working people who struggled to survive, but who succeeded with deeply-rooted principles and a belief that:
- If you want something, you have to work very hard to get it.
- Keep your word. Keep your promises.
- Have faith in the future.
Deeply American values of hard work, honesty and optimism.
She told the story of how she met Barack, of her parents’ lives, of her work as an attorney, of her children who she loves so very much. It was a heart-rending speech, and hard not to love her at the end.
She brought out her two daughters, sweet little girls.
Barack himself appeared by video, from the house a family he is visiting in Kansas. He asked his daughters, “How did Mommy do”, and they told him! He told of his first date with his wife. They shared their family with us, in a way that was wonderfully genuine and simple.
Also stirring speeches from Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., Obama’s sister Maya Soetero-Ng, Michelle’s brother Craig Robinson,
And an appearance by President Jimmy Carter and Roslyn Carter.
And the music was great, too! A large band with great singers playing music you can MOVE to. Apparently, CNN got a shot of yours truly dancing in the aisle, and it flashed around the globe. I’ve gotten emails from Australia, California and New York from friends who saw it.
Looking forward to tomorrow,
Bob
A Duel of Words
The European American Instituted hosted one of the most impressive panels on international relations I have ever attended.
The panelists: American Ambassador Richard Holdbrooke, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, Former Bosnian Prime minister Zlatko Lagumdzija, the French Ambassador to the US, the former Prime Ministers of Chile and Norway, a Russian professor, and others.
The topic: How can we restore confidence in American Leadership in the world?
How can we repair the current dissonance between America and its allies?
The broad consensus: America will lead when it works in cooperation and consultation with its friends. The Bush Administration’s bullying attitudes of “My way or the high way”, and the “Coalition of the willing” and the “pre-emptive strike” policy of the United States as expressed in Iraq, are only going to cause long-term problems for both the US and the Western Alliance.
We clearly need a new direction.
There was also a pithy discussion between Ambassador Holdbrooke and the Russian professor about: Why are Russian troops in Georgia, and what are Russia’s true intentions? Has America responded correctly? Did US provocations by placing missiles in Turkey and Poland lead to the crisis? Is the proposed expansion of NATO to include Ukraine and Georgia a mistake? Are we heading toward a new cold war?
Consensus was not reached.
Most impressive: ALL of the questions from the audience came from members of Democrats Abroad, mostly people who live in the countries affected. One after another, DA members stood up, said they were from DA __ and DA___, and asked probing and knowledgeable questions. The question/answer period was extended 20 minutes to fit them all in. The questions were of a very high quality, and showed that DA members understand and care about international relations.
Bob
The panelists: American Ambassador Richard Holdbrooke, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, Former Bosnian Prime minister Zlatko Lagumdzija, the French Ambassador to the US, the former Prime Ministers of Chile and Norway, a Russian professor, and others.
The topic: How can we restore confidence in American Leadership in the world?
How can we repair the current dissonance between America and its allies?
The broad consensus: America will lead when it works in cooperation and consultation with its friends. The Bush Administration’s bullying attitudes of “My way or the high way”, and the “Coalition of the willing” and the “pre-emptive strike” policy of the United States as expressed in Iraq, are only going to cause long-term problems for both the US and the Western Alliance.
We clearly need a new direction.
There was also a pithy discussion between Ambassador Holdbrooke and the Russian professor about: Why are Russian troops in Georgia, and what are Russia’s true intentions? Has America responded correctly? Did US provocations by placing missiles in Turkey and Poland lead to the crisis? Is the proposed expansion of NATO to include Ukraine and Georgia a mistake? Are we heading toward a new cold war?
Consensus was not reached.
Most impressive: ALL of the questions from the audience came from members of Democrats Abroad, mostly people who live in the countries affected. One after another, DA members stood up, said they were from DA __ and DA___, and asked probing and knowledgeable questions. The question/answer period was extended 20 minutes to fit them all in. The questions were of a very high quality, and showed that DA members understand and care about international relations.
Bob
Monday, August 25, 2008
Hillary’s tears.
I have to admit, I did not understand the depth of feeling of Hillary’s supporters, their sense that Hillary's loss is not right.
Yes, in public I have said for months, “the Hillary people worked hard for their candidate, so naturally they are disappointed”, and “Hillary has made history by being the first serious woman candidate for the Presidency”, and “Hillary Clinton has earned our respect for her tremendous contributions” and so on and so on. And it was all true.
But I didn’t really GET it. Until I saw the glimmerings of tears this week from women I respect. Until I saw intelligent women threaten to vote for …. well, if not actually to vote for McCain, then just not to vote at all.
I had sexist thoughts (I thought us gay guys were exempt) such as: “She lost. Why can’t they get over it?” and “Why are they changing the rules of the game by talking about the popular vote? It’s irrelevant!” I resented that any candidate would feel “entitled” to the nomination.
As a gay man myself, shouldn’t I understand the feeling that we are always dismissed unfairly when the good stuff gets handed out? Nope. I didn't.
But now I do. It’s not enough to say “Obama won fair and square”. It’s not enough to rely on their reluctance to criticize a black man’s victory. Something more has to be done and said. I think that will happen at the convention this week.
We need to put this behind us and unite for an unabashed victory in November.
Happily, today’s NY Times says we are already starting to. Polls from a week ago suggest that although only 43% of Clinton delegates have decided to vote for Obama at the convention, 80% will support him in the general election, and most of those will do so enthusiastically.
After all, a Democratic victory IS the most important thing. We must start repairing the damage from the Bush years as soon as possible.
I am sure Hillary herself believes that. I don’t think Hillary wants this tension to continue.
The vast majority of Democrats – both Hillary and Obama supporters - are people of principle above all.
I am confident we can heal this wound and go forward to victory.
It has never been more important.
Bob
Where on earth will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
Yes, in public I have said for months, “the Hillary people worked hard for their candidate, so naturally they are disappointed”, and “Hillary has made history by being the first serious woman candidate for the Presidency”, and “Hillary Clinton has earned our respect for her tremendous contributions” and so on and so on. And it was all true.
But I didn’t really GET it. Until I saw the glimmerings of tears this week from women I respect. Until I saw intelligent women threaten to vote for …. well, if not actually to vote for McCain, then just not to vote at all.
I had sexist thoughts (I thought us gay guys were exempt) such as: “She lost. Why can’t they get over it?” and “Why are they changing the rules of the game by talking about the popular vote? It’s irrelevant!” I resented that any candidate would feel “entitled” to the nomination.
As a gay man myself, shouldn’t I understand the feeling that we are always dismissed unfairly when the good stuff gets handed out? Nope. I didn't.
But now I do. It’s not enough to say “Obama won fair and square”. It’s not enough to rely on their reluctance to criticize a black man’s victory. Something more has to be done and said. I think that will happen at the convention this week.
We need to put this behind us and unite for an unabashed victory in November.
Happily, today’s NY Times says we are already starting to. Polls from a week ago suggest that although only 43% of Clinton delegates have decided to vote for Obama at the convention, 80% will support him in the general election, and most of those will do so enthusiastically.
After all, a Democratic victory IS the most important thing. We must start repairing the damage from the Bush years as soon as possible.
I am sure Hillary herself believes that. I don’t think Hillary wants this tension to continue.
The vast majority of Democrats – both Hillary and Obama supporters - are people of principle above all.
I am confident we can heal this wound and go forward to victory.
It has never been more important.
Bob
Where on earth will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
Stonewall Democrats
Stonewall Democrats, the LGBT group (http://www.stonewalldemocrats.org/ ), is having its convention here, just preceding the Democratic one. I attended their awards dinner last night. Really inspiring! Their values and supporters are progressive and right in line with Democrats Abroad, in my view. We should work with them more closely.
The featured (and only non-LGBT) speaker was Kansas Governor Kathleen Sibelius, a fantastic Democratic governor in a really red state. She is an expert in “cross-over” Republicans, who made her election possible. Even her deputy governor was a former head of the Kansas Republican Party!
Kathleen, a committed progressive, highlights the values we have in common with most Republicans. That's how she wins in a Republican state. We should learn from her. She was named as a possible vice president for Obama, and is clearly is future presidential material.
Other excellent speakers included E. Denise Simmons, the lesbian, black mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts; a gay congressman from a very straight suburban Denver district who poked holes in the notion that people even care if their reps are gay or lesbian,; and finally an amazing man named Keith Boykin – a great thinker, journalist and speaker. The head of the California Teachers Union was there, and the AFL-CIO also sent reps.
The MC was a wonderful transgender woman named Donna Rose, whose humor, grace and intelligence left no one unmoved. She made me realize I have always skipped over the transgender part of LGBT. We shouldn’t do that.
But best of all were the hundreds of members and supporters who attended. These people are fighting in the trenches, in hand-to-hand combat with the religious hate-mongers. Wonderful people, who are doing yeoman’s work to advance human rights. Well done!
Bob
Where in the world will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
The featured (and only non-LGBT) speaker was Kansas Governor Kathleen Sibelius, a fantastic Democratic governor in a really red state. She is an expert in “cross-over” Republicans, who made her election possible. Even her deputy governor was a former head of the Kansas Republican Party!
Kathleen, a committed progressive, highlights the values we have in common with most Republicans. That's how she wins in a Republican state. We should learn from her. She was named as a possible vice president for Obama, and is clearly is future presidential material.
Other excellent speakers included E. Denise Simmons, the lesbian, black mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts; a gay congressman from a very straight suburban Denver district who poked holes in the notion that people even care if their reps are gay or lesbian,; and finally an amazing man named Keith Boykin – a great thinker, journalist and speaker. The head of the California Teachers Union was there, and the AFL-CIO also sent reps.
The MC was a wonderful transgender woman named Donna Rose, whose humor, grace and intelligence left no one unmoved. She made me realize I have always skipped over the transgender part of LGBT. We shouldn’t do that.
But best of all were the hundreds of members and supporters who attended. These people are fighting in the trenches, in hand-to-hand combat with the religious hate-mongers. Wonderful people, who are doing yeoman’s work to advance human rights. Well done!
Bob
Where in the world will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Underfunded Trains
Arrived in Denver yesterday, by train from San Francisco. The train ride was fantastic – The California Zephyr , 36 hours across the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevadas, through vast empty prairies, across California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. Incredible scenery! A must.
The underfunding of our train was painfully evident. The train itself is 30 years old, but still pressing on. Amtrak no longer has its own tracks for this route, but pays private freight train companies to use their – bumpy – tracks. We seldom exceeded 40 miles (about 65 km) per hour, which is fine for freight, and nice to see the sights but slow if you want to get somewhere. We waited hours while (unexpected) freight trains took precedence. We arrived 3 hours late. We were told this train is almost always off schedule, sometimes by as much as 10 hours. A real pity. The marvellous train staff did their best to make us comfortable.
Congress demands that Amtrak show a profit, but heavily subsidizes the roads. Why a double standard? Why must US transport policy force the population into the hands of the automobile, tire and oil industries? Are there no alternatives?
Best,
Bob
Where in the world will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
The underfunding of our train was painfully evident. The train itself is 30 years old, but still pressing on. Amtrak no longer has its own tracks for this route, but pays private freight train companies to use their – bumpy – tracks. We seldom exceeded 40 miles (about 65 km) per hour, which is fine for freight, and nice to see the sights but slow if you want to get somewhere. We waited hours while (unexpected) freight trains took precedence. We arrived 3 hours late. We were told this train is almost always off schedule, sometimes by as much as 10 hours. A real pity. The marvellous train staff did their best to make us comfortable.
Congress demands that Amtrak show a profit, but heavily subsidizes the roads. Why a double standard? Why must US transport policy force the population into the hands of the automobile, tire and oil industries? Are there no alternatives?
Best,
Bob
Where in the world will you vote? See www.votefromabroad.org
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