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
Showing posts with label American values. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American values. Show all posts
Friday, August 29, 2008
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
Monday, August 25, 2008
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
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