One of the most surprising things to me at the Texas Democratic Convention was the Group Think Mentality between the Hillary and Obama delegates. For some reason most participants had aligned themselves with others, who had voted similar to them in the primary, on issues completely unrelated to Hillary or Barack.

For instance, defending the Primary plus Caucus system of the Texas Democratic Party (Texas is the only state that has both a Primary and Caucus system. The primary gets 75% of delegates and the caucus gets 25%, the caucus was convoluted and required long division. People had to show up to vote twice. Most people didn’t understand it and didn’t participate.)

I felt the issue should have nothing to do with whether you were a Hillary delegate or an Obama delegate. I felt it should have been a matter of simplicity over complexity, efficiency over convolution, access over voter apathy.

Evidently, that wasn’t how Obama supporters saw it. Hillary won the Primary in Texas, but they took the Caucus – which some felt really drew them out of their voter apathy. They had zero sympathy for voters, like myself, who had to go to the newspaper, county building and party building to find out where the Caucus was being held, what it was and what time to be there. Obama got his supporters out in mass via his email machine. They won, it worked for them. They want to keep it.

It struck me as odd that people who had not been involved in the last decade felt the excitement of this extraordinary year should determine policy of the future. Optimistically, they felt they would always be this involved and excited about the political process. Which, I desperately hope is true – I just somehow doubt it.

In the end, I felt many people were a little manipulated into supporting those who were into getting some Democratic Party Power for themselves. I felt they got very excited about Obama that they fell in line with some pretty shady and ugly dealings within the party and adopted those issues as their own for no real compelling reason, except that everyone they were with was doing it.

Same with Hillary supporters. They felt they knew she was the best candidate, and therefore they all agree on all issues and committee decisions. Though those issues had nothing to do with Hillary at all.

One young woman raked me over the coals because I didn’t care enough to fight tooth and nail over these issues. She was so angry that I would excuse myself, and go have dinner with my cousin’s family, before these “very important votes” that she got up and left in an angry huff.

She did not see that I didn’t feel strongly about any of the candidates – whom I knew nothing about – for committees, rules or policies. I didn’t want to engage in a vicious brawl between Obamanites and Hillary-lovers. I didn’t want to associate myself with Hillary-extremists, who were trying to divide the party. Nor did I feel ready to throw myself behind a hostile take-over of the Democratic party by Obamanites.

There were some “coincidences” that I, and many others, felt weren’t really all that coincidental.

Telling people to be there to vote at 11 am on the agenda and then stalling until well after 2 pm with repeat speeches didn’t feel authentic to me. It felt like a strategic tactic to get the non-comittal swing vote to leave. It was effective, as half the delegates left to have lunch or proceed home.

Cutting off the Hillary Concession Speech on the monitors right in the middle felt a little fishy to me. Maybe they accidentally lost the feed. Maybe they didn’t.

A fire drill right as they were about to vote on whether Texas should have both a primary and a caucus or just a primary felt fishy and inauthentic. Again, much of the swing vote didn’t return after the fire drill.

My host, Bill Monroe, said there were 3 types of people at a convention: Statesmen who have convictions and want to work through the process for effective change, Wallflowers, who can be swayed by anyone and anything and Scoundrels who will do anything to get and maintain power.

Myself and several others I spoke to came home with an emotional hangover in need of a shower.

Post from: Blisstree

Party Politics: I need a shower

Wow, now I’m just embarrassed, Chelsea Clinton responded to the Rock Star-like applause from the 12,000 people attending the Texas Democratic Convention last night.

I typically speak to smaller crowds. This gives new meaning to the phrase, they do things bigger in Texas.”

My mother wants it to be very clear that we are going to unite our party and take back the White House in November.”

As her daughter I’m also here to thank you for all the support you’ve given my mom, she said.

And my mom will be making a speech tomorrow supporting Sen. Obama and reaffirming her life-long commitment to work to support and elect Democrats across our country and to support and elect Sen. Obama in November.

Turn Texas Blue!

I cried.

It was the death of a dream for Ainsley and myself.

Hopefully, not for long. Hopefully, there will be other qualified women to run and win. I don’t want to have to wait for Chelsea to grow up and run before I see a woman elected as my President.

Chelsea is without controversy. She’s educated and beautiful. She could run with the likes of Paris and Nicole, but she doesn’t. She holds herself with dignity and gets another kind of acknowledgement.

Chelsea strikes me as a future world leader. She’s been groomed by both us, and her parents all her life. She’s lived in a fish bowl of public life. How would that be?

One of my favorite images the whole election season was Hillary with her mother and daughter. Three generations of women who have trail-blazed. Imagine what it must be like to carry the responsibility of a women’s movement on your shoulders. To face the criticism all women in the public eye face.

I could do worse than holding up Chelsea Clinton as a hero for my daughter. She’s beautiful, poised and rock-star enough to compete with the likes of Miley Cirus isn’t she? Dare I dream?

Post from: Blisstree

Chelsea Clinton

My grandmother, of course, would never travel alone or stay with strangers, she advised that I “watch my purse” when I told her about my luck finding a free place.

I walked in this home and realized these are the people take the risk, allowing strangers to bunk here. One of their impeccable and expensive bobbles is worth more than everything in my purse.

I’ll do a post when I get back about the many wonderful, kind and generous people I’ve met in my travels from Lithuania to Austin. I have always relied quite heavily on the kindness of strangers when I travel and I’ve never regretted it. I saw this lady selling pink Hillary ballcaps in the Hilton lobby.
I bought the hat. I’m cheap and dedicated and I have to keep sun off my face – I’ll wear it after Saturday. I went to the Hillary Headquarters. Austin is Hill Country – clever. Tiny, dingy and cheap. I sat in on a Whips training (crowd control). This campaign volunteer explained that they would still like us to show up in our Hillary gear and pledge our delegate votes to Hillary. He said that our continued support still gives Hillary’s campaign negotiating power when discussing our issues with Barack.

Supposedly, this gives her an ability to speak to Barack on issues where the campaigns differ in policy – one woman in the group was quite upset at Obama’s neglect of the Latino population’s unique issues.

Others, like myself, know that Hillary’s healthcare plan, Healthcare is far better because it allows no exceptions and no exemptions with its mandatory feature that will save tax payers billions.

I’m not sure I believe my pledging my vote to Hillary today really makes a difference one way or another. But, I can’t see where it will hurt. She’s still officially in the running and it will give her bragging rights as to how many votes she ultimately garnered.

To Obama supporters who question why were continuing the campaigning for Hillary, we should graciously say,

Clearly you won. Congratulations. But, we were elected, by our county caucuses to vote for Hillary today and we’re still going to do that. She will be conceding tomorrow, until then we’re behind her.

While I was there they announced that Chelsea Clinton will be here today. I guess that means no Hillary. But, I’m very interested in Chelsea. When I look at her I see potential for a Future President. She’s been gracious and lovely the whole campaign. All the old ladies love her – mainly because they haven’t seen her on the news drunk or naked. I wish she would have worn jeans instead of Mommy’s pant suit. She would have reached younger voters better that way. But, hopefully I’ll get to see her speak.

I spent my evening at a reception. I won’t waste my money on opening receptions again because frankly the Pub Crawl had better mingling and better food and drinks. However, I did enjoy myself quite a bit hanging out with some local officials from my own town. I’ve found my new town to be magnificently welcoming as well. I’ve only lived there 6 months and they were more than willing to elect me to represent them at this convention, and there were others. They have been generous with social invitations, etc. They were filling me in on the local politics and it was pretty fun.

One of them is an old cop/bailiff/city councilman/Elvis Impersonator/retired military/former New Yorker named Fred who reminded me of my dad.

I went to the Bloggers Caucus expecting to meet the Momocrats writer and get some blogging insider information. I was stunned to find out that bloggers have become so influential that all the politicians turned up to mingle and woe the bloggers. The whole house was packed from the leader of the Texas Democratic Party to Rain Mimms, who is running for a state Senate seat. I hadn’t realized how credible blogging has become. I didn’t meet a single blogger, though I did meet some fascinating people.

Off to do some voting. I heard there is free food at a Hillary party in a nearby park.

Gonna check out Obama’s headquarters and score my husband some swag.

Tune in tomorrow for details. I’d love to live blog, but I can’t carry this heavy laptop around all day. Besides, if I want to live it before I write it.

Post from: Blisstree

Texas Caucus Strangers – I Love Em!

Notes to self:

Next time bring a cooler of drinks, snacks and sandwiches on the Hillary campaign bus. Thank goodness Hillary-lovers are generally nice older ladies who like to mother through food.

It’s okay if you don’t make a room reservation. The nice Hillary ladies invite you bunk with them.

You need a card reader to download images. Pack it next time.

Rumor has it Hillary will make an appearance here tomorrow.

More details on Empowering Girls: So Sioux Me.

Post from: Blisstree

Trippin’ on Hillary Bus

Dear Hillary,

Thank you for being the first woman to run for President of the United States. Thank you for doing it for me and my daughter.

I can only imagine what it was like to face the worst of sexism and criticism of our entire nation. You faced it with dignity.

Thank you for not quitting. I can’t tell you how much it mean to me and my daughter to see a woman not quit.

What you have done for womankind, will effect the future of every woman and girl in The United States. You have given us a level of competence we wouldn’t have previously had. Every woman will be taken more seriously because of you.

The next woman who runs will benefit exponentially your have paving the way with unheard of success.

I can not express the level of profound gratitude I feel for you.

I am so proud of you. You would have been a magnificent President. I know you would have done the best job.

Im proud to boast, I voted for HIllary Clinton when she ran for Senate in New York and again in the Texas Democratic Primary, as well as the Texas Caucus and I’m serving as a Hillary Clinton Delegate in at the Texas Democratic Convention.

I know that you will find a graceful way to stand behind Barack Obama as the Democratic Party Nominee.

I hope he will be wise to utilize the 18 million votes you bring to the table in his bid as the Democratic Nominee for President.

With profound gratitude and pride,

Tracee Sioux

This poster is for sale at HillaryClinton.com. It’s a collectors item, it’s tax deductible and it will help her campaign get out of debt. I bought one.

Post from: Blisstree

Open Letter to Hillary