Travis County has largest convention in the state!

[Melissa G]

2nd largest in the nation!
check out this link if you want a visual of 7000 Dems.


ttp://www.kvue.com/video/index.html?nvid=231361&shu=1

[sonias]

1. Kicking for all the guts and glory

Wow - 2nd largest in the nation? Not just Texas but in the nation? Damn!

:wow:


Sonia

[Melissa G]

2. That's what they were saying while we lowly alternates stood outside in the lines until 11:30or noon

Some folks had been waiting since before 7 in my line.
There was an older gentleman hanging around screaming this out to us. He said only somewhere in California was there a bigger convention. We were 2nd largest in the nation.

The State convention is likely to be smaller than the Travis County one.

Since you and NoPasaran were on nominations, you must have been there to the bitter end.
Thanks for your hard work! :hi: :yourock:

[sonias]

3. It was a very long day yesterday

The nominations committee worked until about 9:00 pm. We basically split up and each camp did their own nominations from the presidential pool. It was fun and hard. So hard to decide from so many good stories.

I had to stick around with our other co-chair so we could report back to the convention with our results. That happened around 10:00 and I got home a little before 11:00.

So happy this part is over.


Sonia

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

4. Hey, how were you on nominations and not get delegate?

I thought it was a given that people on nominations always gave themselves a delegate slot.

[sonias]

5. I don't think that way TTC

It's not my job to give myself a reward. It's my job to fill the at-large delegate slots with the best people that didn't get elected from their precincts according to the goals and gender balance we also have to achieve.

There were lots of good stories in those forms. I was very moved by many of them. I am very willing to build the party by bringing in new people into the fold.

Change - yes we can!


Sonia

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

8. All I can say is...

:yourock: and the rest of your committee too, if they had the same attitude.

I had my first inside look at nominations committee when someone I know served on it. They said that everyone on it got an at large spot. Can't say I entirely fault them because they are there late and usually only the most honored party activists get to serve on that popular committee. But you get a medal for your graciousness.:toast:

[sonias]

9. None of my team on the Obama camp voted themselves in

None of us. Some of us got elected from our precincts some of us didn't. I had asked one of my Obama PCT captains from my own PCT to serve because I knew she was an incredibly hard worker. She was completely 100% committed to Obama - block walking, phone banking and working our PCT convention on March 4th. Never asked to be considered for a delegate or alternate slot. Yet every time we asked her to help she was there. And even if you didn't ask for help, she stepped up and asked "What can I do to help?"

When we still had a couple of openings on our committee I asked her if she would serve and of course she said yes.

Yesterday, on the day of our convention our traffic jam to our location was widely reported. She was one of the people who had to park their cars about a mile from the convention and walk in to make sure they were in line by 10:00 a.m.. Then she stayed to the very end working with us in the committee.

This is the new generation of Democrats I am proud to turn the party over to. She is young, intelligent, committed and she will change the world.

I give a toast to my kick-ass PCT captain Lorrie! :toast:


Sonia

[Lithos]

6. One thing I liked about the convention

Besides the obvious energy which was present, was during the speeches by Ron Kirk and Terry McCauliffe. Yes, they spoke for their respective candidates, but they spent about half of their speeches each talking about the need to get together after the selection of the nominee and work towards the common cause of getting a Dem in the Whitehouse and of making the House, Senate and Texas Government bluer. We need to come out of all this wrangling as better neighbors and friends, stronger in our convictions and energized to take the fight to the Republicans.

This was even truer in our own precinct. Given how the delegate percentages worked out and the vagaries of people showing up and not showing up, there was an opportunity for one side to try and take one additional delegate. Problem is that it likely would not have worked and most definitely would have caused quite a bit of ill-will. It was realized we are all neighbors in the precinct and have stood blue and proud together for many years; working out a compromise was not only fair, but also recognized that we're all part of the same common cause and we need each other.

I think Sonia, Austin and Mary (not a member here) did a fantastic job at the convention. This is how we've become one of the bluest precincts in Texas and why I'm proud of being Democrat.

L-

[sonias]

7. Thank you L!

I know you and your wife did us proud too. :hug:

Lorrie was our third co-captain that helped us wrangle the herd. We did have a fabulous turnout, but it really was hard keeping everyone together so we could just vote our slate and be able to let people go home. We got what we accomplished and I think we will work with all of our neighbors in November.

That's why PCT 342 rocks - Yes we can, and yes we will.

Sonia

[sonias]

10. Like Surfing a Gushing Fire Hydrant

http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/index.php/2008/03/29/like-surfing-a-gushing-fire-hydrant/">The Texas Observer blog 3/29/08
Like Surfing a Gushing Fire Hydrant
March 29th, 2008 at 5:47 pm

Democratic delegates for Senate Districts 14 and 25 started arriving at the Travis County Exposition Center by 7:30 a.m.

By 9:00, a traffic jam extended miles away from the expo center. Those who didn’t want to wait in their cars, parked on the side of the road and walked the rest of the way.

When delegates arrived, long lines to get their credentials greeted them. The official schedule had optimistically set the Call to Order to begin at 10. A volunteer told the crowd trudging in: "The check-in has been extended indefinitely." It was still going on by noon.

Nonetheless, the Travis County Democratic convention could end up being one of the smoother major urban area conventions in Texas. Much of the credit should go to the credentials committees. The committees began meeting Tuesday night and worked steadily through the rest of the week. They were divided almost evenly and yet exhibited little partisan rancor.

:yourock: Travis Credentials Committees!

Sonia

[merci_me]

11. Not to rain on your parade, but

the report that was sent out BEFORE the conventions reported that SD 13 in Harris County (Senator Rodney Ellis'), meeting at Texas Southern University had a total of 7792 delegates and alternates. Of course, that doesn't mean they all came, but I've since read reports of an overwhelming number of guest (if you count them), but still haven't seen an official number of delegates/alternates who actually signed in.

Ours was 4688, plus volunteers and guests and thanks to the Fire Marshall, who relented when we moved some precincts out to the patios, we were able to stay, until sometime after 1AM, when security showed up with a cop and evicted us. LOL, hate to think of what those extra hours are going to cost us. We contracted until 6PM. I guess we bought enough overpriced food to have them look the other way, until their concession workers left at midnight. We were still holding up our credentials and voting as we walked slooooooooowly to the exit. Our "escorts" seemed to take it all in good humor.

[sonias]

12. Good jumor is what it takes

You have to take these things in stride. Man if you can cut it at this level, you can't consider yourself a hardy Texas Democrat. Only the strong at will survive and thrive.

I'm proud of us all across Texas for showing up.

:dem:

Sonia