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Edited on Wed Aug-27-08 12:32 AM by Ava
Today was an awesome day, and a very cool experience to say the least. The executive director of the Alabama Democratic party let me use his floor pass earlier in the afternoon before Clinton's speech, so I was able to walk the floor, get right up at the stage, and get some awesome footage and photos. The energy on the floor is electric.. it's filled with people who are passionate about the campaign and who are willing to (loudly)vocalize that support! And oh the hats! There are numerous hats made up of with buttons, glitter, bright colors, beads, and more. They're big and gaudy as hell(and of course fun as a result), and of course they accomplish exactly their purpose - they get attention. Hat wearers certainly aren't shy, and are more than willing to let you take video and photos of their decked out political masterpieces of head wear. ;)
After circling the floor for a bit and getting some great footage and photos, I headed back over to "Sweet Home AlObama" - the Alabama Democratic headquarters for the convention. With an awesome name, how could one not want to check out the place? "Sweet Home AlObama" has become a home away from home for Alabama convention goers. From the Alabama sports memorabilia(don't worry, there's Auburn stuff too), to Crimson and Orange walls that are an homage to Alabama's rival football teams, the place just feels like a little Alabama in the heart of Denver. And of course the Alabama style BBQ chicken isn't exactly vegetarian friendly(Alabama isn't exactly the mecca of vegetarians).
I spent the evening with fellow Alabamians at the "Sweet Home AlObama" watching Senator Clinton's speech. The group of Alabamians that have come to Denver is diverse, unique, and of course we have these awesome southern accents to flaunt around too! Alabamians of all ages, races,and people who supporter Obama, Clinton, or others in the primary election, gathered together tonight at the AlObama building to watch the speech.
We all very much enjoyed Senator Bob's Casey speech, and thought that he has several sound bytes that would be repeated during the election. One in particular that we all found amusing(and true) was the "That's not a maverick, that's a sidekick" in reference to McCain's self appointed nickname of "the maverick." With McCain voting with George W. Bush 90% of the time, it seems the Senator Casey was spot on. He also played the crowd well with "4 more months, instead of 4 more years." Democrats will be chanting that in their sleep tonight! It has to be the best non-headlining speech I've seen so far at the convention, next to Senator Kennedy's speech yesterday evening.
Next up was soon to be Senator Mark Warner's speech. I would be lying if I tried to give you a detailed review of his speech, because to be honest I tuned out a bit because I found the speech to be surprisingly dull. However he got my attention back when he said that his biggest critique of Bush was that he "never tacked into the greatest resource, the character and resolve of the American people... John McCain promises more of the same... That's four more years we can't afford." McCain was a big focus of tonight's speeches, and I'm glad to see the Democrats going on the offense. There were many signs in the crowd that made a simple point - "McCain: the SAME."
The introduction video for Senator Clinton was touching and as a young woman I found it to be very inspiring. If you missed it, I highly suggest you try to find a copy on the net and watch it. Even if you weren't a Clinton supporter in the primary(I wasn't) you'll still enjoy it. Watching it I kept thinking "she should have been the Vice Presidential nominee." Chelsea came onto stage and was visibly teary eyed, and of course former President Bill Clinton was fighting back tears as well. Many women in the crowd were teary eyed too. It was a bittersweet moment for Clinton supporters. Her campaign has been over, and that is a bitter pill to swallow when she was undeniably an inspiring and important candidate in the primary. It was also proof that if anyone knows how to pick themselves up, carry themselves with grace and dignity, and inspire people even after not winning the primary it's Hillary Clinton.
Senator Clinton couldn't have done more tonight to prove her support for Senator Obama. She called herself "a proud supporter of Barack Obama," and said "It's time to take back the country we love." She couldn't have done any more than she did tonight to make it clear that she wants her supporters to support Barack Obama with her. "The time is now, to unite." The crowd at the AlObama was huddled around the televisions, listening carefully to her speech, and on their feet cheering at times. "No way, no how, no McCain" had people hollering "Go Hillary!"
She told her supporters to ask themselves an important question. "Were you in this for me" or where you in this for the countless Americans she heard from on the campaign trail. She made a selfless appeal to her supporters tonight, asking them to be in this for change, and to do whatever it takes to get Barack Obama elected. "we did it before with President Clinton," she said, and we can do it again. Again the attention was turned to John McCain - "It makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart." That line made Lt. Governor Jim Folsom, Jr. and several others at AlObama cackle.. funny and true.
Of course with it being the 88th anniversary of women earning the right to vote, Clinton focused much of her speech on what women have accomplished, and what we can accomplish in the future. She used Harriet Tubman for inspiration, and now many young women(myself included) can also use Senator Clinton for inspiration. She's an example of what a woman can do, with a lot of very hard work and determination. She cleared a lot of path for us gals, and whether or not we realize it we have a lot to thank her for. "And after so many decades - 88 years ago on this very day = the 19th amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote would be forever enshrined in our Constitution. My mother was born before women could vote. But in this election my daughter got to vote for her mother for president. This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up."
It was a great speech, another great day at the convention, and yet again I'm physically worn out and mentally revved up for the campaign. I'll be posting some photos from today shortly, and I'll be back tomorrow with more updates from the Convention!
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