Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I'm still obsessed with the Democratic National Convention. The first convention I remember was the 1960 convention in whch John Kennedy was nominated. I remember the disasterous Chicago Democratic Convention in 1968. I cried in misery over that one. Tonight I cried too, but out of identification with the causes advocated and a sense of connection to Hillary Clinton - especially after having seen her in Austin.
Hillary was wonderful. She came out loud and clear for Obama as well as in honor of women's right to vote. I loved her line about her mother being born before women had the right to vote and her daughter voting for her own mother for President.

I've been loving this convention, identifying with Democratic tradition firmly. I loved seeing Caroline and Ted Kennedy last night. I'm still laughing at myself for dancing in the living room as Ted Kennedy spoke. And interesting commentator point was (when the pictures of the young Kennedy brothers were shown) that Ted Kennedy is the first in his generation of Kennedy men that we got to see age. I cried over that too.

Being old enough to have lived through a reasonable chunk of history is a huge blessing. I'm thinking about Kerry tonight, and everybody else who dies young. I really treasure the perspective that living as long as I've lived has given me and hope for another two or three healty decades.

3 comments:

Ann said...

I can hardly stand the excitement of the convention. The huge speeches were HUGE and several of the "lesser" speeches spoke largely to me as well, those that took place as I waited for Hillary. I remember watching a convention and feeling the excitement when I was six years old, which, I believe, was the very start of my polticial activism (such as it is...). I try to tell people not to exclude their children from this process if it seems right. It can make a difference. There are some wonderful children's books available about the election process, which I have already begun to share with first and second graders. Of course, part of the excitement for me as a very young child was being allowed to stay up beyond my bedtime in a household where bedtimes were inviolate. In any case, it worked!

Mary said...

Diane and I have also been watching the Democratic convention. Usually I am not a convention watcher, but I am watching this year.

As I mentioned somewhere else, I was sad for Hillary. She gave a strong speech. She IS someone I might have voted for, as she has the experience and the knowledge. I am sorry to say I do not feel the same way about Barack Obama. I wonder what Hillary really thought in her heart. It must have been very hard for her, but I think her speech was one she had to give; and she gave it well. She is a classy woman.

I also enjoyed seeing Caroline Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. It was so surprising to see that Caroline Kennedy looked more like a woman of OUR generation. I remember when she was a small child holding the hand of her parents; and I remember her at JFK's funeral. Now she seems a woman of OUR generation. I wish she would go into politics. I doubt she will. And I find myself sad about John John, another who died too young.

We saw Ted Kennedy when we were on a whale watch out of Hyannis Port. He and a nephew were on a boat, and our boat passed his boat and he gave a WAVE to us all. It was a memorable moment. The Kennedy family certainly has a lot of tradition; and I hope Ted can beat his cancer. But I doubt he will. I also would like to read Joyce Carol Oates book BLUE WATER about Chappuquidick & the young woman who died. I almost bought the book today at a second hand book store, but passed. There are always two sides to every personality, aren't there?

I am happy for the Democratic process and all it entails. I will study thoroughly the issues and the candidates. I look forward to hearing who John McCain chooses as his VP candidate. This year I think the VP candidatees are extremely important.

I do hope that people study issues and do not just vote a 'party line.' I hope people will not rule out John McCain because he happens to be one political party, nor Barack Obama because he happens to be another. The issues ARE the most important thing, at least for me.

Victoria, here is a question for you: Are you a 'died in the wool' democrat, or could you ever see yourself voting for a candidate of another party?

I myself would say that I am an independent.

This will be an interesting election.

Victoria said...

Mary, you ask if I am a dyed in the wool Democrat. I am not. I do have a sense of strong connection to the Democratic party and, at this time, I cannot see myself voting for a Republican on the national level. I believe we need a huge shift in direction from that the current administaration has taken and I just don't believe the administaration's party could provide enough change. And I do like the positions current Democrats take on health care, stem cell research, constitutional integrity and the bill of rights, taxes, minimum wage, the environment, and many other issues. I have, however, voted for other parties inthe past and may again.