I Just Got Back From the Maine State Convention.

[MarianJack]

If you were there too, I was the Kennebec county delegate who wore BOTH Obama and Hillary buttons. My reasoning for doing this was that I wanted to be a voice for unity and, in my own way, raise my middle finger straight and high to wolf blitzer, chris matthews and their ilk who say that as a white middle class and middle aged man, I'm going to throw all of my convictions away and vote for Mr. more of the same mccain.

Dick Durban made a great Keynote speech on Saturday night. He told of his conversation with Obama when he encouraged him to run by saying "sometimes you pick the time and sometimes the time picks you". He also spoke very highly of Hillary and the other candidates.

Tom Allen and Tom Ledeu both spoke on behalf of their candidacies to oust susan collins. Both are good men but clearly Allen is the stronger and more electable candidate.

Our 6 contenders to succeed Allen in congress were all good but I became more convinced that Chellie Pingree is our girl. I am also impressed by her daughter Hannah, who will likely be Speaker of the Maine House next term. She is only 30ish, but I believe I may see a future Governor in her.

I am mostly pleased with our slate of delegates to the convention for both candidates. I was inspired by a young African American man who spoke for himself as a delegate by reciting a poem he'd written about being racially profiled. I was disappointed that an Obama delegate was selected who seemed to be relishing the idea of a floor fight and had boasted of having "gone toe-to-toe" with the Clintons before at the 92 convention (which was essentially a very unified affair). I hope the other delegates keep him in line.

We had delegates selected ranging from a high school senior to the former mayor of Portland.

As the caucus results dictated, there were 15 Obama delegates and 9 Hillary delegates. Most of the superdelegates seem to be breaking for Obama (but that's just my impression).

Of course, CNN or MSNBC will probably say nothing of this convention. Unfortunately, it won't be because we're a small state or because of Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota. It'll be because it was a very harmonious, unified and civil convention, AKA the Democratic story they DON'T want to report!

My 2 cents.

PEACE!

[jpak]

1. Good for you! (and thanks for posting)

:thumbsup:

:patriot:

[MarianJack]

2. Thanx back'atcha!

BTW, it was permissable within party rules for me to vote Obama even though I'd been secected for Hillary.

I love them both, but it's time to unite against McSame!

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Glad everything went well. :^)

[MarianJack]

4. It did!

It was a bit disorganized on Saturday, but for the most part, people kept their spirits and good humor up.

[MissWaverly]

5. thanks, I am glad to see local involvement

politics is the only thing that gets better with more people involved.

[MarianJack]

8. A LOT of people are involved this year in Maine.

If I were susan collins, I'd be hershey sqirting now.

[MissWaverly]

13. i do feel sorry for Susan Collins

she's just one of those people who just can't make the grade, I don't know if they were so
micro-manage by the WH that they never really developed a sense of what leadership role that they should have, but Susan and many of this current crop were just clueless about
what they really should have done to be effective.

[MarianJack]

14. Tom Allen had a basic refrain in his speech,...

..."she didn't do her job!"

When you hear his list of reasons, there is no doubt. I don't consider Susan Collins to be a bad person, in fact I think she is a very good person. That doesn't take away from the fact that she is a very bad senator and has sided with the cheney/bush administration WAY too much for the good of the country and for the good of Maine!

Thanks for the feedback!

PEACE!

[MissWaverly]

17. agree, also think that the congress should be independent

of the White House, not part of the White House Staff, even if the prez is of the same party

[JimGinPA]

6. Thanks For The Recap

K&R

[MarianJack]

9. Your Welcome!

[livetohike]

7. Thanks for the report

:hi: I love hearing stories like this - first hand accounts of how our democracy works.

[MarianJack]

11. My Heart was full seeing so many young people.

We are not only going to win this election, we are going to win this GENERATION!

[cjsmom44]

10. RE: I was there too

Just came back from the Maine Convention too! It was wonderful to be a delegate for Obama!

[MarianJack]

12. It was bracing for me!

So many Democrats!

[TexasObserver]

15. Thanks

[book_worm]

16. Thank you!

[high density]

18. The thing that bugs me about Pingree

Is that she seems to be a big opportunist. She moved to DC when it suited her to run Common Cause, now she's back in Maine that it suits her to run for Congress. That said, the other choices aren't all that exciting either. I like Adam Cote but I fear he will be a DINO if elected.

[MaineDem]

19. Wasn't Cote recently a Republican?

I heard that somewhere. I'm glad I don't have to make that choice.

[MarianJack]

20. I Understand your concern,...

...but after listening to the 6 of them on Saturday night, she was clearly the best.

Any of them is better than a pro-war snowe flunkie as the other side is offering.

I'll say this about Chellie's daughter, Hannah, soon to be Speaker of the Maine State House @ 32. I wonder if I'm looking at a possible Governor about 10 years down the road!

PEACE!