Three Blog Reports on the MA Dem State Convention
Undoubtedly there will be much more from the blogosphere and the morning newspapers about the goings on at the Massachusetts Democratic Platform Convention. But here are three fresh-from-the convention reports.
.08 Acres and a Donkey reports that of the three men seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor "Deval Patrick... got by far the biggest reaction from the crowd. He really brought the house down and the standing ovation he got at the end of his speech was made up of more than just his volunteers -- not so with the other candidates. Neither Reilly nor Galvin can compete with him when it comes to oratory -- he is on a completely different level. Neither my wife nor the other delegates sitting in our area had heard him before and all were extremely impressed; one even said that "he's our Obama". After his showing today, I would be extremely surprised if he couldn't get the 15% of the delegates he needs at next year's nominating convention to get on the ballot."
He also reports that "Contrary to what anyone might tell you, there was no controversy regarding the equal marriage rights plank, and in fact all the focus on it in the media over the past week or so has been completely overblown. There was no one taking signatures to remove it from the platform -- and there were people taking signatures for just about everything -- nor were there any protests that I noticed."
Charley at Blue Mass Group agrees about Patrick's speech: "This is straight from my scrawled notes: "BIG APPLAUSE. PARTIAL STANDING O. Enthusiasm!" If he has name recognition problems in the statewide polls right now, that sure wasn't evident in Lowell this morning. His signs were everywhere, and his people were very visible, wearing neon-chartreuse t-shirts.
On Bill Galvin: "His stump speech, frankly, sounds like a small-market truck commercial. Paraphrasing: To win, like the Patriots, we need teamwork. And teamwork means a great QB. We've got to get our state moving again. What happened to Massachusetts? We used to be a leader. We will be again with the right leadership. I know the problems of this state, and I know how to fix them.
"Oh, thank goodness, it's all settled then! The response to Galvin's speech was as wooden as its conception and execution."
On Tom Reilly: "...I don't envy him for having to follow Patrick. He was greeted with warm but not fervent applause. He seems to be positioning himself as the candidate of the acceptable, electable middle: We will not waste tax money, we will grow the economy and jobs. Especially striking was his emphasis on reaching out to independents -- that they need to be listened to, not lectured to. People who are struggling to send their kids to college, young people who are considering moving away because of the high cost of housing -- these folks used to be Democrats. These are our friends and neighbors.... There is a nugget of real compassion in Reilly's speech that could be expanded -- I hope he does so. If he finds his inner Bill Clinton, he could actually be a decent candidate."
Blogger Orient Lodge -- Aldon Hynes a Democrat from Connecticut was the only press-credentialed blogger at the event. He has a detailed report on how the chair of the convention stifled debate and claimed there was no time for anything more than an up or down voice vote to both the charter and the platform. The ploy was met with loud calls for "new leadership" from the floor.
"I spoke with quite a few different people about the events. People close to the chair argued that he would never do anything improper to get his way in a vote. They talked about the importance of getting business done quickly so that people wouldn't need to stay all day and leave out of boredom. I questioned how this related to making new people feel welcome in the party and staunching the flow of people out of the party. They justified the action saying that people had been given adequate opportunity to express their opinions already, yet had no suggestions about how to make people feel more welcome."
"Others were less charitable, Hynes continues. "Some leaders in the party refused to say anything other than that they could not comment. They seemed to view the event as a damaging fiasco and recognized that nothing is ever truly off the record.... Those who were opposed to the charter revisions, however, were livid. Some compared the chair to Stalin. Others compared him to Bush."
I was an elected convention delegate, although I was unable to attend. I had studied the charter changes in advance and would have voted against some of them, (all of them if necessary). In my view saving the substance of a "platform convention" til the end when people are eager to go home, and then ramming-through controversial changes to the charter by lumping them together with the platform strikes me from this distance as epitomizing some of both the appearance and substance the party's problems.
I will post more convention reports of interest, if any come my way.
.08 Acres and a Donkey reports that of the three men seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor "Deval Patrick... got by far the biggest reaction from the crowd. He really brought the house down and the standing ovation he got at the end of his speech was made up of more than just his volunteers -- not so with the other candidates. Neither Reilly nor Galvin can compete with him when it comes to oratory -- he is on a completely different level. Neither my wife nor the other delegates sitting in our area had heard him before and all were extremely impressed; one even said that "he's our Obama". After his showing today, I would be extremely surprised if he couldn't get the 15% of the delegates he needs at next year's nominating convention to get on the ballot."
He also reports that "Contrary to what anyone might tell you, there was no controversy regarding the equal marriage rights plank, and in fact all the focus on it in the media over the past week or so has been completely overblown. There was no one taking signatures to remove it from the platform -- and there were people taking signatures for just about everything -- nor were there any protests that I noticed."
Charley at Blue Mass Group agrees about Patrick's speech: "This is straight from my scrawled notes: "BIG APPLAUSE. PARTIAL STANDING O. Enthusiasm!" If he has name recognition problems in the statewide polls right now, that sure wasn't evident in Lowell this morning. His signs were everywhere, and his people were very visible, wearing neon-chartreuse t-shirts.
On Bill Galvin: "His stump speech, frankly, sounds like a small-market truck commercial. Paraphrasing: To win, like the Patriots, we need teamwork. And teamwork means a great QB. We've got to get our state moving again. What happened to Massachusetts? We used to be a leader. We will be again with the right leadership. I know the problems of this state, and I know how to fix them.
"Oh, thank goodness, it's all settled then! The response to Galvin's speech was as wooden as its conception and execution."
On Tom Reilly: "...I don't envy him for having to follow Patrick. He was greeted with warm but not fervent applause. He seems to be positioning himself as the candidate of the acceptable, electable middle: We will not waste tax money, we will grow the economy and jobs. Especially striking was his emphasis on reaching out to independents -- that they need to be listened to, not lectured to. People who are struggling to send their kids to college, young people who are considering moving away because of the high cost of housing -- these folks used to be Democrats. These are our friends and neighbors.... There is a nugget of real compassion in Reilly's speech that could be expanded -- I hope he does so. If he finds his inner Bill Clinton, he could actually be a decent candidate."
Blogger Orient Lodge -- Aldon Hynes a Democrat from Connecticut was the only press-credentialed blogger at the event. He has a detailed report on how the chair of the convention stifled debate and claimed there was no time for anything more than an up or down voice vote to both the charter and the platform. The ploy was met with loud calls for "new leadership" from the floor.
"I spoke with quite a few different people about the events. People close to the chair argued that he would never do anything improper to get his way in a vote. They talked about the importance of getting business done quickly so that people wouldn't need to stay all day and leave out of boredom. I questioned how this related to making new people feel welcome in the party and staunching the flow of people out of the party. They justified the action saying that people had been given adequate opportunity to express their opinions already, yet had no suggestions about how to make people feel more welcome."
"Others were less charitable, Hynes continues. "Some leaders in the party refused to say anything other than that they could not comment. They seemed to view the event as a damaging fiasco and recognized that nothing is ever truly off the record.... Those who were opposed to the charter revisions, however, were livid. Some compared the chair to Stalin. Others compared him to Bush."
I was an elected convention delegate, although I was unable to attend. I had studied the charter changes in advance and would have voted against some of them, (all of them if necessary). In my view saving the substance of a "platform convention" til the end when people are eager to go home, and then ramming-through controversial changes to the charter by lumping them together with the platform strikes me from this distance as epitomizing some of both the appearance and substance the party's problems.
I will post more convention reports of interest, if any come my way.
posted by Frederick Clarkson at 7:43 AM
2 Comments:
Wow, Jesse, thanks, that was very helpful. And by the way, a great big HI!!! from Greater Lowell for Peace and Justice.
It's so sad. Two steps forward, one step back. But at least they are scared of us! That has to mean something. We've got to turn this thing around. Maybe to start the education process about platform and resolutions early in the game (especially ones that are complex)? Also we have got to get some clout as to the schedule. That was ridiculous.
I'm sorry I missed everything this year. I did want to go as a youth delegate but the party headquarters pooched my app. (Surprise, surprise.)
The comments on Deval's speech were absolutely correct. Ditto the reactions to Reilly and Galvin.
But what I really want to commend is the person who said "gay marriage was hardly discussed at the convention." I wrote a letter to the editor of the Berkshire Eagle that was published 5/19 objecting to their headline "Mass Democrats Pass Gay Marriage Plank." All of this is trying to make people's blood boil. Patrick's speech was the "news" of the convention, but these people had written their stories before the convention even started, and then went out for beers.
What's REALLY interesting is that Scot Lehigh was seen dining with Reilly the night before the convention. And then publishes a column about how we'd better not be swayed by newcomers....COME ON!!!
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