************ TEXAS CONVENTION JOINT LIVEBLOGGING THREAD ************

[crispini]

All members of the Texas posse on DU are cordially invited to check in on this thread throughout the day to give DU updates from our conventions!

Linked to from Texas forum.

YEEEEEEEEEEEHAW!

[Hope And Change]

1. Kick!

:kick:

[flpoljunkie]

42. Austin American Statesman has a good blog on the goings on today. Link below.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/index.html

[EFerrari]

2. Have a great time, crispini!

:kick:

[crispini]

3. SD 16: So I've finished printing out my floor plans for volunteers

I did the floor plan for SD 16. But if you don't like it, don't argue with me, I did my best and somebody had to sit in the nosebleed seats! Anyway I am in charge of exactly nothing tomorrow and have told our esteemed volunteer coordinator that if there's a problem she is officially empowered to FIX IT.

Anyway, I have done my last round of printouts. I'm off to pack the box o' supplies I'm dragging along. I have to hit Kinko's before I get to the convention site and make about 50 copies of the floor plan. I'm going to try to get there around 7 in case anything else needs to be done. Besides, I'm awake. I've been awake for hours, too excited to sleep.

We're expecting 4,000 in Moody Coliseum. We're using the Jumbotron. Who on earth ever thought we'd need a Jumbotron for a State Senatorial District convention. :wow:

This shit is FUN! :bounce:

Edited to add -- the Texas peeps will find this thread easily enough, I linked it from the Texas forum -- so no need to kick (unless you want to, hahaha!)

[TBF]

64. You are brave, crispini

I couldn't do it. I did the precinct captain thing (one of many for a big county near Houston), and let others have at it for the delegate spots. Thanks so much for keeping us posted.

It is actually invigorating to find out there are so many democrats in Texas. They seem to be coming out of the woodwork. I guess folks are just way embarrased after the Bush debacle and want to set things right.

[flor de jasmim]

4. In round 2, what do people actually DO?

I mean, presumably everyone already knows how they are going to vote... so they check in and then what?

[crispini]

5. A surprising amount of effort goes into just the check in.

The entire delegation has to be credentialed. Stuff will be getting passed out of committee all day. Candidates will show up and give speeches. Etcetera. But there is a lot of sitting around.

[flor de jasmim]

6. I hadn't realized that there were more speeches (guess my reading has ended up...

focusing more on robocalls, e-mails, etc.!). It sounds like it should be VERY interesting (but tiring with so many people at one time). Have a good day!!

[WatchWhatISay]

241. Agreed

Pre-credentialing would be a good idea

[BlueGirlRedState]

7. Wish I could have volunteered

I got the urgent request from Travis County yesterday for volunteers but today is full with one daughter's middle school orientation and the other's 8 year old sleepover! It would have been very exciting to be in the middle of it. Two of my neighbor's are delegates from our precinct. I'll be looking for the updates.

[DerekJ]

8. kick

[alteredstate]

9. kick!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. I wish everyone luck today.

Here's to all of us making it out alive! :toast:

If I'm one of the survivors, I'll check in later this afternoon.

[babylonsister]

11. I cannot wait for the results! You go, crispini, and all my fellow Dems

in TX!

[MelissaB]

12. What time does the fun begin?

[flpoljunkie]

13. Report from Travis County from today's Austin American Statesman. Traffic backed up already at 7AM.

Travis County democrats get an early start

By Kate Alexander | Saturday, March 29, 2008, 07:14 AM

Heeding the call to come early, Travis County democrats were arriving at the site of the party conventions in droves early Saturday morning. Traffic was already backed up shortly after 7 a.m. The convention is not set to start until 10 a.m.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2008/03/29/travis_county_democrats_get_an.html

[flpoljunkie]

14. More from the Statesman on the Texas regional convention today...

Parties set for Texas regional conventions today

Obama-Clinton tussle could shake out
By W. Gardner Selby

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, March 29, 2008

Activists for Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton voiced concerns Friday about misinformation reaching supporters on the eve of pivotal regional conventions as the Texas Democratic Party warned against heeding reported automated phone calls saying conventions are canceled.

<>Clinton spokeswoman Adrienne Elrod said any calls in support of Clinton that were made to Obama delegates were based on flawed information provided by the party.

"We've mistakenly called a few delegates we thought were ours," Elrod said. "We want to focus our time reaching out to our own delegates."

Concerns emerged on the eve of some 260 regional Democratic conventions statewide that could signal whether Obama did well enough at precinct caucuses the night of the March 4 primary to erase Clinton's edge of four pledged delegates from her win of the state's popular vote that day.

<>Sixty-seven of the state's 228 Democratic delegates are at stake in a delegate-selection process that started with the caucuses. Selections will wrap up at the Democrats' state convention in June.

The state party has no plans to publicize regional results, though a Democrat-oriented blog, the Burnt Orange Report, announced this week that it intends to partner with the Clinton and Obama campaigns to post results online.

Chris Elliott, chairman of the Travis County Democrats, is expected to chair the party's conventions for state Senate Districts 14 and 25. At least 7,000 delegates and alternates are expected to attend.

Flippin and Elrod each said about 65 percent of the caucus delegates chosen on primary night in the county went to Obama.

Elliott said Friday that the county party focused on compiling delegate lists and didn't add up how many delegates each candidate won at the caucuses. Obama carried 63 percent of the primary vote in Travis County. Obama also won Hays and Williamson counties, with 56 percent tallies.

IF YOU GO

What should I bring?

A photo ID. Wear comfortable shoes; the meetings could run late.

Will food be available?

Vendors will be in place at the Travis County Exposition Center, site of the county's Democratic conventions. Vendors will also be operating at the Delco Activity Center, where Senate District 14 Republicans will gather. There will be no food for sale at Covington Middle School, site of the Senate District 25 GOP convention.

Parking?

Parking at the Expo Center is $5; it's no charge outside the GOP gatherings.

How long must I stay?

Come early to register. Delegates are urged to stay until the closing gavel strikes at the end of the day if they wish to influence resolutions to the state party and who gets picked to be a delegate to the state conventions.

Sources: Travis County Democrats, Travis County Republicans

[e-mail], 445-3644

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/03/29/0329conventions.html

[rainbow4321]

17. "Mistakenly", my ass

"We've mistakenly called a few delegates we thought were ours," Elrod said. "We want to focus our time reaching out to our own delegates."




That's an "oh, shit, we've been caught" semi-confession. Had it been the such a "mistake" from the Obama camp, HRC lawyers would be filing legal papers in a heartbeat.

[silverlib]

88. I was a Travis County walking delegate...

Parked on Decker Lane and walked 1.2 miles to the convention - and proud to do it. It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to go 18 miles. I hope there are arial photos of traffice backed up Decker, down 979 to MLK (and that's just from one direction coming in). This is democracy at work. Whichever candidate attendees are supporting, it was a massive example of people screaming for change.

It was a long day, but our paid staff (2) that work with no insurance coverage and the volunteers did an execellent job and those that complain about lines and delays should consider volunteering for the next round.

I was awed - and that feeling I had this morning walking down Decker Lane has not been matched in my 50+ years.

Peace -

[flpoljunkie]

96. Thanks so much for your first hand report--compelling and inspiring!

[stillcool]

126. and now I'm awed!

thank you!

[sonias]

179. I love you silverlib

:yourock: I am so proud of you. I saw so much of that commitment. Amazing.


Sonia

[silverlib]

198. Thank you Sonia...

What a nice response! I can't say enough about how much I admire and love you too! You have worked hard and tirelessly to change the color of Texas... and your hard work shows in what I saw and felt today.

[Adelante]

127. Travis County

[silverlib]

Great picture...

and it doesn't even capture the people that filled the stands.

Thanks!

Edited to add that one of the speakers - either Kirk Watson or Lloyd Doggett, mentioned that we were lucky we weren't in the Superdome in New Orleans waiting for help from the Republican Party.

[blonndee]

136. Nice pic! I noticed in the bottom left, one woman has a "Stop McCain" sign.

Go Dems!!

[sonias]

176. Thank you for that picture

I was so busy today, I never had a chance to take any pictures.

:bounce:


Sonia

[grantcart]

28. list is here

http://www.txdemocrats.org/page/content/countyconvs

[flpoljunkie]

33. Thanks for the link!

[jefferson_dem]

15. kick!

Thanks for the field reports, crispini.

Have fun! :bounce:

[quantass]

16. kickity

[JTFrog]

18. .

:kick:

[crispini]

19. delegates are starting to arrive and sign in!

check flickr photostream for pics!

[rainbow4321]

20. KICK!

Go TEXAN DEMS!!!

[Coexist]

21. kick!

[JTFrog]

22. k.

[WillyT]

23. K & R !!!

:kick:

[Adelante]

24. Good luck, Texas

Thank you, Crispini :hug:

[grantcart]

25. If your in here you will probably want to look at this thread which

has a lot of background information on the conventios

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5304302

[grantcart]

26. FAQ about the conventions

When are the County/Senate District Conventions?
They will be held on March 29, 2008. (Texas Election code: § 174.063)

Who decides when the County/Senatorial District Conventions are held?
The date of the County or Senate District Convention is set by State Law.

What is the difference between a County Convention and a Senatorial District Convention?
Each County that lies wholly within one Senate District will have a County Convention. (Example: Webb County is wholly with Senate District 21, so it will have a County Convention for all precincts in Webb County.) When parts of one county belong to more than one senatorial district, there shall be held, in lieu of a County Convention, a Senatorial District Convention for each part of the county falling into a different senatorial district. (Example: El Paso County is split into Senate District 29 and Senate District 19. Two Senate District Conventions may be held in El Paso County made up of their respective precincts.)

Who attends the County/Senate District Conventions?
Anyone may attend the Conventions. However, only delegates who were selected at the precinct conventions held on Election Day, or their alternates if elevated to delegate status, can vote and participate in committees.

What happens at the County/Senate District Conventions?
Elected delegates and alternates from their respective precinct conventions sign in with their presidential preference. Committees of the County/Senate District convention make their respective reports and the Credentials Committee reports on credential challenges and submits its report before the body for ratification. Elected Delegates and Alternates then caucus with their precincts to elect their share of the County/Senate District Delegates. Once the precinct caucuses complete their business, the results are forwarded to the Nominations Committee, which is charged with balancing the delegation to mirror the results of the County/Senate District sign in sheet. The nominations committee will then give its report before the full body. Finally, other business, like passing resolutions, is then conducted.

Can the allocation of convention delegates change from the Precinct Conventions?
Yes. Delegate allocation can shift depending upon the attendance of each candidates supporters and/or whether delegates change their presidential preference from their precinct convention preference,

What is next?
The delegates and alternates elected at the County/Senate District Convention then go to the State Convention. The State Convention will be held on June 6 and 7 in Austin, Texas. Delegates and alternates elected at the State Convention will go to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, which will be held August 25-28.

How many delegates are awarded to candidates by the primary results and how many by the convention system?

* 126 Senatorial District Level Delegates allocated by primary results.
* 42 At-Large Delegates and 25 Pledged Party Leaders, Democratic Mayors and Legislators, all allocated by the presidential preference of delegates attending the State convention (with a 15 percent threshold).
* 32 Super Delegates made up of Members of Congress, Members of the DNC, past House Speakers and former DNC Chairs.
* 3 Unpledged Delegates (Add-Ons) elected through a three-tier, post-primary convention process.

[City Lights]

27. Thanks for keeping us updated!

:bounce:

[seabeyond]

29. we are not until 6 tonight. is it all different times thru out tx. i dont know

what is going on. just following the line provided.

[blogslut]

41. sign in is at 5

Just and FYI :)

[seabeyond]

94. i got lost. never been to palo duro high. lol. ah ha. was the funniest

i thought it was grand street. didnt have glasses. GRANT st. lol. i got lost 24 ne block, went past amarillo blvd,... three different times i had really nice, somewhat surprised people helping me out with instructions on the way

i wasnt needed. lol

total waste of time. but i got an obama sticker and know where palo duro is now

[LiberalAndProud]

187. Hope you're feeling better.

Thanks for showing up. You have such a great attitude about it too!
:yourock:

[seabeyond]

193. oh... worse and worse, i think i am gonna diiiiiiii, lol. ah well

thanks.

i am glad i went.

[LiberalAndProud]

207. Get better soon.

Sorry you're feeling so yucky. Take care of you.

[crispini]

30. more pics!

Wild! Still signing in!

[WillyT]

31. Texas caucus conventions get going with next round of meetings

<snip>

The Associated Press
Article Launched: 03/29/2008 09:47:29 AM MDT

AUSTIN—Democratic county and senate district conventions have started around the state, and some are experiencing long lines of delegates waiting to register.

The approximately 280 convention caucuses Saturday are the next step for backers of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to show up and support their candidate.

In Austin, some delegates got fed up waiting at least an hour in traffic and abandoned their cars on the side of the road. They walked the rest of the distance to the Travis County Expo Center. Convention officials extended the morning sign-in period because so many of the thousands of delegates hadn't gotten the chance to register.

But in Senate District 13 in Houston, another large convention, the mood was less chaotic as delegates settled in for the day at a Texas Southern University gymnasium.

<snip>

Link: http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_8740892

:hi:

[Kittycat]

35. Democracy in Action - I love it!

Leaving their cars on the side of the road... That is motivation people. I only wish I could be part of it. How exciting for everyone, regardless of your candidate of choice.

[grantcart]

52. i would love to see a helicopter shot of that

[flpoljunkie]

32. Delegate Deadline now 11:30 in Austin due to long lines

Delegate deadline at 11:30

By Kate Alexander | Saturday, March 29, 2008, 10:50 AM

The last of the cars has made it into the Travis County Expo Center parking lot, organizers announced around 10:50.

But that doesn’t mean the waiting is over. There is still a line to get in the building.

But sign-in has been extended and all delegates will be allowed to sign-in if there are in line by 11:30 a.m.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2008/03/29/delegate_deadline_at_1130.html

[WillyT]

34. Dispatch from Thomas Jefferson High School, named for a guy who's partly to blame...

Dispatch from Thomas Jefferson High School, named for a guy who's partly to blame for all this democracy stuff

<snip>

I'm at the 8th Senatorial District Convention at Thomas Jefferson High School in northwest Dallas.

Hundreds of supporters of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, people who were elected as precinct delegates on Texas primary night, are here to choose the 87 people who will go on to the Texas Democratic Party State Convention in Austin in June.

Already, our chances of getting out of here in time to enjoy our Saturday afternoon seem slim. (I had been hoping to be freed from this call of duty by 3 p.m., when I'm supposed to be at a friend's house to divvy up our Texas Rangers' season tickets. I'm now optimistically shooting for the 5:40 tipoff of Xavier-UCLA.) A brochure that someone handed me says the convention was to get underway at 9:30 a.m., with a call to order and the Pledge of Allegiance, but an hour later, they are still registering new arrivals at tables arranged alphanetically along an L-shaped linoleum corridor.

No one seems sure what they're doing, or where they're supposed to go. It's sort of like the first day of high school -- if the students all had graying hair, paunches, big cups of coffee and "Hillary" or "Obama" shirts.

The hallway is crowded and beat-up and lined with red metal lockers. Taped to the thickly painted blue and beige walls are science project posters, copies of the DISD dress code, signs listing library and tutoring hours, warnings against doing drugs, and notices of upcoming social events.

One sign says, "No tardy passes, and do not beg, please." It's from Ms. Cardenas. She's lucky she's not here today.
<snip>

Link: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/03/dispatch-from-thomas-jefferson.html

LOL!!!

:shrug:

[flpoljunkie]

36. More from the AP on the Texas conventions at 12:10PM

Texas Dems Try to Divvy Up Delegates

The Associated Press
Saturday, March 29, 2008; 12:10 PM

AUSTIN, Texas -- Democratic county and senate district conventions to divvy up delegates in the presidential contest are under way across Texas, and some are experiencing long lines.

The approximately 280 conventions Saturday are the next step for backers of Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton to show up and support their candidate. The conventions could determine the allocation of nine delegates still in doubt after chaotic precinct caucuses on March 4.

In Austin, some delegates got fed up after waiting at least an hour in traffic Saturday and abandoned their cars on the side of the road. They walked the rest of the distance to the Travis County Expo Center. Convention officials extended the morning sign-in period.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/29/AR2008032901160.html

[goclark]

37. Keep kicked this is Democracy in Action!

:bounce:

[TexanDem]

38. Thanks!! K&R

[WillyT]

39. Hays County convention hits delay

<snip>

Hays County convention hits delay

By Chuck Lindell | Saturday, March 29, 2008, 11:02 AM

They’re supposed to start at 11 a.m. here in Kyle’s Wallace Middle School, but the crowd — and a line of delegates hoping to fix credential problems — prompted officials to delay things by 30 minutes.

The delegates are packed into the school gym, crowding the bleachers and folding chairs on the floor, and the sign-in tables are calm.

Sarah Cromwell, a Hillary Clinton supporter, is attending her first county convention, as are most of the delegates here.

“I’m learning a lot. It’s a little disorganized, but that’s understandable with a lot more people here than there’s ever been before,” said Cromwell, a Texas State University student.

Though more delegates favoring Barack Obama are in attendance, Cromwell said she isn’t daunted by the numbers.

“I’m happy as long as the Democratic Party wins,” she said.

Beau Thorne, an alternate delegate for Obama, was struck by the low-tech convention process after spending so much time with his candidate’s online community. “It’s interesting to get here and see it’s still tables and lists,” he said.

“It might sound corny, but this feels like a moment,” Thorne said. “There’s an unprecedented amount of enthusiasm and engagement.”

<snip>

Link: http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2008/03/29/hays_county_convention_hits_de.html

[blogslut]

40. Ours is a 5 CST

Fired up and ready, baby!

[Kittycat]

43. Crispini - have you read about this in SanAntonio Dist 26?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/29/13338/0346
http://ruralvotes.com/thefield/

(The Obama delegate) got there to discover a backroom deal had already been cut by Democratic Party leaders in the county, presumably, to set up the rules committees 50/50 Clinton/Obama people, but all the committee chairs are Clinton people.

Clinton’s campaign has sent a bunch of “at large” delegates to the Sen. 26 caucus to hang out in the event someone doesn’t show up at the right time, so they can step in as delegates. (The Obama delegate) is not certain if the Obama folks are doing the same thing, but she said she had not heard of this practice from the folks she’s dealing with on the Obama side.

Somehow, none of the Obama delegates from our precinct are listed on the rolls, so they have all been categorized as provisional for the caucus. She’s not certain if the Clinton delegates from our precinct suffered the same fate. She said this is strange because someone on the Obama side said they saw all the names entered onto the rolls.

more at link

[flpoljunkie]

97. This is very disturbing!

[crispini]

44. wow!

we are rolling!

[goclark]

45. Fired Up ready to go

Obama people ~ don't you let any dirty tricks get you!

Remember that kitchen sink. :bounce:

[rainbow4321]

46. Kicking..and a reminder that you can watch the delegate count online

http://www.burntorangereport.com/


Texas blog that is keeping a running total.

[crispini]

47. we are hearing from candidates now

more pics in ohotobucket stream

[crispini]

48. Ok, I have the computer out so I can write a bit more.

We're waiting on the report of the credentials committee. We're hearing from elected officials and candidates now. I'm pretty wiped out, but I think we have our paperwork and our delegation in shape. Also, the seating chart appears to have been somewhat of a success, so I am happy. A few people have wound up sitting on the floor, but not too many.

The Dallas Morning News is doing a better job of liveblogging for those of you who want to follow along over there.
http://trailblazers.beloblog.com/

[stillcool]

49. I'm thinking that I'm looking at the wrong...

pictures. That's a lot of people!

[crispini]

50. 4000!

Credential committee has finished! We are getting ready to move on the next steps!

[crispini]

51. More on Burnt Orange Report!

http://www.burntorangereport.com/

[grantcart]

53. from the past (reduce to 50% so you can read it)

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9D00E3DE1538E233A2575AC2A9639C94639ED7CF&oref=slogin

[crispini]

54. phew

We are hearing credentials challenges now.

This is a large room.

This is crazy.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

55. We're done!

We were MUCH more organized that I expected. It went smoothly. My county sent 5 Delegates to state for Hillary and 3 For Obama. Which was a huge surprise to many considering the fact that it was originally thought the showing for Obama in our rual area would be small enough not to get any delegates sent on to state.

[crispini]

57. I hate you

we are having to work through credentials reports with 4000 people.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

65. I only had 85 delegates. I'd rather have had your 4000 though!

I'm on top of the world right now! I also get to be interviewed by KGO radio on the west coast tonight!! :bounce:

[Drunken Irishman]

58. Good news, Lone Star!

[Kittycat]

76. That is great news... So did he pick up delegates then?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

191. No.

I even hit the wrong number above. It was 2 Obama delegates. My brain is tired and not working at it's best.

Due to the way we were broken up by precinct this was the best possible outcome we could have had. If one Obama delegate had not shown up we'd have only gotten 1.

[crispini]

56. this is one tough room

[efhmc]

59. Home and things went smoothly and were cordial and productive.

Made me proud, happy and ready for a rest.

[crispini]

60. I hate you too.

We're still fighting about the reports from the credentials committees.

[efhmc]

62. Hang in there, hon, you are huge and we are tiny. Although I was amazed

at how efficiently the County Chair ran things. He was originally from Houston and had been to about a hundred convention so was quite effective in his job. Another thing that sped things along (I was on nominations.) was that we had already picked enough diverse delegates so our job was pretty easy.

[crispini]

61. People, send us good vibes!

We need your help! We're getting stuck in a credentials fight!

[efhmc]

63. Wow, that will hold things up. What is the issue? With the numbers you

have, that could be mind boggling. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These wavy things are good thoughts.

[SharonRB]

66. Thanks for keeping up updated, Crispi!

:hi:

Our district conventions were supposed to be today, but were postponed to April 19, hoping that a deal can be reached with the two campaigns by then. Looks like any kind of revote is dead, but Howard Dean says we'll get seated if they can figure out how to split up the delegates with the campaigns.

[crispini]

67. NOW we're cooking with gas!

We have finished the fight over credentials and we have elected permanent chair and permanent secretary.

THANK HEAVEN.

[efhmc]

68. Hoorah!!! Do you expect to see your home again any time today?

[merh]

70. LOL

have good fun

:hi:

[WolverineDG]

69. South Texas checking in

Wish I could say we had a great convention regardless of the competition between Obama & the other side, but I cannot. There are many supposedly mature adults who should be ashamed of their actions today. The young supporters of the other candidate were much more mature & responsible than their elders. It was so bad, not only were the Obama delegates screwed, the young supporters of the other side were screwed too! If you weren't part of the clique, you were told to fill out an application form for at-large delegate. Many did (including me). However, when the at large delegates were announced, several actual delegate slots were taken by people who simply had written their names on a piece of paper because :wink wink: they "knew" someone on the committee. This screwed several young energetic kids out of delegate & alternate slots to the state convention. Yes, friends, they ate their own.

The attorney for the other side made a racist remark to an Obama supporter who is African American. :grr: To their credit, the kids from the other side reported her to their faculty sponsor who found a security guard to locate her & escort her from the premises. She made other snide remarks to Obama delegates & supporters as well, & then when we gathered in the lobby after we walked out of the convention, she ran around taking our pictures & documenting that we were all wearing green. :eyes: Apparently, her side is intimidated by 44 people wearing green shirts.

Afterwards, I had a nice long talk with one of the more vocal young supporters of the other side & opened his eyes. He'd never heard of the DLC. Never heard that she lied about Bosnia four times on tape. Didn't know that she is trying to oust Howard Dean (who this kid worships) & kill the 50 state strategy. Didn't know that there is a move at the state level here to kill the grassroots efforts in Texas. Well, now he does.

As for what I did, I've spent most of the last 24 hours in credentials. Yesterday & all day today. I didn't even get to caucus with my precinct. Oh well. However, MOST of the credentials committee members took a business-like approach. If we hit a snag, we brought it to everyone's attention, we discussed it like adults, made a rule & then applied that rule when the situation occurred again. However, one supporter from the other side who was there more for the glory than the actual work, would come in, have a snit-fit about how we were doing things & then try to change what we were doing. To their credit, the other members of the committee who were supporters of the other side would tell her to stuff it, that a decision had been made & too bad so sad she wasn't there to contribute, even on a case when we eliminated a Clinton delegate because he forgot to change his preference on the sign-in sheet. She had already sat in on a prior case & was adamant that that particular person be excluded as a delegate (because it was known he was going to sign in for Obama at County), but she wanted to apply a different standard to the 2nd person. We told her, as a group: Let this one in, we let the other one in. We have to apply our rules fairly.

Did we make mistakes? Probably, but we consistently applied the rules we had made as a committee across the board. Too bad this camaderie we shared on my committee wasn't carried in the convention itself. As I told the young kid, if she wins, don't come knocking on my door expecting me to do something for her. I'll be busy working down-ballot for Richard Noriega & other worthy Dems.

dg

[SaveAmerica]

73. I think you witnessed old-timers either pushing newbies away from politics or over to Obama...

I wonder if they even thought that through? This is glaring in how it showcases why young voters are supporting Obama; they are tired of nasty, slimy politics and I think they sense that Obama is too. Those kids will remember how they were treated on election day, I think, and vote accordingly (I'm talking about how Obama supporters treated them too).

[WolverineDG]

74. No, they didn't

they were extremely patronizing to the young woman who dared question their decision. We did have 2 Obama folks on the committee, but I bet their input was ignored.

dg

[gkhouston]

130. I saw the dinosaurs-eating-their-young mentality, also.

I was an alternate but I stayed most of the day to watch the goings-on and there were plenty. We had one challege where some of the younger Clinton supporters sided with the Obama camp against the "establishment". It wasn't pretty, but they were making sense and they prevailed.

Let me tell you a funny. My delegation was 11/9 Clinton/Obama and included a fiftyish Obama supporter who's been a Dem forever is dying to go to state. The Obama half of our caucus talked amongst ourselves and decided that we'd support her as a nominee for delegate. The Clinton half apparently wasn't so organized nor so aware of who was whom, so there was one "Obama" candidate and three "Clinton" nominees for delegate. By the time we actually voted one of the Obama delegates had left (without telling the precinct chair; I wonder if I could have been elevated if the yutz had told someone they weren't going to stay all day?) so this Obama person got 8 votes from our side of the caucus and 2 from the Clinton side. :rofl: Our "Clinton" precinct is sending an Obama delegate to state! :bounce:

[WolverineDG]

141. The Clinton folks saw to it that such "mistakes"

at our convention were "corrected." Yeah, she's playing fair & by the rules. Not.

dg

[sonias]

181. I am so sorry to read your report

I knew you were stuck in hell dg, but it still breaks my heart.

:hug:

Sonia

[WolverineDG]

201. It makes me so mad

at the very beginning, we were all excited. Wow, 2 great candidates! It's gonna be great! Then, they started pulling their crappy crooked political games & never let up. They know they ran that convention improperly and they just didn't care. All they cared about was getting all the delegates for Hillary. Too fucking back for Obama if we didn't get a delegate or alternate. They certainly made sure that any such "mistakes" were "corrected," though. I am done with the local party. I worked my ass off for the past 4 years; anytime the county chair needed something done, he called me & I did what I could. I was one of the few he could count on. And he goes along with the crooked politics, knowing that the convention is being run improperly & then has the balls to go on TV & say that everything was run according to the rules. :grr:

I'm tired of being stuck in hell. I want out of this backward, racist county.

dg

[sonias]

210. dg - maybe it is time to move

Seriously. You deserve your sanity. You are welcome in Austin anytime.

:hug:

Sonia

[WolverineDG]

211. I'd need a job nt

[MagickMuffin]

245. Please report this to Obama's legal team of experts,

Here is a number to call in Austin: 512.476.2002

These people need to be challenged, because how they conducted their convention is not only unethical, but sounds to me to be NOT following the RULES.

They should not be allowed to get away with this. From ALL your hard work you have done for the party, you should continue to make sure the process is NOT corrupted. So, even if you give up, please wait and try and fight at least one last battle.

I wrote about my experience down thread. We had 87 challenges, and I plan on contacting the county HQ's tomorrow to let them know why so many people don't want to participate in the process when there are some people who don't want to follow the RULES and exclude the younger people from the process.

I'm so sorry you had to experience this as well as everyone else who apparently were ready to take an active role in Democracy.

[Lisa0825]

71. SD 11 and 17 in Galveston County - 60% Obama 40% Clinton

:woohoo:

But as I keep saying I could barely hear above the crowd, so I am not sure if that is the overall result or one of the 2 districts.

[crispini]

72. We are done with the election of delegates, results are being tabulated.

I have moved on to do my work the Nominations committee, so no more reports from the floor from me, but I'll let you know what I hear.

[Patsy Stone]

75. Please do

:thumbsup:

[crispini]

77. We have no idea what's going on out on the floor,

but according to the DMN log:

Apparently, volleyball practice or whatever it was that was kicking us out at 6 pm has been cancelled.

SUPER. We'll be here all night.

At the moment, there's a motion to separate the Michigan and Florida resolution so that they can vote on that one separately and maybe approve the others together.

Sure, that'll happen.
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/

We DID just find out that nobody has been actually tabulating the sign in. Oh NOES! That sign in is what we need to do our work.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!

[Patsy Stone]

78. That sounds like a long night ahead

And I hope you find that someone, somewhere has those sheets.

:hug:

[Yael]

79. Michigan and Florida resolution?

What is Texas voting on that involves Michigan and Florida?

[Kittycat]

82. I'm confused. What does MI&FL have to do with TX?

[crispini]

103. It's some kind of resolution

We can pass whatever the hell kind of resolution we want. Doesn't mean anything really, it's just a statement. :D

[WolverineDG]

144. Nothing

resolutions go to state to die. Everyone knows that. They're just trying to get some joementum for that issue.

dg

[grantcart]

90. keep up the good work

[WolverineDG]

143. We had that resolution too

Asshats for Hillary trying to get some joementum for ousting Howard Dean with stuff like that. Guess who told the pissed off Hillary kids who love Howard Dean what was really happening? :evilgrin: :hi:

dg

[me b zola]

215. Thank you, DG

For all that you are doing, especially for taking the time to educate the younger delegates. You are appreciated. Infomation is power, and the truth will set you free.

:loveya:

[Laura PourMeADrink]

80. Woo-Hoo ! Obama wins my county - McClennan = 1,000 attend !

Obama delegates dominate Democrats county convention in Waco


Saturday, March 29, 2008

From staff reports

The Barack Obama campaign’s success at caucusing continued to manifest itself at the Democrats’ McLennan County convention this afternoon, with the presidential contender from Illinois gaining 58 percent of the 81 local delegates bound for the state convention on June 5.

As the convention wound down late in the afternoon and most Democrats abandoned the hall at the Waco Convention Center for other pursuits, party officials were figuring out what at-large delegates to include among the 47 delegate slots representing Obama and the 34 representing rival Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Nearly 1,000 people attended today’s convention, the largest crowd for a local Democratic county convention in memory.

While Obama dominated the voting, speaker after speaker spoke to the ebullient crowd of Obama and Clinton supporters on the need to unite after the national convention in August in order to defeat the GOP’s apparent nominee, John McCain, in the November election.

“This is, I would say, a welcomed showing of interest,” party chairman John Cullar said of the crowd.

Sign-in at the front desk — done by name, precinct and presidential preference — took more than two hours, the start of a drawn-out, sometimes tedious day of business for local Democrats, long accustomed to being neglected in a county that, in recent years, has championed President Bush.

Democrats held about 260 county and state senatorial district conventions statewide today.

[Kukesa]

81. Woo-Hoo for sure! n/t

[Laura PourMeADrink]

84. Woo-hoo for sure !! Yes, we can ! nt

[Yael]

85. Congrats!

:woohoo:

[Yael]

89. BurntOrange is reporting McLellan went for HIllary

6:45pm by David - McLennan had previously been reported as an Obama win. It appears the final tally is Clinton 42 - Obama 39.

http://burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5484

[goclark]

95. Is it winner take all?

[silverlib]

167. Burnt Oragne has an update - Obama won!

[Yael]

Just saw that

:bounce:

[tammywammy]

83. I'm home from SD10

It took forever to get credentials.

My precinct chairman kept going to see what was going on. He said that there are rumors of election fraud going on. We finally got our credentials at 5pm. We had already decided how the vote was going to go for the Obama people.

The Hillary delegates were a disappointing show for my precinct. We had all 7 Obama delegates, plus 5 alternates show up. The Hillary people had 5 show up. Eventually about 2 hours after it started another Hillary person showed and someone from our precinct showed and was an alternate to an alternate.

On Hillary supporter said "I'll vote McCain if Obama gets the nomination" and the other Hillary supporters railed on her. :) This one lady flat out said "Then you're no democrat, why are you here?" And this other guy said roughly that if Jesus ran as a republican he would still vote for the democrat. LOL. So the one lady left in a huff and never showed back up. The alternate to the alternate left too, so when we actually got to vote on the 1 delegate, 1 alternate for state the Hillary people were outnumbered by 2.

We're sending a great Obama supporter as the delegate. She's very enthusiastic and is very energized to get involved. A Hillary supporter is the alternate, also a very very nice guy.

Other precincts around us were really having to fight it out. I'm glad ours went so smooth.



Also having the gun show also going on at Will Rogers was ironic.

Here's a story on what was going down at SD 10. http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/index.php/2008/03/29/mass-confusion-at-fort-worth-convention/

[LiberalAndProud]

86. Interesting report.

GDP mirror?

[tammywammy]

87. LOL

Possibly.

The precinct sitting right in front of us, the Hillary supporters had filed a complaint with credentials against the Obama people. But apparently, Obama people won the challenge. The row over, those precincts were very "heated."

Luckily, my precinct was all cool, except that one woman that said she'd vote McCain. But she was justly rebuked by the other Hillary supporters.

[Kittycat]

99. I love that... If Jesus was the republican nominee - I'd still vote Dem.

:rofl:

[yellowdogintexas]

128. it was a zoo wasn[t it. I am so tired. Lots of waiting. Our precinct chair

and secretary did not show. We had 10 out of the expected 18 from primary night. But one of our people kept going to check on things, and the group next to us somehow got credentialed very early So one of their guys did some snooping around and got us what we needed and we did our thing. Even split on the vote; the guy who got things done is our delegate (Clinton) and we have an alternate who is an Obama delegate. I can't attend the State Conv, and another delegate can't attend but everybody else filled out alternate forms, they all want to go.

But the Will Rogers was very lively today...I was very uplifted by it all. Just trying to imagine what it might have been like to have this convention in a high school. LOL!!!

Oh Yeah, some horse event is going on and we had rodeo floor in the middle of the arena. It smelled kinda funny.

[tammywammy]

235. I filled out an at-large form

But I don't expect to get it. I might volunteer at State. Another Obama person from my precinct said she was probably going to volunteer.

On Burnt Orange they said SD 10 didn't finish until 4am!

[sonias]

184. thank for the report Tammy

Glad your went more smoothly than others.

:toast: to you.

Sonia

[bigbrother05]

216. Reminds me of the old definition of a yellow dog Dem

When accused that he'd vote for the Devil himself on the Dem ticket, thought for a moment before agreeing "Yeah, but not in the primary."

[thevoiceofreason]

91. State Senate 15 in Houston - 2d (or 3d largest)

217 delegates to state:

158 Obama

59 Hillary

[SaveAmerica]

113. wow!

[Lisa0825]

123. AWESOME!

:woohoo:

I can't WAIT for STATE!!! :party: :patriot:

[grantcart]

The official report is 160 to 57

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pCVgf3tYDGBevq1NB-GJHdw

[sonias]

186. Congratulations thevoiceofreason!

Awesome news!

:applause:


Sonia

[Adelante]

92. With 26.06% reporting: Obama 54.83%; Clinton 45.17%

http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5484

[goclark]

93. What are the prospects for each candidate

at the end based on what we know now?

[Adelante]

98. I dunno

I'm no Texan :D

[Kittycat]

101. It was estimated that the results from last month were 65% Obama - I Think...

I could be wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me though. However, I do know the final count was stopped to focus on the county events.

[goclark]

119. When will we know for sure ~

I am so worried.

Question ~ Hillary won Texas and I heard something about Obama may have won the caucus that was held after the primary.

Now I am lost ~ what are the the possible outcomes? :scared:

[60TrenchesGone]

100. 31% reporting... Obama gets huge lead, 1610 to 1138

Another Harris in at 272-52 for Obama.

Overall Obama's leading 1610 to 1138.

[Thickasabrick]

102. Whoohoo!!! n/t

[crispini]

104. We are still waiting on tabulations

But Nominations is getting their stuff together so we'll get all of our work done really quickly when we know how to do it. :D

[Thickasabrick]

105. In case enough people haven't told you thank you - thank you!!!! nt

[Kukesa]

112. Add me to the "thank you" list. Great job, crispini! n/t

[seabeyond]

106. yes. you are doing great as you did with primary. n/t

[thevoiceofreason]

108. How does it look?

We were 158-59 Obama.

[crispini]

115. We dunno, tabulations is still working

Get this, they FORGOT TO DO IT. So that only got started about an hour ago.

[thevoiceofreason]

118. We suspended credentials so that we could do it earlier.

[thevoiceofreason]

107. Man I'm tired.

We're waiting around now for the nominating committee to return with the at-large delegate selections. Obama only hd 18 slots left to fill, Hillary 29.

Credentials was a zoo. There was this person from the Hillary camp screaming and making no sense over a matter and delegate fight that made on difference in the overall count -- so it didn't matter either.

So, it's almost 8, I've been here since 6 a.m., and there is no end in sight. The crowd has really dwindled. I have to stay to make sure no hanky panky.

They say we should be out of here by 11.

ZZZZZZZZZ

[alteredstate]

109. Keep the faith!

You're making history!

[writes3000]

110. Hang in there, TVOR! I so appreciate your hard work! n/t

They're lucky to have you.

[Kukesa]

111. Thanks for all your hard work. n/t

[FrenchieCat]

114. Just keep thinking President Obama!

and the fact that You are making a difference! :patriot:

[crispini]

116. You're ahead of us.

We haven't started on at large stuff yet. :D

[TBF]

124. So far Travis County is reporting good numbers - keep'em coming

[stillcool]

129. crispini...it's been great..

being with you today! ..Thank you so much for not only being there, but for being here as well!

[Yael]

121. Long day!!

Thank you as well -- for the reports AND the work!

[stillcool]

125. Good on you!

that's amazing. I am not familiar at all with the process, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have lasted that long. :toast:

[grantcart]

117. these guys in Texas are sitting around eating Church's chicken just jerking us around while we wait

lol

[thevoiceofreason]

120. Don't I wish. Damn I'm hungry.

[grantcart]

122. well I couldn't get any chicken to you so I tried to make you laugh

[jefferson_dem]

132. A little vid clip to keep you entertained while you wait...--->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaUl6x1YXpg

Keep fighting the good fight!

[seabeyond]

139. and she snorts. well.... hubby and i were just talking about this tonight trying to figure out

what the law is on this. i am so glad i got to see this. thank you

[silverlib]

149. OMG - can you post this in political forums?

This is such a great example of Texas politics! I think it would be most appropriate with Texas "counting" for a change and to show what we Texas liberals have been up against for years.

And what a great reminder of Molly Ivins and her great since of humor.

[jefferson_dem]

152. It is quite a hoot, eh. Had to post it in the video forum.

Gotta love Molly... :hi:

[WolverineDG]

131. If I weren't so tired from spending the past 24 hours on credentials

with an absolute B**** clinton person making up rules as she went along (regardless of what the rest of us, who worked well together had decided) & bending over backwards to qualify Clinton delegates while disqualifying Obama delegates, I'd beat you over the head with a drumstick.

Lots of dirty tricks & one racist comment from Hillary's lawyer directed at an Obama volunteer (who is African American)....I need a drink....

dg

[Kukesa]

133. I'd buy you a drink if I could. Nice work. n/t

[seabeyond]

134. beat you over the head with a drumstick.... cute. hey, i

saw a difference in the two groups myself, that is for sure. i wont get into the differences here. but it was interesting and glad i went in.

get some rest.

the people that helped me were WONDERFUL

[grantcart]

135. your doing great - what district are you in?

[WolverineDG]

138. SD 21

Webb County

Still am :wow: that the clinton supporters ate their own...basically told the young kids upset at old politicos getting at large delegate status for nothing to sit down, shut up, & be glad they got an alternate slot.

Still :grr: :nuke: over the comment made by Hillary's lawyer to one of our people.

dg

[grantcart]

137. still better than what happened at this county convention - hae to reduce it to 50% to read it

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9D00E3DE1538E233A2575AC2A9639C94639ED7CF&oref=slogin

[WolverineDG]

140. Yeah, but not by much nt

[montieg]

142. WHOOHOOO!!!! Coleman County had the BEST

county convention in the 15+ years I have been County Chairman!! Over 50 people showed up and stayed for 3 hours. wrangled out our underwhelming TWO delegates, passed 5 resolutions, and stood around with refreshments and talking politics for another hour. 52 attended today, last cycle 21, cycle before only 6. Hope to God this portends Dem growth in Texas!

[WolverineDG]

145. Good job!

:woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo:

dg

[seabeyond]

146. potter co a mess. they say they have never had close to the number of people as this time.

lots. 100, more???

[grantcart]

147. who did the delegates go for?

[efhmc]

148. We were 2 and 2 and 1 uncommitted.

[grantcart]

150. what county?

[efhmc]

156. Lampasas. If we can come out from under the rw evil rule,

perhaps we will have more delegates the next time.

[thevoiceofreason]

151. I am home.

We went 158-59 Obama. But they made a calculation mistake. If you do the math, it should be 160-57. We'll cahllenge this and win it easily at state credentials.

[grantcart]

153. Obama just had a huge jump in numbers 60% with 57% in

Dallas came in 306-67 for Obama

[loveangelc]

154. I'm so proud to be from Dallas ;')

[DerekJ]

158. Go Dallas!!!

:woohoo:

[grantcart]

155. Obama claims victory in Texas County conventions

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5312219

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

157. SD 23 reporting

My credentials got fucked up so I ended up neither a delegate nor alternate, but hung around my peeps. The Clinton camp made 77 challenges, trying to throw a monkey wrench in the process, in some cases totally disenfranchising whole precincts.:mad: It was sweet to hear the credentials committee denying one challenge after another, 65 of the 77 denied. Even the Clinton folks on that committee saw through the bullshit.

My precinct elected 23 Clinton delegates and 20 Obama delegates to this convention, but the final turnout was 20 Obama and 17 Clinton, leading to one more Obama delegate for us than we would have otherwise. The Clinton captain confessed that she could no longer support Hillary and left. :wow:

Final tally of delegates going to State is 306 Obama, 67 Clinton.

[Kukesa]

159. Nice report. Thanx. n/t

[DerekJ]

160. WOW

Why did she do that? Was it because of the B.S credential challenges?

[Cha]

161. Very interesting report, thanks, TTC!

Great juicy news about the "clinton captain" who said she could no longer support hilary when she was leaving!

Do you think it was because of all the bs challenges and/or Bosnia by Sniper Fire?

[Kittycat]

162. Holy crap - are you serious?

What did people say?

[Johnny__Motown]

163. The Clinton Captain Walked Out?? OMFG

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

170. To clairfy: My precinct's Clinton captain left

She was the captain to only my precinct's 23 Clinton delegates out of a convention of a few thousand. Her son told her to educate herself on the issues and candidates, and look at their websites. Kinda like WolverineDG's Clinton kids, her eyes were opened. She said she could not in good conscious sign in for Hillary. :rofl:

[crispini]

178. Hey, we're fixing to leave

Still up for a drinky poo?

[me b zola]

217. Eyes wide open!

and to all of you wonderful patriots who open those eyes... :toast:

[Johnny__Motown]

219. I understood that, was still shocked. After all this time and all that work,, to walk out.. omfg

[grantcart]

164. here's another report of a Clinton committee person changing to Obama

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5312225#5312267

[crispini]

165. We are damn close to being done with the at-larges

Sooooooooooooooooooon!

[thevoiceofreason]

166. SO, how are things? I take it from your silence that ya'll are busy.

[DerekJ]

168. Just waiting for all the results to roll in.

[crispini]

169. we are very close to done

our results are already up on burntorangereport.com -- the convention is damn near done.

[gkhouston]

172. are you seeing margarita mirages?

}(

[crispini]

175. neeeeeeeeeeed a driiiiiiiiiiiiiiink

soooooooooooooooooooon.

[sonias]

171. Busy? I just got home

I was part of the 13,000 Travis county convention. It was huge!!. I left my house at 6:15 this morning so I could pick up a neighbor. By 6:45 we were stuck in the largest traffic jam you can imagine. It probably looked like Woodstock. We made it in the gate around 7:30. I spent the next 6 hours just tending my Obama flock, taking calls telling people where to go. People were abandoning their cars by the road and just walking for 1/2-1 mile the rest of the way. The gridlock was so bad. One of my alternates was in a car accident where someone hit her. She had her car towed and yet she walked the 1/2 to the convention. I had a couple man/wife delegate team who showed up even though the wife's father died the day before. There was not a lot they could do in terms of funeral arrangements - so in their time of grief they came to our PCT convention to make sure we got our votes. I can not tell you how that makes me feel. I cried several times today at the passion of our people to show up for Obama.

I also had to put up with people who wanted to kill me. Trying to keep my delegates together was like trying to hold water with just your arms. But thanks to a kick-ass Obama PCT captain in my PCT we held it together and got our 5 delegates for Obama. The Clinton people got 3. We picked up 7 of the 8 alternates for Obama.

Over all SD-25 in Travis went 70 delegates for Obama to Clinton's 40 delegates, We Baracked the Vote in Travis for Obama!

I then served as the co-chair for Nominations in SD25 and we finished our work on that committee at about 10:00 p.m. tonight. I am so happy this part is over for us.

SD25 Travis Clinton 40 Obama 70 Total 110

SD14 Travis Clinton 144 Obama313 Total 457

:kick:

Sonia

[thevoiceofreason]

173. Way to go. I like the holding water with your the arms saying.

We had a ggod day too. Very busy and a credentialing process from mars - with this one strident Hillary woman yelling instead of speaking. Still went well - 158-59 Obama.

[twompy]

183. Thanks

Thanks for your work on the committee. The convention even with the traffic and wait was a good time. I can't wait for the state convention.

:toast:

[sonias]

190. Hey twompy!

:hi:

I met you today. How did you do? Did you get elected from your PCT to state?

Stay involved, even if you didn't get elected volunteer to help the state convention. It will be fun.

Sonia

[twompy]

195. Hi

Yes I got elected!! The State convention will be fun!

[sonias]

213. Awesome news!!

:yourock:

:woohoo:


Sonia

[Lisa0825]

236. Good for you!

And welcome to DU! Will this be your first state convention? My first was 4 years ago, and it was a blast! :-)

[twompy]

246. My first

It will be my first trip. I am excited to go!! Thanks for the welcome to Du

[DerekJ]

185. Awesome Job. Thanks

[silverlib]

206. Results of 463 - Senate District 14

We elected 3 out of 4 delegates for Obama and 2 out of 4 alternates.

We came close to 75% but lost one alternate to a hat draw due to a tie of 0-votes.

Our only problem was one of our own, but I think we kept her in line. You certainly heard some sad stories and real dedication!

[thewiseguy]

174. When will the Tarrant county results come in?

There about 560 delegates at stake there. Almost 400 delegates at stake in Harris county..and there have been no results there either.

[crispini]

177. We are ratifying our delegates now

Reading them into the record.

[Swamp Rat]

180. Thank you!!!

:hug: :grouphug: :patriot: :kick:

[crispini]

182. We're doing good work!

:toast::toast::toast::toast:

[SaveAmerica]

189. thanks for hanging in there for so long!!!

[sonias]

I can't believe you're still there honey

I love you for all you do. I have no idea how you find time to post, take pictures and work on this committee.

You totally rock! :yourock:

:toast:

Sonia

[crispini]

194. You are not going to believe this

someone has decided to try and force us to take nominations from the floor for the delegate / alternate positions.

right now there is much discussion about rules and procedure

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

[Swamp Rat]

196. whoa!

:wow:

[crispini]

197. Fuckin process nerds.

Kill me now.

[Swamp Rat]

199. I guess it's way past wanting a drink.

I wish I could share this with you right now:



:toast:

[sonias]

208. Oh my god?

I feel for you baby!

Sonia

[derby378]

232. I feel for you, crispi...

ginbarn and I had to bail around 8pm. We were completely wore out and hurting physically. Hopefully at least one of us made the At-Large cut.

Hang in there, sweetie, and get some sleep! :hi:

[L. Coyote]

188. ***** Welcome Home Gov. Don Siegelman -- THREAD in GD

Give Don Siegelman a SHOUT OUT of support here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3078585

This message has been approved by the political enemies of KKKarl Rove! LOL

[Swamp Rat]

192. I tried to rec it 3 times.

Am I in trouble? :yoiks:

[WolverineDG]

222. LOL Swampy!

I'll go rec it for you, okay? :loveya:

dg

[crispini]

200. Almost done!

Sooooon!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

202. I cannot believe you're still there!

You, and everyone there, are DEDICATED Democrats! :toast:

[Swamp Rat]

204. THE BEST!!!

:patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[Swamp Rat]

203. Exciting!

:bounce:

[Colobo]

205. Is Obama winning?

[DUyellow]

209. GOBAMA!!!... GOBAMA!!!

[sonias]

214. Yes he will win Texas!

Sonia

[L0oniX]

212. Kick WOOT

[MagickMuffin]

218. Just got home around 11:30ish from SD 12

A shoddy sound system and widespread uncertainty about the process left many of the more than 2,000 delegates at the Gaylord Convention Center frustrated.

“I understand this is supposed to build community but I mean this is all kind of a joke if you ask me,” said Tim Bialek, an Obama supporter from North Richland Hills. “It’s like how many Democrats does it take to screw in a light bulb? That’s what everyone is waiting in line for.”

Tensions flared around noon over how to handle precinct caucus results that were challenged. There were 87 challenges to precinct caucus results from senate district 12. The majority of the challenges came from the Clinton campaign.

Rather than waiting for a credentials committee to make recommendations on each challenge, convention leaders suggested splitting the challenged precincts evenly for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The crowd roared a definitive “no” at the initial suggestion. A second vote on the idea failed. Organizers warned the caucus may go until midnight if each challenge has to be heard individually. Several Obama supporters suggested the effort was an attempt by the Clinton campaign to steal delegates.

“We will caucus until midnight to get our man in office,” said Obama supporter Mindy Barton of Fort Worth.
Around 3 p.m., the delegates addressed all 87 challenges in one vote, accepting the recommendations of the credentials committee.

Despite the early drama, the convention appeared to go more smoothly than many other large conventions in North Texas. Most attendees left by 6 p.m. after they caucused for their candidate.

Results were not available by 9 p.m.

More on SD 9 & SD 10

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/551746.html

Please forgive me MODS: for breaking the 4 paragraph limit but the article states the frustration so much better than me and I am tired.

I received a phone call Thursday night explaining that my precinct had been challenged. I went over what happened and the kind woman said that it had been resolved. Whew, glad I won't have to deal with that matter come Saturday.

We were suppose to pick up a Obama delegate, I called before we left and found out she stayed over her boyfriends house and wasn't there. Luckily my sweetie was an alternate. We get there between 8:30 and 9:00. We proceed to get in the line and and snake our way through the very long line to find out we still had the exact same challenge against us. We are told that our precinct has to get out of the line and wait. As the article above states the sound system was so shoddy we couldn't understand any of the speakers.

After waiting several hours we finally get the credentials committee lady to tell us why we were being challenged. I told her we had spoke on the phone Thursday and that I thought everything had been resolved. She explained that is what she thought as well, but the rest of the credentials committee decided to challenge everyone anyway:shrug:
I told her I wouldn't hold it against her:loveya:

We get to go to a special sign in area, and everyone signs in. Sweetie makes his claim to take the spot of the Obama delegate who decided not to show up. There was one rude woman who started giving him some shit, he whips out the RULE BOOK, and reads it to her, she said the delegation chair has to rule in his favor. The delegation chair just so happened to be me. "Let him have the delegate badge!"

{{{Our precinct originally had 7 Clinton delegates and no alternates, and 3 Obama delegates and 2 alternates. I called everyone on Monday telling them where the convention was to be held. All of them said they would be there. I called everyone again Friday night letting them know about the parking fee, to bring food, water and that it could take as long as 10 hours.}}}

There ended up being only 3 Clinton delegates, and 3 Obama delegates. Another Clinton delegate showed up while one who had been there left before the vote. Two of the Clinton delegates were husband and wife. Before the wife arrived, Sweetie had already talked to the husband and let him know that I really had my heart set on going, and he said he would vote for me. After the wife arrived I saw my chances slipping away by a coin toss.

When we went to vote the late Clinton delegate wanted to be a state delegate and her friend and former neighbor nominated her. She gave a speech and then my Sweetie nominated me, and gave a fabulous speech why I should be elected to the state convention, after all my hard work before and during the primary convention, and how I was FAIR to both camps.

Husband had a discussion with his wife and they decided she would take the alternates slot.:loveya:

So, I AM NOW A DELEGATE TO STATE FOR OBAMA:woohoo:

SD 12 went to Obama, he won our convention 56% to Clinton's 44%.

If I heard them correctly Obama will be sending 108, Clinton 59 delegates to state.

I'll have to check the numbers out from a more reliable source since I couldn't hear the exact numbers.


I was unable to do live blogging since their free WiFi, wasn't really Free.

Sorry about the long post but that is pretty much everything there is to report at this time. I just hope it makes some sort of sense, since I'm sleep deprived.

Going to bed.

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

223. Thanks for the report, MM! And congrats on making delegate.

I put my name in for at-large, but left before the selections, so I don't know if I'll see you in Austin.

Your story, like mine, shows the real passion of the Obama delegates. Your precinct, just like mine, kept their Obama strength while the Hillary side lost because so many of them just couldn't be bothered to show up, even though they (in many cases) had to compete to come out a delegate from their precinct conventions. With your side's passion and your good reputation, a Clinton precinct turned into an Obama precinct!:yourock:

It was so inspiring to see my SD's crowd stay intact till past 9:00 for the delegate vote. By far the majority of them were first-timers, and they were bound and determined to stick around and give up their Saturday to support their candidate.:bounce: And they gave Barack 82% of the convention vote!!:woohoo: I would have loved to see the fireworks if Clinton had not made threshold.:hide:

[sonias]

225. Thanks for the report MM!

And your sweetie rocks! Way to know your rules. Tell him I said :hi:

And you deserve a big :hug:, a :toast: and a :yourock:

And congratulations for being elected a delegate to state!
:woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo:


Sonia

[Swamp Rat]

227. Thank you MagickMuffin!!

Sweet dreams! :hug: :boring:

[Adelante]

229. Thank you so much, MM

This is all so fascinating to read :yourock:

[crispini]

220. I am home.

Post-Convention Beer Caucus took a little time.

I am a delegate to State for Obama.

I have a few thoughts, but they might have to wait a bit.

Because I'm tired.

But, folks, that was FUCKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! :woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

[bigbrother05]

221. Congrats to you and thanks!

[goclark]

224. Wow~ Just Wow!

[Swamp Rat]

226. Woohoo!!!!

:woohoo: :patriot:

Sweet dreams! :D :boring:

[sonias]

228. Congratulations crispini!

You absolutely deserve to go as a delegate!

:hug: :loveya:


Sonia

[VolcanoJen]

230. crispini, you're the coolest. Thank you for your dedication!!

Welcome back! Hope those beers were tasty, and worth the wait!

[alteredstate]

231. Does anyone have the results for SD -7?

eom

[thevoiceofreason]

238. A couple of guys at my church attended SD7, but they left before results were announced

They convened at a horseracing track, and they said the crowd was huge, and appeared to be very pro-Obama. I can't find any more results.

[sonias]

248. SD7 -124 Obama and 72 Clinton

From BOR this afternoon:

3:18pm by Phillip - SD 7 in from Harris went 124 Obama, 72 Clinton. We're now at 86% of delegates in, with at least 4% of the remaining delegates coming from the "state Superdelegates." The remaining 124 county conventions will only account for 10% of the delegates -- and Collin County, which convened today, will be a significant portion of that. Time to start analyzing the results...

:kick:
Sonia

[alteredstate]

249. Thanks!

:)

[Guava Jelly]

233. update

2,744 Clinton Delegates


3,498 Obama Delegates


6,242 TOTAL of 7,649


148 Conventions Reporting (of 284)

[TexasLady]

234. Kick

[goclark]

239. We love you Texas,democracy in action! K

Update needed for numbers

[Kukesa]

237. Kick! n/t

[Guava Jelly]

240. update

2,790 C
3,550 O
154 of 284 reporting

[grantcart]

242. any more updates?

[Guava Jelly]

243. not yet

http://burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5484
check here

[likesmountains 52]

244. New: C 2804 O 3561 156 0f 284 reporting!

[goclark]

250. K for late updates

[Ysabel]

247. thank you for your great coverage and work on this...

:loveya: