I liveblogged the San Mateo County Presidential Straw Poll
on Sunday from the San Mateo Expo Center in San Mateo, California. I posted my live reports on MOMocrats, the Moms for Edwards site that a few friends and I started last month. The
Straw Poll was a way for Californians to hear from each of the
Democratic Presidential campaigns and cast a ballot in favor of their
favorite candidate.
The event was exciting, and all of the speakers did a great job making the case for why their candidate was the best person for the job. There were booths set up around the hall, and people lined across the floor of the Expo Center to get their paper ballots.
The first speaker was Congressman Tom Lantos, who didn't endorse any particular candidate, but expressed his admiration for all of them, and noted that he considers all of them friends and and very capable individuals. Each of the candidates then had an opportunity to send a representative to make their case.
Perhaps the most stirring speech of the day was candidate Dennis Kucinich's opening remarks. His talk focused on nationalizing healthcare, getting troops out of Iraq, and creation of American jobs by eliminating NAFTA and the WTO. He urged Californians to lead the way on creating a green economy and ridding the US of its dependence on foreign oil.
Kucinich worked the crowd into a frenzy, and he was a very powerful speaker, much more than I was expecting. He spoke so rapidly, I couldn't catch it all. It was a very rousing speech, and I was impressed with his fire. There are a lot of Kucinich supporters in the crowd, and they were on their feet the whole time. He had a commanding voice, and I was surprised at his speaking ability and charisma. He rarely gets to open his mouth in debates, but in person, he's just dynamite.
Next up was Lynn Gravel Mosier, daughter of former Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska. She spoke of her father's record of leadership and his ability, like no other candidate, to lead the country out of the war with Iraq.
I could not hear most of Lynn Gravel Mosier's
speech due to the crowd noise. I think the crowd was still reeling
from Kucinich's galvanizing words. The gist of it was that her father
has had a lifetime of public service, taken unpopular stances, and is
committed to change. She focused mainly on getting the troops out of
Iraq.
Former State Senator Jackie Speier spoke next on behalf of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. She talked about Senator Clinton's record as a tireless advocate for children, and her foreign policy experience. She mentioned Senator Clinton's plan to end global warming and to save the environment. She noted that Senator Clinton has vowed to take troops out of Iraq. She said, "Hillary Clinton has the experience and leadership to be the next President of the United States."
Unfortunately, Jackie Speier's voice did not carry across the
crowd noise and I missed most of what she was saying. I tried going
closer, but the Wifi crapped out. Such is the life of a live-blogger.
I'm pretty sure she covered environmental policy, education,
healthcare, and the war in Iraq. I don't think she mentioned Iran. I
hope one of the other livebloggers caught more of it. I've listed them
below.
Former State Controller Steve Westly then spoke on behalf of Senator Barack Obama. The Obama supporters were out in droves, and he got a noisy, welcoming recepting. He said, "We've got the Republican Party on the run. Democrats are taking seats back, even in the most conservative states in the nation. I'm proud to be here as Sen. Obama's state chair."
Westly noted that once in every generation, someone comes along who can lift an entire generation.and he believes that person is Barack Obama. Obama attracts huge crowds all over the nation and Westly believes that he unites the democratic base. He noted that of all the candidates, Obama is the only one who said the war in Iraq was wrong from day one.
He ended by saying, "Senator Obama may not have the experience Washington wants, but has the experience America needs. Can he win? I think he can."
Westly gave a terrific speech, and really caught
the flavor of the Obama campaign. Westly is a
deft orator, and I think represents the progressive values and spirit
of the Obama campaign well.
Next up was State Senator Leland Yee for John Edwards. He told a personal story of how his family struggled, but he went on to become a success. He said, "That's not a Chinese story, it's an American story. We came for opportunity, and lived the American dream. Right now, in America, there are those who don't have enough food to eat or to buy clothes for their children."
His speech was peppered with references to John Edwards' plan to unite America, to become "One America" by offering greater opportunities for low income and middle class Americans. He noted that Edwards has earned endorsements from many labor unions, and wants to end the war in Iraq.
I had never heard of Leland Yee before this event, so I was a little worried that the Edwards campaign would not be well represented. I was wrong. Leland Yee did a great job of capturing the grass-roots spirit and populist message of the Edwards campaign.
David Buchanan spoke for Governor Bill Richardson. He said that Bill Richardson has all of the experience needed for the job. He said, "You don't need a President who needs on-the-job training. His international experience is unparalleled. None of the other candidates have a specific plan for troop withdrawal within the first year of his administration. Governor Richardson will do that."
He noted Governor Richardson's plans for education, withdrawing troops from Iraq, and healthcare. He ended by saying, "Vote for Bill Richardson to Get the Job Done!"
I felt a little bad for Mr. Buchanan, because his
speech was the last one, so most people had already voted. There were
some people who came in to hear the candidates and then decide. I hope
that they listened to the end. He did a good job of summarizing Governor Richardsons main positions.
Senators Biden and Dodd evidently did not send representatives, so we didn't hear from anyone on their behalf.
This is the first large political event I've ever been to, and it
was pretty exciting. The crowd was an 
interesting mix, with some
little kids running around. It's a
festive affair, with the Raging Grannies, a colorful singing group that
I've seen at a number of peace events. This was also the first time I
was seated at a "press" table, and people came by throughout the day
to ask who I worked for. For some reason, people thought I worked for
Joe Simitian, since I was sitting in front of a bunch of Joe Simitian
signs. It was a fun and exhausting day.
My husband and son showed up near the end. My son insisted that we give him a dollar to buy a sign. I thought he wanted an Edwards sign, since he knows I'm an Edwards supporter, but no...he went straight for the Hillary Clinton signs. At this point, he might get his wish, but today, my candidate was the clear winner.
THE RESULTS:
Edwards 221 Votes
Kucinich 180
Obama 171
Clinton 128
Gore 23 (write-in)
Richardson 21
Biden 8
Gravel 4
Dodd 4
Other Blogs/Media Covering the Event:
Seeing the Forest
