Oh, what a night! Wow! That was fun. We knew that we were going to have an interesting evening as we boarded the delegate buses outside of the Sheraton headed for Invesco Field. There was that special buzz in the air that we were participating in an historic occasion. All the preliminaries were finished and tonight was the culmination of a week of conversation, debate, protests, and parties. I think that I would have had that feeling regardless of the candidate, but this night was even more historic.
We had slowly been given the story of this young man and his family and were interested in how we would feel when we had a chance to see him up close and personal. Fortunately, I was able to sit on the floor level with Pat and a group of her women friends who all had come to Denver with mixed emotions since they had all worked their hearts out for Hillary. We had all been through an amazing transition during the week, but the Obama and Hillary sides were still being overly polite to each other because no one really knew how they were going to feel at the end of the evening.
The Hillary delegates I was with had cast their votes on Wednesday and were surprised when the California delegation passed at their turn. Hillary had met with all of her delegates and told them to vote their consciences. As a result, many delegates felt that she had signaled that they vote for Obama and the totals were very different than the actual votes. As you know when the vote came to the New York delegation, Hillary took the microphone and declared all of her votes for Obama and requested that he be nominated by unanimous acclimation. The hall went wild and it was a done deal. We Hillary people now had to determine what our individual reactions would be.
The stadium energy was contagious and we rocked to Stevie Wonder. Al Gore came in and clearly called on us to take responsibility for the planet and global warming. Bill Richardson left us flat, but Biden’s introduction of a series of “average Joe and Joan” Americans who had been overlooked by the Bush government electrified the crowd. And then this young man we came to hear took the stage and gave the best speech of his life. Apparently, many pundits called it the best convention speech since John Kennedy. I’m sure most of you have seen it by now, but I must share that the emotion in that stadium was very poignant. Many people had tears running down their cheeks when Obama listed the components of the American Dream his grandparents had taught him. Turns out that his grandfather was the image of many of our Dads – and that was his point. The reality is that the country he described is one that we all believe in and would love to see. The crowd roared when he said that the election wasn’t about him, but was about us and it leaped to its feet when he called on all fathers to put their families first.
I know that the networks perversely insist on showing the 200-300 odd humans who wear crazy hats and clothes, but in general this crowd was dressed in professional attire and showed amazing gentility in their treatment of each other. Slowly, the Hillary people recognized that the future Obama presented was the one that we had protested and marched for during the sixties. It was our dream that he was sharing rather than the opposite. It was the post-racial, ethnic and gender divide that we had fought for all of our lives that he was attempting to bridge. Could we dare to hope, as Bill Clinton said to us, that this young man with his incredibly diverse global background could possibly be uniquely positioned to help the human race finally get past our differences and learn to work together to create a better world?
The list of challenges he detailed were so daunting that only a young person could imagine achieving all of them. When I looked around the stadium at all of those young, inspired faces, I was reminded of my own youthful idealism when I touched John Kennedy’s hand at the Nassau Coliseum and signed up to join the Peace Corps at fourteen. While I was getting tired of standing up and down every other minute, the twenty and thirty year olds around me were becoming more energized and focused. It was clear that they were ready to bring the American Dream back and all they needed was a leader. By the end of his speech, I was left with the feeling that if this young man and the 80,000 people in the stadium multiplied by millions truly decided to change this country back into a place where government helps people rather than hurts them and where we see our success in the success of others, I surely was going to support them.
My husband and I marched in the 60’s for an end to racism and a war that put us on the wrong side. In the 70’s I became a feminist in New York City to fight for equality for myself and our daughters and future granddaughters. We moved to California in the 80’s to continue to be a part of the Dream that Americans would use our genius to "slip the boundaries of Earth" and explore the Cosmos and that we, in my field, could teach leaders that humans could find humane ways to manage the workplace and allow people to achieve the highly motivated environment by being treated with dignity and respect. I have devoted my life to teaching and sharing the communication skills that are absolutely critical for leaders to learn if we are to avoid the real possibility of destroying our planet by making war instead of love. So, I have a great deal invested in the platform Obama details and I wish him well.
The factor that surprised me last night was not the inspiration, but the anger. The crowd really leapt to its feet when Obama shouted “Enough”! And when he declared that we are not red and not blue, but all red, white and blue – all Americans - and that no one should ever question the patriotism of Democrats. But what rang home to those around me was his repudiation of the "ownership society" in which government and big business declare "you are on your own". If there is anything that should scare John McCain, it is the sense of anger this audience feels about this betrayal of their E Pluribus Unum America.
As I sit writing this in the Denver airport at 8 PM after having been unable to get United Airlines to load my bag this morning causing me to miss my 11:20 AM flight, it occurs to me that I share this anger as well. I have been treated like the enemy of the airline instead of a passenger who needs assistance. I stopped flying United several years ago because I could never find anyone who would take responsibility for anything that happened. An inexpensive fare lured me back and now I remember why I stopped flying them, after a supervisor told me that the delegates should have known to be at the airport at least four hours in advance. What Obama is tapping is the fury of the public at their government and corporate America for making us feel like marks who should be relieved of our money rather than respected citizens and patrons. This may be his ace.
And now we have Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as the VP candidate on the Republican ticket. She is describing herself as just a “hockey mom” on the CNN airport monitor. Karl Rove certainly stole the news cycle and it is a risky chess move. I must say that McCain looks a lot perkier standing with his arm around her. It appears that this election will stay very interesting after all. The buzz at the airport is all about whether the Hillary supporters will go to her. She is not pro-choice, but with the morning after pill abortion is becoming an ancient technology. A number of wealthy white women in the Democratic Party remain so angry that Hillary is not on the ticket that they are wondering whether this is their party. I honestly am not sure how they will react.
We are certainly engaged in a fascinating political season, are we not?
Monday, September 1, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Denver Convention - Day Three
Hello all:
What an incredible set of days. While the Democratic Party has been putting together their family, my family has been busy. My daughter, Jennifer, just called and announced that we have finalized a fabulous venue for her wedding next May. For this mother, that is as important as anything happening on the floor last night.
Which just goes to prove how important family is in all of this. As is true for many of you, I feel like the Clintons are a part of my extended family and it was very emotional listening to Bill last night. He is so brilliant and just so wonderful at clarifying the situation. I needed to hear him say that he thinks that Obama is the right guy in the right place at the right time and he did. The two issues he clarified for me is that this young man may just be able to finally put racial and ethnic divides behind us. This is something I have been fighting and marching for since I was in college and if it can be done here, I am all for it.
Bill also laid out the winning strategy. McCain is not a bad man, the problem is that he and the Republican model are just plain wrong. Their solutions cause the problems (and make their cronies rich) and Democratic solutions solve them. I just pray that the party leadership can get their jealousy of Bill out of the way and realize that they are getting top notch advice from the greatest politician of our day. The hall was electric when he spoke and tears were running down the faces of many of us. The Clintons showed such generosity of spirit that all of us have a great deal to learn from them.
The word in the hall was that if John Kerry had been able to summon last night's passion for his own campaign, he would have been elected and we wouldn't be in the fix we are in. And, finally, Joe Biden - what a sweetie. I thought it was most interesting that the most important thing they could say about him was that he was a working Dad who made sure he was there for his children. You can well imagine how that resonated with the Hillary working moms in the audience. Wasn't Bo great? And, how smart to bring in Mom Biden. The Finnegans are in town! If there is a chance to take this country beyond race, these two men may just be the team to do it. It would be nice to have that problem off of the list of challenges facing the human race. I wish them well.
I did get to Barbara Boxer's party yesterday afternoon and she was very clear on how important it is for Democrats to win this election. I also met John Chiang, Controller of the State of California and congratulated him on fighting Arnold Swartzeneger for trying to fire 10,000 state workers to fix the hole he created in the state budget by creating tax cuts no one wanted or needed. When will the Republicans learn? John is looking forward to speaking before our own Newport Beach Women's Democratic Club. Let's face it - even the Mafia didn't go after people's families. The word here is that "Arnold, the Groper" is going to go after Boxer's seat. We'll see.
Thanks to my daughter-in-law, Bronwyn, for figuring out and sending the link to the Tonight Show so we could watch the Mo Rocca bit with me in it. What fun! Here it is if you watch to catch it.
http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/video/episodes
Choose August 26th and (Democratic National Convention). Select Episodes (Mo Rocca).
We are leaving for Invesco Field shortly to see the big show. Oprah was having lunch right across from us this morning with Mohammed Ali and others. The press squeeze was almost frightening. Rumors are flying about who will be there. Stevie Wonder is opening it and no one knows if Springsteen or Bon Jovi will appear. It promises to be a great party and a great show. I hope all of you enjoy it.
Time for me to get going - until tomorrow, Suzanne
What an incredible set of days. While the Democratic Party has been putting together their family, my family has been busy. My daughter, Jennifer, just called and announced that we have finalized a fabulous venue for her wedding next May. For this mother, that is as important as anything happening on the floor last night.
Which just goes to prove how important family is in all of this. As is true for many of you, I feel like the Clintons are a part of my extended family and it was very emotional listening to Bill last night. He is so brilliant and just so wonderful at clarifying the situation. I needed to hear him say that he thinks that Obama is the right guy in the right place at the right time and he did. The two issues he clarified for me is that this young man may just be able to finally put racial and ethnic divides behind us. This is something I have been fighting and marching for since I was in college and if it can be done here, I am all for it.
Bill also laid out the winning strategy. McCain is not a bad man, the problem is that he and the Republican model are just plain wrong. Their solutions cause the problems (and make their cronies rich) and Democratic solutions solve them. I just pray that the party leadership can get their jealousy of Bill out of the way and realize that they are getting top notch advice from the greatest politician of our day. The hall was electric when he spoke and tears were running down the faces of many of us. The Clintons showed such generosity of spirit that all of us have a great deal to learn from them.
The word in the hall was that if John Kerry had been able to summon last night's passion for his own campaign, he would have been elected and we wouldn't be in the fix we are in. And, finally, Joe Biden - what a sweetie. I thought it was most interesting that the most important thing they could say about him was that he was a working Dad who made sure he was there for his children. You can well imagine how that resonated with the Hillary working moms in the audience. Wasn't Bo great? And, how smart to bring in Mom Biden. The Finnegans are in town! If there is a chance to take this country beyond race, these two men may just be the team to do it. It would be nice to have that problem off of the list of challenges facing the human race. I wish them well.
I did get to Barbara Boxer's party yesterday afternoon and she was very clear on how important it is for Democrats to win this election. I also met John Chiang, Controller of the State of California and congratulated him on fighting Arnold Swartzeneger for trying to fire 10,000 state workers to fix the hole he created in the state budget by creating tax cuts no one wanted or needed. When will the Republicans learn? John is looking forward to speaking before our own Newport Beach Women's Democratic Club. Let's face it - even the Mafia didn't go after people's families. The word here is that "Arnold, the Groper" is going to go after Boxer's seat. We'll see.
Thanks to my daughter-in-law, Bronwyn, for figuring out and sending the link to the Tonight Show so we could watch the Mo Rocca bit with me in it. What fun! Here it is if you watch to catch it.
http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/video/episodes
Choose August 26th and (Democratic National Convention). Select Episodes (Mo Rocca).
We are leaving for Invesco Field shortly to see the big show. Oprah was having lunch right across from us this morning with Mohammed Ali and others. The press squeeze was almost frightening. Rumors are flying about who will be there. Stevie Wonder is opening it and no one knows if Springsteen or Bon Jovi will appear. It promises to be a great party and a great show. I hope all of you enjoy it.
Time for me to get going - until tomorrow, Suzanne
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Denver Day Two - Jay Leno and Hillary
Hello all:
What an incredible day. I went out to Invesco Field again to take up my role as Tour Guide in the Oval Office room at the 40,000 sq ft tent that houses The Presidential Experience. This exhibit includes an Air Force One from the Reagan era as well as extensive information on all American Presidents and it tours the country providing attendees with a great educational experience. Thursday will be VIP day and it will be interesting to hear what Clinton and Carter think about it.
I came back to downtown on the light rail system which is quite efficient when it is not being closed down by the Secret Service when they are moving VIPs around. You are dropped off at the 16th Street Promenade which bisects the downtown and is similar to the Santa Monica promenade, with free electric trams traversing it every few minutes. Great energy exists there and it is even fun to pass the protesters and hear what they have to say. I am staying at the Adams Mark Sheraton Hotel and it is right in the middle of the action. We were actually locked down Monday night when the police were interfacing with some white supremacists, anti-abortionists and Re-Create '68 protest groups. All interesting examples of free speech. The anti-abortionists are right outside the door of the Sheraton rather than being shuttled to a far location like they did in Bejing and everyone is handling it just fine.
My sister, Margaret, just called to let me know that Jay Leno did air the Mo Rocca bit we taped in the mock Oval Office. I haven't seen it since we didn't get back from seeing Hillary at the Convention until midnight. Thank goodness she and Scott have taped it for me. I hope you enjoyed it.
Hillary was so wonderful after the boring speeches before her that the hall was filled with emotion. She made every one of us, as her supporters, so proud of her and a little perplexed that she is not on the ticket. I do think that her supporters will come around because four more years of Bush-McCain will be a disaster. But, you cannot help but feel that not having her on the ticket was a missed opportunity. I was interviewed by Japanese television about that just before the Emily's List party in the afternoon. It is the big question and the Obama people in the hall tried to be very respectful of the emotions of the Hillary people last night. It is a complicated matter. It will be fun to see Bill tonight - no one quite knows what to expect, but he and she are clearly rock stars at this event.
The phone is ringing and I'm outta here. I'll try to add more tomorrow.
It is fabulous to be a part of what makes this country great!
What an incredible day. I went out to Invesco Field again to take up my role as Tour Guide in the Oval Office room at the 40,000 sq ft tent that houses The Presidential Experience. This exhibit includes an Air Force One from the Reagan era as well as extensive information on all American Presidents and it tours the country providing attendees with a great educational experience. Thursday will be VIP day and it will be interesting to hear what Clinton and Carter think about it.
I came back to downtown on the light rail system which is quite efficient when it is not being closed down by the Secret Service when they are moving VIPs around. You are dropped off at the 16th Street Promenade which bisects the downtown and is similar to the Santa Monica promenade, with free electric trams traversing it every few minutes. Great energy exists there and it is even fun to pass the protesters and hear what they have to say. I am staying at the Adams Mark Sheraton Hotel and it is right in the middle of the action. We were actually locked down Monday night when the police were interfacing with some white supremacists, anti-abortionists and Re-Create '68 protest groups. All interesting examples of free speech. The anti-abortionists are right outside the door of the Sheraton rather than being shuttled to a far location like they did in Bejing and everyone is handling it just fine.
My sister, Margaret, just called to let me know that Jay Leno did air the Mo Rocca bit we taped in the mock Oval Office. I haven't seen it since we didn't get back from seeing Hillary at the Convention until midnight. Thank goodness she and Scott have taped it for me. I hope you enjoyed it.
Hillary was so wonderful after the boring speeches before her that the hall was filled with emotion. She made every one of us, as her supporters, so proud of her and a little perplexed that she is not on the ticket. I do think that her supporters will come around because four more years of Bush-McCain will be a disaster. But, you cannot help but feel that not having her on the ticket was a missed opportunity. I was interviewed by Japanese television about that just before the Emily's List party in the afternoon. It is the big question and the Obama people in the hall tried to be very respectful of the emotions of the Hillary people last night. It is a complicated matter. It will be fun to see Bill tonight - no one quite knows what to expect, but he and she are clearly rock stars at this event.
The phone is ringing and I'm outta here. I'll try to add more tomorrow.
It is fabulous to be a part of what makes this country great!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Day One at Denver Convention - on Jay Leno?
Hello all:
Today has been a very interesting first day at the Democratic Convention in Denver. I have been given a role standing in the mock Oval Office in an exhibit called the Presidential Experience introducing visitors to the Presidential office and the artifacts within it.
Suddenly, a television crew from Jay Leno's Tonight show asked me if they could interview me and I agreed. It turned out to be a tongue-in-cheek comedy treatment of how things would have to change if McCain or Obama became President. They said that if it appeared, it would air on Tuesday or Wednesday's show. I have no idea what will be shown, but it certainly makes clear that you never know what will happen next here.
I have been very fortunate to be able to get, through Pat, credentials for Tuesday (Hillary), Wednesday (Biden) and Thursday (Obama's speech at Invesco Field) so I'm thrilled. I'll be attending the Emily's List Party tomorrow afternoon and am looking forward to that. If I have the opportunity, I will be adding to my blog, but I wanted to get this out just in case you get a chance to see the Oval office bit.
I hope you are enjoying the coverage. I haven't been to Denver in over a decade and this city has been transformed. The downtown is delightful and everyone has been very welcoming to the delegates.
Oh, I just heard that there is a big protest going on outside and the hotel has been secured - what fun!
Best, Sue
Today has been a very interesting first day at the Democratic Convention in Denver. I have been given a role standing in the mock Oval Office in an exhibit called the Presidential Experience introducing visitors to the Presidential office and the artifacts within it.
Suddenly, a television crew from Jay Leno's Tonight show asked me if they could interview me and I agreed. It turned out to be a tongue-in-cheek comedy treatment of how things would have to change if McCain or Obama became President. They said that if it appeared, it would air on Tuesday or Wednesday's show. I have no idea what will be shown, but it certainly makes clear that you never know what will happen next here.
I have been very fortunate to be able to get, through Pat, credentials for Tuesday (Hillary), Wednesday (Biden) and Thursday (Obama's speech at Invesco Field) so I'm thrilled. I'll be attending the Emily's List Party tomorrow afternoon and am looking forward to that. If I have the opportunity, I will be adding to my blog, but I wanted to get this out just in case you get a chance to see the Oval office bit.
I hope you are enjoying the coverage. I haven't been to Denver in over a decade and this city has been transformed. The downtown is delightful and everyone has been very welcoming to the delegates.
Oh, I just heard that there is a big protest going on outside and the hotel has been secured - what fun!
Best, Sue
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Until I make my brothers understand........
Dear Friends of Hillary: http://DrSuesView.blogspot.com/
"Until I make my brothers understand......"
I am sure that we are all in various phases of processing the suspension of Hillary's campaign. It is a loss that many of us have felt deeply because we were so committed to our outstanding candidate and the possibility of making history with the first woman President. I actually did go away with a good friend to a remote place called Sea Ranch just below Mendocino on the Northern California coast to process and grieve the loss. It was very healing to be in a place where cell phones and satellites could not reach us and seek to regain the larger perspective of why we cared so much.
When I came home, we had the first meeting of our Newport Beach Women's Democratic Club since the end of the primary. A local columnist joined us and quickly asked the key question of how many of us were so upset that we would vote for McCain or just stay home. My own belief is that it was too soon for us to address this, but our members were willing to talk. Several did share that they considered voting for McCain or staying home. There was still deep discomfort with the DNC Rules Committee dispersal of Michigan and Florida delegates in Obama's favor. And there were those who believe that Obama is not electable and therefore were annoyed that the Democratic Party seemed to be throwing away another election. We were also joined by a number of Hillary supporters who immediately moved on to Obama and some who had always supported Obama. So, as you can imagine, it was a very American night with all of us trying to find common ground and show respect for each other while dealing with our own emotions and beliefs.
I left that meeting thinking that this group may well be the greatest outcome of this primary cycle. One of our very wise members, Smita Patel, suggested that the best thing about Hillary's campaign was that as she found her voice, American women found theirs. The women in the room responded in agreement and we committed ourselves to supporting local candidates who agree with our progressive views and principles. There was widespread agreement that the innuendos and sexist comments in the media had to stop and that we should become active in making our voices and those of our candidates heard.
As my friend and I drove through Sonoma County on our way back to civilization, we were very fortunate to find a spot on the Russian River where we could listen in on our cell phones to Hillary's good-bye conference call. She sounded exhausted, but thankful to all of her supporters. She addressed her surprise and distress at the mysogyny and pledged that she would take a leading role in making sure that sexism was identified and rejected in our society. She also asked for her supporters to help her pay the vendors, some of whom had risked their businesses to help her campaign. And she pledged to continue to fight for the principles of the Democratic Party, which includes supporting the party's candidate.
Personally, I have asked everyone who knows me to give me time to come to my own conclusions about how I feel and what I will do. After all, this has all just occurred. I have requested that respect for all Hillary supporters. Several have told me that they will not support Obama if he does not at least offer Hillary the Vice Presidency. They require this show of respect to give their support. Others think that a cabinet or Supreme Court post would suffice. Some believe that she shouldn't take the Vice Presidency, but stay where she is in case Obama doesn't win and we need her as our candidate in 2012. There are reports that she is ambivalent about the Vice Presidency. I can understand that. There are already ugly accusations from some Obama supporters that his loss would be the Clintons fault - they really do need to get those people off the air.
Our ninety year old member passionately said that Hillary should not reduce her ambition to a lesser post because she is so uniquely qualified. And others believe that her supporters will just follow her lead. We had a wonderful post-meeting discussion of whether she should play Barbara Boxer (the committed ideologue who is always taken for granted by the Democrats) or Dianne Feinstein (who makes her party and the Senate pay a dear price for every vote she casts). It is clear that Hillary is a major power broker and that her 18 million votes can have a great impact on this election. Many of us want her to use that power to ensure that the Democratic Party and this country shows real respect for women and working and middle class families.
So, there are many options available and each of us will come to terms with what has happened in our own way. The one conclusion I have drawn, though, is that I have no regrets. I could not be prouder of this woman and how she conducted herself and this campaign even under the most virulent attacks in the media. She may end up our modern Susan B. Anthony finally exposing the bigotry of sexism. And that may be what must happen for a woman to be elected and, once elected, to be able to lead effectively. I do know that a major reason for my passion is that I am the grandmother of three magnificent young girls and I want them to have every opportunity to fulfill their own destinies.
If you are able and can afford to do so, please consider helping Hillary pay off her debt before you move on to something else. She is not taking a penny to pay herself back, but will not rest until she repays her vendors. This will allow her to be able to continue to be there for all of us. And do take the time to continue to make your voices heard as we move forward to the next phase of our lives.
I thank all of you for your feedback and support as we have travelled this journey together and look forward to future times where we pool our shared strength and experience to move our country closer to the goals we share.
God bless,
Suzanne
Dr. Suzanne Savary
drsue@aol.com
www.NewportBeachWomensDemocraticClub.com
"Until I make my brothers understand......"
I am sure that we are all in various phases of processing the suspension of Hillary's campaign. It is a loss that many of us have felt deeply because we were so committed to our outstanding candidate and the possibility of making history with the first woman President. I actually did go away with a good friend to a remote place called Sea Ranch just below Mendocino on the Northern California coast to process and grieve the loss. It was very healing to be in a place where cell phones and satellites could not reach us and seek to regain the larger perspective of why we cared so much.
When I came home, we had the first meeting of our Newport Beach Women's Democratic Club since the end of the primary. A local columnist joined us and quickly asked the key question of how many of us were so upset that we would vote for McCain or just stay home. My own belief is that it was too soon for us to address this, but our members were willing to talk. Several did share that they considered voting for McCain or staying home. There was still deep discomfort with the DNC Rules Committee dispersal of Michigan and Florida delegates in Obama's favor. And there were those who believe that Obama is not electable and therefore were annoyed that the Democratic Party seemed to be throwing away another election. We were also joined by a number of Hillary supporters who immediately moved on to Obama and some who had always supported Obama. So, as you can imagine, it was a very American night with all of us trying to find common ground and show respect for each other while dealing with our own emotions and beliefs.
I left that meeting thinking that this group may well be the greatest outcome of this primary cycle. One of our very wise members, Smita Patel, suggested that the best thing about Hillary's campaign was that as she found her voice, American women found theirs. The women in the room responded in agreement and we committed ourselves to supporting local candidates who agree with our progressive views and principles. There was widespread agreement that the innuendos and sexist comments in the media had to stop and that we should become active in making our voices and those of our candidates heard.
As my friend and I drove through Sonoma County on our way back to civilization, we were very fortunate to find a spot on the Russian River where we could listen in on our cell phones to Hillary's good-bye conference call. She sounded exhausted, but thankful to all of her supporters. She addressed her surprise and distress at the mysogyny and pledged that she would take a leading role in making sure that sexism was identified and rejected in our society. She also asked for her supporters to help her pay the vendors, some of whom had risked their businesses to help her campaign. And she pledged to continue to fight for the principles of the Democratic Party, which includes supporting the party's candidate.
Personally, I have asked everyone who knows me to give me time to come to my own conclusions about how I feel and what I will do. After all, this has all just occurred. I have requested that respect for all Hillary supporters. Several have told me that they will not support Obama if he does not at least offer Hillary the Vice Presidency. They require this show of respect to give their support. Others think that a cabinet or Supreme Court post would suffice. Some believe that she shouldn't take the Vice Presidency, but stay where she is in case Obama doesn't win and we need her as our candidate in 2012. There are reports that she is ambivalent about the Vice Presidency. I can understand that. There are already ugly accusations from some Obama supporters that his loss would be the Clintons fault - they really do need to get those people off the air.
Our ninety year old member passionately said that Hillary should not reduce her ambition to a lesser post because she is so uniquely qualified. And others believe that her supporters will just follow her lead. We had a wonderful post-meeting discussion of whether she should play Barbara Boxer (the committed ideologue who is always taken for granted by the Democrats) or Dianne Feinstein (who makes her party and the Senate pay a dear price for every vote she casts). It is clear that Hillary is a major power broker and that her 18 million votes can have a great impact on this election. Many of us want her to use that power to ensure that the Democratic Party and this country shows real respect for women and working and middle class families.
So, there are many options available and each of us will come to terms with what has happened in our own way. The one conclusion I have drawn, though, is that I have no regrets. I could not be prouder of this woman and how she conducted herself and this campaign even under the most virulent attacks in the media. She may end up our modern Susan B. Anthony finally exposing the bigotry of sexism. And that may be what must happen for a woman to be elected and, once elected, to be able to lead effectively. I do know that a major reason for my passion is that I am the grandmother of three magnificent young girls and I want them to have every opportunity to fulfill their own destinies.
If you are able and can afford to do so, please consider helping Hillary pay off her debt before you move on to something else. She is not taking a penny to pay herself back, but will not rest until she repays her vendors. This will allow her to be able to continue to be there for all of us. And do take the time to continue to make your voices heard as we move forward to the next phase of our lives.
I thank all of you for your feedback and support as we have travelled this journey together and look forward to future times where we pool our shared strength and experience to move our country closer to the goals we share.
God bless,
Suzanne
Dr. Suzanne Savary
drsue@aol.com
www.NewportBeachWomensDemocraticClub.com
June 5th - Mixed Emotions....
Hello fellow Hillary supporters:
Well, this has been quite a week for all of us. Everyone I know is filled with mixed emotions. We are so proud of our candidate, but also very sad that those who could not see how terrifc she is chose to fight her for the nomination and, due to some insane party rules, were able to prevail in the delegate count. I am deeply saddened by this, mostly because of the incredible talent we will be missing in the White House.
We were prepared to follow her right to the convention, but it appears from her latest communication that she will concede this Saturday at a thank you rally in Washington D.C. Some ask why her backers supported her for so long. I think part of that for many women is that we simply had to stop listening to "conventional wisdom" years ago or we never would have become who we are. I also think that she would have been the better general election candidate. But, mostly, we waited to see what she, and Bill, would decide to do and how the Obama campaign would react to her. If they are not totally respectful of her and the power she brings in 18 million voters, I could see those voters turning away from the Democratic Party. If she is interested and they offer her the Vice-Presidency, then the Democratic Party may come out of this unified.
One of the most poignant responses I have seen to the current situation is the Amy Rao letter I was forwarded by Pat yesterday(see below). It speaks to the sadness we all feel, but it also speaks to the way true champions respond to setbacks. She shares her personal conversation with Hillary and Hillary's response that she feels good and that she will continue to press forward to help those who need her. We have all learned a great deal from Hillary in handling adversity and we need to continue to press forward and work for what we believe. Amy chooses to work to make Hillary the first female Vice-President and urges all of us to go to www.voteboth.com to sign a petition telling the Obama campaign that we want her to be the choice for Vice President.
Like some of you, I may need another day to nurse my wounds before signing on to the next battle, but I am spending a few days with my daughter and my grand-daughters and becoming the first female Vice-President is still making history and moving the world one step closer to a shared responsibility between women and men leading the world. I do admit to some feeling that Obama can't win without her and then she would win after four more years of Bush-McCain, but four years can be a long time. I'm sure I'll resolve my feelings over the next few days as I watch carefully how the Obama camp reacts to her and whether the VP spot is offered. But, at this moment, I want to tell you how much I appreciate your support for Hillary and thank you for your comments to me and the tremendous efforts you all made on her behalf. We, each of us, can be very proud of being part of history being made and we need to remember that.
In my opinion, she has earned the offer of a VP position and going to www.voteboth.com is a simple way to continue to break down the barriers my grand-daughters and yours might face in the future. Keep the faith.
With fondness,
Suzanne (see below)
From: Amy Rao
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 4:49 PM
Subject: We have to support her and this is what you can do for her.
Dear Friends,
I just wanted to send a note out to you today that hopefully will give your heart and your head a moment of peace… and give you something you can do today for Hillary.
I’m sure many of us if not all of us were going through the same emotions last night. I was numb and angry and couldn’t stop the flow of tears. I just couldn’t believe what was happening and how it was happening. On top of that, I was at the ballpark in SF chaperoning my daughter’s Journalism class (20 students and me.) I rode up on the train reading emails from friends, unable to watch Hillary’s speech—just reading notes from those that were sending. Tears just streaming down my cheeks the entire way—I sat far away from the kids.
The night wore on and I just wanted to go home. Then at 9:30 my phone rang with the number of my dear friend Susie who was in NY. She handed Hillary the phone. Hillary told me that she felt good, in fact she said “Amy, I feel good, I feel great. … I am so proud of what we have all done together. I meant every word I said tonight….. I am not in this for title or power I am in this to help everyone in this country who needs a leg up who shouldn’t have to worry about healthcare and losing their home or their job….you know this is who I am… my life’s work….” I told her that we were so happy to know that tomorrow we would still be able to get up and fight another day. We spoke briefly, for about 3 minutes and then she had to go. I did get to tell her that we all loved her and we are so SO PROUD of her. That we all are with her until the end whatever she chooses to do.
I got off the phone and felt this wave of peace and calmness. This woman is so much bigger than I or I’m sure any of us have ever realized. In her voice I could hear a sense of relief that the primaries had finally ended. She is feeling hurt by the party and is well aware that they abandoned her—but she is bigger than this. She was already 6 stages beyond me in the grieving process and was already focused on our party winning in November. I knew on the call she was asking each of us to reach inside ourselves and be bigger than we thought we could be. I am in awe of this woman. She is an emblem of courage and grace.
So here we are today and we must begin to follow her… and it will take us time to catch up but we haven’t much time to spare. We need to do everything we can to make sure that Hillary is on the ticket. So today I ask you to go to www.voteboth.com and click on the petition addressed to Senator Obama and to sign it. We all know that Hillary was magnificent last night. The power in the room was remarkable and for every loyalist of Hillary in that room with her last night there were thousands around the country who want Hillary on the tickets. We need to harness our strength for Hillary as quickly as possible. In the 2004 primary season 7.4 million women went to the polls to vote in the democratic primary. In the 2008 democratic primary, over 21 million women cast their votes. MOST of them voted for Hillary.
Here is action you can take right away. Go to www.voteboth.com; click on the petition and sign it.
We want Hillary on the ticket as the Vice-Presidential nominee because we do not believe we will win if she is not on the ticket.
While this is obvious to us, there is little evidence the other camp understands how critical she is to the success of the ticket.
2,000,000 signatures behind this idea will go far in demonstrating the power of Hillary’s support.
We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because it is the only way many women, seniors, Catholics, working class men and women, Hispanics, and Jewish Americans will vote for the ticket.
We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because she polls ahead of McCain in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan; states critical to our victory this fall.
We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because she wins the big states and the swing states; states the Democrats need to reach the 270 electoral votes required for success in November. States won by Hillary represent 300 electoral votes; states won by Obama represent 217.
We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because more Americans voted for her than for any primary candidate in history. 18,000,000 Democrats chose her to lead the country and the free world.
We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because it is the only way we will be willing to put our full, essential energy and effort behind the ticket between now and November.
Please forward this email to others who share your commitment to Hillary on the ticket, quickly. Every signature is another ‘vote’ for Hillary on the ticket.
I ask you to follow Hillary’s lead, and be bigger than you thought you could be. Do this for her. Do it for our country.
With love from my heart—what an amazing journey and it continues onward!
Amy
Well, this has been quite a week for all of us. Everyone I know is filled with mixed emotions. We are so proud of our candidate, but also very sad that those who could not see how terrifc she is chose to fight her for the nomination and, due to some insane party rules, were able to prevail in the delegate count. I am deeply saddened by this, mostly because of the incredible talent we will be missing in the White House.
We were prepared to follow her right to the convention, but it appears from her latest communication that she will concede this Saturday at a thank you rally in Washington D.C. Some ask why her backers supported her for so long. I think part of that for many women is that we simply had to stop listening to "conventional wisdom" years ago or we never would have become who we are. I also think that she would have been the better general election candidate. But, mostly, we waited to see what she, and Bill, would decide to do and how the Obama campaign would react to her. If they are not totally respectful of her and the power she brings in 18 million voters, I could see those voters turning away from the Democratic Party. If she is interested and they offer her the Vice-Presidency, then the Democratic Party may come out of this unified.
One of the most poignant responses I have seen to the current situation is the Amy Rao letter I was forwarded by Pat yesterday(see below). It speaks to the sadness we all feel, but it also speaks to the way true champions respond to setbacks. She shares her personal conversation with Hillary and Hillary's response that she feels good and that she will continue to press forward to help those who need her. We have all learned a great deal from Hillary in handling adversity and we need to continue to press forward and work for what we believe. Amy chooses to work to make Hillary the first female Vice-President and urges all of us to go to www.voteboth.com to sign a petition telling the Obama campaign that we want her to be the choice for Vice President.
Like some of you, I may need another day to nurse my wounds before signing on to the next battle, but I am spending a few days with my daughter and my grand-daughters and becoming the first female Vice-President is still making history and moving the world one step closer to a shared responsibility between women and men leading the world. I do admit to some feeling that Obama can't win without her and then she would win after four more years of Bush-McCain, but four years can be a long time. I'm sure I'll resolve my feelings over the next few days as I watch carefully how the Obama camp reacts to her and whether the VP spot is offered. But, at this moment, I want to tell you how much I appreciate your support for Hillary and thank you for your comments to me and the tremendous efforts you all made on her behalf. We, each of us, can be very proud of being part of history being made and we need to remember that.
In my opinion, she has earned the offer of a VP position and going to www.voteboth.com is a simple way to continue to break down the barriers my grand-daughters and yours might face in the future. Keep the faith.
With fondness,
Suzanne (see below)
From: Amy Rao
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 4:49 PM
Subject: We have to support her and this is what you can do for her.
Dear Friends,
I just wanted to send a note out to you today that hopefully will give your heart and your head a moment of peace… and give you something you can do today for Hillary.
I’m sure many of us if not all of us were going through the same emotions last night. I was numb and angry and couldn’t stop the flow of tears. I just couldn’t believe what was happening and how it was happening. On top of that, I was at the ballpark in SF chaperoning my daughter’s Journalism class (20 students and me.) I rode up on the train reading emails from friends, unable to watch Hillary’s speech—just reading notes from those that were sending. Tears just streaming down my cheeks the entire way—I sat far away from the kids.
The night wore on and I just wanted to go home. Then at 9:30 my phone rang with the number of my dear friend Susie who was in NY. She handed Hillary the phone. Hillary told me that she felt good, in fact she said “Amy, I feel good, I feel great. … I am so proud of what we have all done together. I meant every word I said tonight….. I am not in this for title or power I am in this to help everyone in this country who needs a leg up who shouldn’t have to worry about healthcare and losing their home or their job….you know this is who I am… my life’s work….” I told her that we were so happy to know that tomorrow we would still be able to get up and fight another day. We spoke briefly, for about 3 minutes and then she had to go. I did get to tell her that we all loved her and we are so SO PROUD of her. That we all are with her until the end whatever she chooses to do.
I got off the phone and felt this wave of peace and calmness. This woman is so much bigger than I or I’m sure any of us have ever realized. In her voice I could hear a sense of relief that the primaries had finally ended. She is feeling hurt by the party and is well aware that they abandoned her—but she is bigger than this. She was already 6 stages beyond me in the grieving process and was already focused on our party winning in November. I knew on the call she was asking each of us to reach inside ourselves and be bigger than we thought we could be. I am in awe of this woman. She is an emblem of courage and grace.
So here we are today and we must begin to follow her… and it will take us time to catch up but we haven’t much time to spare. We need to do everything we can to make sure that Hillary is on the ticket. So today I ask you to go to www.voteboth.com and click on the petition addressed to Senator Obama and to sign it. We all know that Hillary was magnificent last night. The power in the room was remarkable and for every loyalist of Hillary in that room with her last night there were thousands around the country who want Hillary on the tickets. We need to harness our strength for Hillary as quickly as possible. In the 2004 primary season 7.4 million women went to the polls to vote in the democratic primary. In the 2008 democratic primary, over 21 million women cast their votes. MOST of them voted for Hillary.
Here is action you can take right away. Go to www.voteboth.com; click on the petition and sign it.
We want Hillary on the ticket as the Vice-Presidential nominee because we do not believe we will win if she is not on the ticket.
While this is obvious to us, there is little evidence the other camp understands how critical she is to the success of the ticket.
2,000,000 signatures behind this idea will go far in demonstrating the power of Hillary’s support.
We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because it is the only way many women, seniors, Catholics, working class men and women, Hispanics, and Jewish Americans will vote for the ticket.
We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because she polls ahead of McCain in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan; states critical to our victory this fall.
We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because she wins the big states and the swing states; states the Democrats need to reach the 270 electoral votes required for success in November. States won by Hillary represent 300 electoral votes; states won by Obama represent 217.
We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because more Americans voted for her than for any primary candidate in history. 18,000,000 Democrats chose her to lead the country and the free world.
We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because it is the only way we will be willing to put our full, essential energy and effort behind the ticket between now and November.
Please forward this email to others who share your commitment to Hillary on the ticket, quickly. Every signature is another ‘vote’ for Hillary on the ticket.
I ask you to follow Hillary’s lead, and be bigger than you thought you could be. Do this for her. Do it for our country.
With love from my heart—what an amazing journey and it continues onward!
Amy
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Please read and act
Hello fellow Hillary Supporters:
Please read below and let the Democratic Party Rules Committee know that you expect them to keep their compact with all Democrats in all 50 states when they meet on May 31. There is nothing I can say after reading Hillary's remarks that would be more powerful. We are just fortunate that someone of her caliber is willing to fight this fight. Please read below...and then go to the website and act..
Hillary Clinton Remarks in Florida on Counting Every Vote
Hillary Clinton delivered the following remarks this afternoon at a "Solutions for America" event in Boca Raton, FL:
It’s exciting to be with some wonderful supporters and friends. I thank your senator and my friend, Ted Deutch, he’s a real leader. He and I have talked about the issues that matter to you over many years, and I’m so grateful to have his support. Commissioner Burt Aaronson, who has also led the way in so many important things here in Palm Beach County. I want to thank Jean Enright, one of your port commissioners. I want to thank Anne Gannon, the tax collector who is here, Representative Kelly Skidmore. And I am especially pleased to be accompanied today by a longtime friend of mine, Congresswoman Corrine Brown, who is a real fighter and a champion. She has a tremendously important position in the House of Representatives, where she does work on behalf of veterans and the needs, not only of her constituents in the Jacksonville area, but indeed all of Florida and America.
Now, this year’s presidential election is like none other in history. And we have had more people engaging and volunteering, casting their ballots, than ever before. Everywhere I go, people tell me, “I’ve never given money to a campaign in my life; this year is different. I’ve never followed an election before; this time I can’t stop watching.” And there’s a reason for that. With our economy in crisis, and with two wars and our children’s future in the balance, more people than ever before are taking politics seriously.
I happen to welcome that because this is a democracy, and we’ve all got to participate. In fact, we want more democracy, not less democracy. We want more people taking a part in the selection of their president.
Here in Florida, more than 1.7 million people cast their vote, the highest primary turnout in the history of Florida. And nearly 600,000 voters in Michigan did the same. And not a day goes by that I don’t meet someone who grabs my hand or holds up a sign, no matter where I am, in Kentucky or anywhere else, and says, “Please, make my vote count.”
I receive dozens and dozens of letters and emails and phone calls, every couple of hours it seems like, all making the same urgent request: please count my vote. We used to be worried about voter apathy, didn’t we? We worried why Americans didn’t participate. Now, people are worried that their participation won’t matter.
I believe the Democratic Party must count these votes. They should count them exactly as they were cast. Democracy demands no less.
I am here today because I believe that the decision our party faces is not just about the fate of these votes and the outcome of these primaries. It is about whether we will uphold our most fundamental values as Democrats and Americans. It is about whether we will move forward, united, to win this state and take back the White House this November. That has to be the prize that we keep in mind.
Because here in America, unlike in many other nations, we are bound together, not by a single shared religion or cultural heritage, but by a shared set of ideas and ideals, a shared civic faith, that we are entitled to speak and worship freely, that we deserve equal justice under the law, that we have certain core rights that no government can abridge and these rights are rooted in and sustained by the principle that our founders set forth in the Declaration of Independence. That a just government derives its power from the consent of the governed, that each of us should have an equal voice in determining the destiny of our nation. A generation of patriots risked and sacrificed lives on the battlefield for that ideal.
The union they ultimately formed was far from perfect. It excluded many of our citizens; people like Congresswoman Brown, me, my daughter. But it was an ideal that set forth a goal that we have consistently worked for.
Fortunately, in each successive generation, this nation was blessed by men and women who refused to accept their assigned place as second-class citizens. Men and women who saw America not as it was, but as it could and should be, and committed themselves to extending the frontiers of our democracy. The abolitionists and all who fought to end slavery and ensure freedom came with the full right of citizenship. The tenacious women and a few brave men who gathered at the Seneca Falls convention back in 1848 to demand the right to vote.
It took more than 70 years of struggle, setbacks, and grinding hard work and only one of those original suffragists lived to see women cast their ballots. There are women here today – as with my own mother – who were born before the Constitution granted us the right to vote. This is not something lost in the mists of memory and history; this is real. The generations here in this room have seen change. The men and women who knew their Constitutional right to vote meant little when poll taxes and literacy tests, violence, and intimidation made it impossible to exercise their right, so they marched and protested, faced dogs and tear gas, knelt down on that bridge in Selma to pray and were beaten within an inch of their lives.
Some gave their lives to the struggle for a more perfect union. There is a reason why so many have fought so hard and sacrificed so much. It is because they knew that to be a citizen of this country is to have the right and responsibility to help shape its future, not just to make your voice heard, but to have it count. People have fought hard because they knew their vote was at stake and so was their children’s future. Because of those who have come before, Senator Obama and I and so many of you have this precious right today. Because of all that has been done, we are in this historic presidential election. I believe that both Senator Obama and myself have an obligation as potential Democratic nominees – in fact, we all have an obligation as Democrats – to carry on this legacy and ensure that in our nominating process every voice is heard and every single vote is counted.
This work to extend the franchise to all of our citizens is a core mission of the modern Democratic Party, from signing the voting rights act and fighting racial discrimination at the ballot box, to lowering the voting age so those old enough to fight and die in war would have the right to choose their Commander-in-Chief, to fighting for multi-lingual ballots so you can make your voice heard no matter what language you speak. I am proud of our work today. We are fighting the redistricting initiatives that would dilute African American and Latino votes. We are fighting efforts to purge voters from the rolls here in Florida and elsewhere. We are fighting voter identification laws that could wrongly keep tens of thousands of voters from casting their ballots this November.
We carry on this cause for a simple reason, because we believe the outcome of our elections should be determined by the will of the people – nothing more, nothing less.
We believe the popular vote is the truest expression of your will. We believe it today, just as we believed it back in 2000 when right here in Florida, you learned the hard way what happens when your votes aren’t counted and the candidate with fewer votes is declared the winner. The lesson of 2000 here in Florida is crystal clear. If any votes aren’t counted, the will of the people is not realized and our democracy is diminished. That is what I have always believed.
My first job in politics was on the 1972 presidential campaign registering African-American and Hispanic voters in Texas. That work took me from home to home in neighborhood after neighborhood. I was determined to knock on every door and sign up every voter I could find. While we may not have won that election, I have never given up the fight. It is a fight I continue to this day.
Because I think it is appalling that in the 21st century, voters are still being wrongly turned away from the polls, ballots are still mysteriously lost in state after state, African-American and Hispanic voters still wait in line for hours while voters in the same state, even in the same county can wait just minutes to cast their votes. That’s why I’ve been working since 2004 with my dear friend Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones to pass the Count Every Vote Act; comprehensive voting rights legislation designed to end these deplorable violations. It will ensure that every eligible voter can vote, every vote is counted, and every vote can verify his or her vote before it is finally cast.
I will continue to fight for that same principle every day in this campaign. The fact is, the people of Florida voted back in January. You did your part. You showed up in record numbers and you made informed choices. But today, some months later, you still do not know if these votes will help determine our party's nominee. You still don't know if this great state will be represented at our convention in August. It is time you knew, because the more than 2.3 million people who voted in Florida and Michigan exercised their fundamental American right in good faith. You watched the news. You went to the candidates' web sites, you talked to your friends and neighbors, you learned about our records and policies so you could make informed voting decisions. You didn't break a single rule, and you should not be punished for matters beyond your control.
Now, I know that Senator Obama chose to remove his name from the ballot in Michigan, and that was his right. But his choice does not negate the votes of all those who turned out to cast their ballots, and we should not let our process rob them and all of you of your voices. To do so would undermine the very purpose of the nominating process. To ensure that as many Democrats as possible can cast their votes. To ensure that the party selects a nominee who truly represents the will of the voters and to ensure that the Democrats take back the White House to rebuild America.
Now, I’ve heard some say that counting Florida and Michigan would be changing the rules. I say that not counting Florida and Michigan is changing a central governing rule of this country - that whenever we can understand the clear intent of the voters, their votes should be counted. I remember very well back in 2000, there were those who argued that people's votes should be discounted over technicalities. For the people of Florida who voted in this primary, the notion of discounting their votes sounds way too much of the same.
The votes of 1.7 million people should not be cast aside because of a technicality. The people who voted did nothing wrong, and it would be wrong to punish you. As the Florida Supreme Court said back in 2000, before the United States Supreme Court took the case away from them, as your Supreme Court said, it's not about the technicalities or about the contestants. It’s about the will of the people. And whenever you can understand their intent, it should govern. It’s very clear what 1.7 million people intended here in Florida. Playing a role in the nominating process in a two-party system is just as important as having a vote in the presidential election on Election Day count.
We know it was wrong to penalize voters for the decisions of state officials back in the 2000 presidential election. It would be wrong to do so for decisions made in our nominating process. Democrats argued passionately. We are still arguing, aren't we, for counting all the votes back in 2000, and we should be just as passionately arguing for that principle today, here in Florida and in Michigan. It is well within the Democratic Party rules to take this stand. The rules clearly state that we can count all of these votes and seat all of these delegates, pledged and unpledged, if we so choose. And the rules lay out a clear process for doing so.
With this process, if hope we will honor the will of those who came out to cast votes. Think of how that day was. Workers who rushed to the polls between shifts; students who came between classes, parents who rearranged their family's schedules, senior citizens who arranged transportation to the polls, all so you could have your votes counted. And whether you voted for better schools for your kids or a secure retirement for your parents, for jobs you can raise a family on, for health care you can afford, to bring your son, your grandson, your daughter or your granddaughter back from Iraq or bring back America’s reputation in the world. Whether you voted for me or Senator Obama or Senator Edwards or someone else, each vote you cast is a prayer for our nation, a declaration of your dreams for your children and grandchildren; a reflection of your determination to ensure that our country lives up to its promise. Each vote is a tool, one used throughout history to break barriers, open doors, and widen the circle of opportunity.
I remember when President Lyndon Johnson addressed the Congress and the nation urging the passage of the Voting Rights Act. He declared, “I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy.” It was urgent, elevated language, but it was not hyperbole. Now, as back then, those are the stakes. That's why here in Florida, even when you were told your primary might not count, you voted anyway.
A Floridian I know from Tallahassee told me about his mother's canasta club. It’s a group of women in their golden years who gather every week to play cards and visit. They talked about that Florida primary every week as they gathered around the card table. They followed the news closely. They discussed the candidates and their positions on the issues. They knew about the dispute over the primary schedule and the question of seating delegates. And when it came time to vote, like so many other good citizens of this state, the ladies of the canasta club dutifully cast their ballots for the candidates of their choice. They made informed choices. They did nothing wrong, and they should not be punished for doing their civic duty.
You knew then what Americans know, that this political process of ours is about more than the candidates running, the pundits commenting or the ads blaring. It’s about the path we choose as a nation. If anyone ever doubted whether it mattered who our president was, the last seven years with George Bush should have removed every single doubt from anyone's mind.
That’s why you voted, and that's why I’m running. And that's why you've been organizing and raising your voices, hoping to have your votes count. You refused to stay home then, and you refuse to stay silent now. Because you want to change America’s future and you have faith that your party, the Democratic Party, will give you that chance. I’m here today because I believe we should keep that faith, listen to your voices and count every single one of your votes. If we fail to do so, I worry that we will pay not only a moral cost, but a political cost as well.
We know the road to a Democratic White House runs right through Florida and Michigan. And if we care about winning those states in November, we need to count your votes now. If Democrats send the message that we don't fully value your votes, we know Senator McCain and the Republicans will be more than happy to have them. The Republicans will make a simple and compelling argument. Why should Florida and Michigan voters trust the Democratic Party to look out for you when they won't even listen to you?
Now, if you agree with me, I urge you to go to my website, HillaryClinton.com, and join the more than 300,000 who have already signed our petition asking the Democratic National Committee to count your votes. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the territories will have a chance to play a role in this historic process. Now is not the time for our party to have a dialogue about which states and which votes should count. The people of Florida are all too familiar with where that discussion can lead. In the end, we cannot move forward as a united party if some members of our party are left out. Senator Obama and I are running to be president of all Americans and all 50 states. And I want to be sure that all 50 states are counted and your delegates are seated at our convention.
So will you join me in making sure your voices are raised and heard so that your votes can be counted? Because remember, it's been the mission of the Democratic Party, guided always by the understanding that as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “the ultimate rulers of our democracy are not the president, the senators, the members of Congress and government officials, but the voters of this country.” In this Democratic Party, the voters rule. So let's make sure your voices are heard and your votes are counted.
Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stay informed, get connected and more with AOL on your phone.
Please read below and let the Democratic Party Rules Committee know that you expect them to keep their compact with all Democrats in all 50 states when they meet on May 31. There is nothing I can say after reading Hillary's remarks that would be more powerful. We are just fortunate that someone of her caliber is willing to fight this fight. Please read below...and then go to the website and act..
Hillary Clinton Remarks in Florida on Counting Every Vote
Hillary Clinton delivered the following remarks this afternoon at a "Solutions for America" event in Boca Raton, FL:
It’s exciting to be with some wonderful supporters and friends. I thank your senator and my friend, Ted Deutch, he’s a real leader. He and I have talked about the issues that matter to you over many years, and I’m so grateful to have his support. Commissioner Burt Aaronson, who has also led the way in so many important things here in Palm Beach County. I want to thank Jean Enright, one of your port commissioners. I want to thank Anne Gannon, the tax collector who is here, Representative Kelly Skidmore. And I am especially pleased to be accompanied today by a longtime friend of mine, Congresswoman Corrine Brown, who is a real fighter and a champion. She has a tremendously important position in the House of Representatives, where she does work on behalf of veterans and the needs, not only of her constituents in the Jacksonville area, but indeed all of Florida and America.
Now, this year’s presidential election is like none other in history. And we have had more people engaging and volunteering, casting their ballots, than ever before. Everywhere I go, people tell me, “I’ve never given money to a campaign in my life; this year is different. I’ve never followed an election before; this time I can’t stop watching.” And there’s a reason for that. With our economy in crisis, and with two wars and our children’s future in the balance, more people than ever before are taking politics seriously.
I happen to welcome that because this is a democracy, and we’ve all got to participate. In fact, we want more democracy, not less democracy. We want more people taking a part in the selection of their president.
Here in Florida, more than 1.7 million people cast their vote, the highest primary turnout in the history of Florida. And nearly 600,000 voters in Michigan did the same. And not a day goes by that I don’t meet someone who grabs my hand or holds up a sign, no matter where I am, in Kentucky or anywhere else, and says, “Please, make my vote count.”
I receive dozens and dozens of letters and emails and phone calls, every couple of hours it seems like, all making the same urgent request: please count my vote. We used to be worried about voter apathy, didn’t we? We worried why Americans didn’t participate. Now, people are worried that their participation won’t matter.
I believe the Democratic Party must count these votes. They should count them exactly as they were cast. Democracy demands no less.
I am here today because I believe that the decision our party faces is not just about the fate of these votes and the outcome of these primaries. It is about whether we will uphold our most fundamental values as Democrats and Americans. It is about whether we will move forward, united, to win this state and take back the White House this November. That has to be the prize that we keep in mind.
Because here in America, unlike in many other nations, we are bound together, not by a single shared religion or cultural heritage, but by a shared set of ideas and ideals, a shared civic faith, that we are entitled to speak and worship freely, that we deserve equal justice under the law, that we have certain core rights that no government can abridge and these rights are rooted in and sustained by the principle that our founders set forth in the Declaration of Independence. That a just government derives its power from the consent of the governed, that each of us should have an equal voice in determining the destiny of our nation. A generation of patriots risked and sacrificed lives on the battlefield for that ideal.
The union they ultimately formed was far from perfect. It excluded many of our citizens; people like Congresswoman Brown, me, my daughter. But it was an ideal that set forth a goal that we have consistently worked for.
Fortunately, in each successive generation, this nation was blessed by men and women who refused to accept their assigned place as second-class citizens. Men and women who saw America not as it was, but as it could and should be, and committed themselves to extending the frontiers of our democracy. The abolitionists and all who fought to end slavery and ensure freedom came with the full right of citizenship. The tenacious women and a few brave men who gathered at the Seneca Falls convention back in 1848 to demand the right to vote.
It took more than 70 years of struggle, setbacks, and grinding hard work and only one of those original suffragists lived to see women cast their ballots. There are women here today – as with my own mother – who were born before the Constitution granted us the right to vote. This is not something lost in the mists of memory and history; this is real. The generations here in this room have seen change. The men and women who knew their Constitutional right to vote meant little when poll taxes and literacy tests, violence, and intimidation made it impossible to exercise their right, so they marched and protested, faced dogs and tear gas, knelt down on that bridge in Selma to pray and were beaten within an inch of their lives.
Some gave their lives to the struggle for a more perfect union. There is a reason why so many have fought so hard and sacrificed so much. It is because they knew that to be a citizen of this country is to have the right and responsibility to help shape its future, not just to make your voice heard, but to have it count. People have fought hard because they knew their vote was at stake and so was their children’s future. Because of those who have come before, Senator Obama and I and so many of you have this precious right today. Because of all that has been done, we are in this historic presidential election. I believe that both Senator Obama and myself have an obligation as potential Democratic nominees – in fact, we all have an obligation as Democrats – to carry on this legacy and ensure that in our nominating process every voice is heard and every single vote is counted.
This work to extend the franchise to all of our citizens is a core mission of the modern Democratic Party, from signing the voting rights act and fighting racial discrimination at the ballot box, to lowering the voting age so those old enough to fight and die in war would have the right to choose their Commander-in-Chief, to fighting for multi-lingual ballots so you can make your voice heard no matter what language you speak. I am proud of our work today. We are fighting the redistricting initiatives that would dilute African American and Latino votes. We are fighting efforts to purge voters from the rolls here in Florida and elsewhere. We are fighting voter identification laws that could wrongly keep tens of thousands of voters from casting their ballots this November.
We carry on this cause for a simple reason, because we believe the outcome of our elections should be determined by the will of the people – nothing more, nothing less.
We believe the popular vote is the truest expression of your will. We believe it today, just as we believed it back in 2000 when right here in Florida, you learned the hard way what happens when your votes aren’t counted and the candidate with fewer votes is declared the winner. The lesson of 2000 here in Florida is crystal clear. If any votes aren’t counted, the will of the people is not realized and our democracy is diminished. That is what I have always believed.
My first job in politics was on the 1972 presidential campaign registering African-American and Hispanic voters in Texas. That work took me from home to home in neighborhood after neighborhood. I was determined to knock on every door and sign up every voter I could find. While we may not have won that election, I have never given up the fight. It is a fight I continue to this day.
Because I think it is appalling that in the 21st century, voters are still being wrongly turned away from the polls, ballots are still mysteriously lost in state after state, African-American and Hispanic voters still wait in line for hours while voters in the same state, even in the same county can wait just minutes to cast their votes. That’s why I’ve been working since 2004 with my dear friend Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones to pass the Count Every Vote Act; comprehensive voting rights legislation designed to end these deplorable violations. It will ensure that every eligible voter can vote, every vote is counted, and every vote can verify his or her vote before it is finally cast.
I will continue to fight for that same principle every day in this campaign. The fact is, the people of Florida voted back in January. You did your part. You showed up in record numbers and you made informed choices. But today, some months later, you still do not know if these votes will help determine our party's nominee. You still don't know if this great state will be represented at our convention in August. It is time you knew, because the more than 2.3 million people who voted in Florida and Michigan exercised their fundamental American right in good faith. You watched the news. You went to the candidates' web sites, you talked to your friends and neighbors, you learned about our records and policies so you could make informed voting decisions. You didn't break a single rule, and you should not be punished for matters beyond your control.
Now, I know that Senator Obama chose to remove his name from the ballot in Michigan, and that was his right. But his choice does not negate the votes of all those who turned out to cast their ballots, and we should not let our process rob them and all of you of your voices. To do so would undermine the very purpose of the nominating process. To ensure that as many Democrats as possible can cast their votes. To ensure that the party selects a nominee who truly represents the will of the voters and to ensure that the Democrats take back the White House to rebuild America.
Now, I’ve heard some say that counting Florida and Michigan would be changing the rules. I say that not counting Florida and Michigan is changing a central governing rule of this country - that whenever we can understand the clear intent of the voters, their votes should be counted. I remember very well back in 2000, there were those who argued that people's votes should be discounted over technicalities. For the people of Florida who voted in this primary, the notion of discounting their votes sounds way too much of the same.
The votes of 1.7 million people should not be cast aside because of a technicality. The people who voted did nothing wrong, and it would be wrong to punish you. As the Florida Supreme Court said back in 2000, before the United States Supreme Court took the case away from them, as your Supreme Court said, it's not about the technicalities or about the contestants. It’s about the will of the people. And whenever you can understand their intent, it should govern. It’s very clear what 1.7 million people intended here in Florida. Playing a role in the nominating process in a two-party system is just as important as having a vote in the presidential election on Election Day count.
We know it was wrong to penalize voters for the decisions of state officials back in the 2000 presidential election. It would be wrong to do so for decisions made in our nominating process. Democrats argued passionately. We are still arguing, aren't we, for counting all the votes back in 2000, and we should be just as passionately arguing for that principle today, here in Florida and in Michigan. It is well within the Democratic Party rules to take this stand. The rules clearly state that we can count all of these votes and seat all of these delegates, pledged and unpledged, if we so choose. And the rules lay out a clear process for doing so.
With this process, if hope we will honor the will of those who came out to cast votes. Think of how that day was. Workers who rushed to the polls between shifts; students who came between classes, parents who rearranged their family's schedules, senior citizens who arranged transportation to the polls, all so you could have your votes counted. And whether you voted for better schools for your kids or a secure retirement for your parents, for jobs you can raise a family on, for health care you can afford, to bring your son, your grandson, your daughter or your granddaughter back from Iraq or bring back America’s reputation in the world. Whether you voted for me or Senator Obama or Senator Edwards or someone else, each vote you cast is a prayer for our nation, a declaration of your dreams for your children and grandchildren; a reflection of your determination to ensure that our country lives up to its promise. Each vote is a tool, one used throughout history to break barriers, open doors, and widen the circle of opportunity.
I remember when President Lyndon Johnson addressed the Congress and the nation urging the passage of the Voting Rights Act. He declared, “I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy.” It was urgent, elevated language, but it was not hyperbole. Now, as back then, those are the stakes. That's why here in Florida, even when you were told your primary might not count, you voted anyway.
A Floridian I know from Tallahassee told me about his mother's canasta club. It’s a group of women in their golden years who gather every week to play cards and visit. They talked about that Florida primary every week as they gathered around the card table. They followed the news closely. They discussed the candidates and their positions on the issues. They knew about the dispute over the primary schedule and the question of seating delegates. And when it came time to vote, like so many other good citizens of this state, the ladies of the canasta club dutifully cast their ballots for the candidates of their choice. They made informed choices. They did nothing wrong, and they should not be punished for doing their civic duty.
You knew then what Americans know, that this political process of ours is about more than the candidates running, the pundits commenting or the ads blaring. It’s about the path we choose as a nation. If anyone ever doubted whether it mattered who our president was, the last seven years with George Bush should have removed every single doubt from anyone's mind.
That’s why you voted, and that's why I’m running. And that's why you've been organizing and raising your voices, hoping to have your votes count. You refused to stay home then, and you refuse to stay silent now. Because you want to change America’s future and you have faith that your party, the Democratic Party, will give you that chance. I’m here today because I believe we should keep that faith, listen to your voices and count every single one of your votes. If we fail to do so, I worry that we will pay not only a moral cost, but a political cost as well.
We know the road to a Democratic White House runs right through Florida and Michigan. And if we care about winning those states in November, we need to count your votes now. If Democrats send the message that we don't fully value your votes, we know Senator McCain and the Republicans will be more than happy to have them. The Republicans will make a simple and compelling argument. Why should Florida and Michigan voters trust the Democratic Party to look out for you when they won't even listen to you?
Now, if you agree with me, I urge you to go to my website, HillaryClinton.com, and join the more than 300,000 who have already signed our petition asking the Democratic National Committee to count your votes. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the territories will have a chance to play a role in this historic process. Now is not the time for our party to have a dialogue about which states and which votes should count. The people of Florida are all too familiar with where that discussion can lead. In the end, we cannot move forward as a united party if some members of our party are left out. Senator Obama and I are running to be president of all Americans and all 50 states. And I want to be sure that all 50 states are counted and your delegates are seated at our convention.
So will you join me in making sure your voices are raised and heard so that your votes can be counted? Because remember, it's been the mission of the Democratic Party, guided always by the understanding that as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “the ultimate rulers of our democracy are not the president, the senators, the members of Congress and government officials, but the voters of this country.” In this Democratic Party, the voters rule. So let's make sure your voices are heard and your votes are counted.
Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America.
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