Thousands Vote for California Delegates

(Lafayette, California)

 

    Thousands of California Democrats turned out Sunday to vote for delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August. While so much attention has focused on the "Super Delegates," little attention has been paid to the process of selecting the rank-and-file delegates.

 

    That's what people were voting for on Sunday. Statewide they were electing 134 delegates for Sen. Hillary Clinton and 107 for Sen. Barack Obama, based on the results of the February 5 primary.

 

    The Clinton caucus for the 10th Congressional District was held at the Veterans Building in Lafayette. Outside, potential delegates lobbied voters. Some paired up and ran as a ticket. Longtime party activists Robert Camacho and Kath Delaney decided to run as a team for two of the three Clinton delegate slots:

 

      "I've raised thousands of dollars. I've made calls every day," Delaney said. "My support of Sen. Clinton is unwavering. I'll do everything to get her in the White House," she added.

 

    It was Hillary Clinton who suggested that no delegates be committed to any one candidate. They may vote any way they want when they get to the convention in Denver; but delegate candidate Camacho said he will not budge. "The only person who could get me to change my vote is Hillary Clinton," Camacho said. The team approach worked. Camacho and Delaney were elected delegates.

 

    A unique approach was taken by prospective delegate Dave Seaborg (shown here on the left). He believes he can persuade more Super Delegates to vote for Clinton. "I have more connections to Super Delegates than anyone running," Seaborg said. "I have the best shot of getting (undecided) Super Delegates to vote for Hillary." His pitch worked; Seaborg was elected!

 

     A few miles away in Walnut Creek, supporters of Sen. Barack Obama gathered at the Jewish Community Center to elect their delegates.

 

    Ki Ingersol hopes to be an Obama delegate. "I've been supporting him since 2003, when he was running for Senate," Ingersol said.

 

    Also running for one of the two Obama delegate slots was Madeline Yanov (shown on the right), who was lobbying for votes with her husband and daughter. Yanov quit the Democratic Party fifteen years ago after becoming disillusioned by its direction. She was an Independent until Obama came along. "Here was a person who could bring hope and change," Yanov said. "This is a person who can take back the country and make me proud to be an American again," she added.

 

    Everyone we spoke with Sunday said they had never seen anything like the turnout. Normally delegate selection is a mundane party responsibility, seldom covered by the press. But this year, in a razor thin race between Obama and Clinton, the voter turnout and the public attention were unprecedented. Ken Richards and Kathy Klein were chosen as the Obama delegates from District 10.

 

    Next week I will be reporting from the Pennsylvania Primary in Philadelphia. Until then, keep checking for updates at www.MarkCurtisMedia.blogspot.com.

 

   

 

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