Convention Conclusion

What an amazing week! After the Media Welcome Event on Saturday night, it was five days of receptions, forums, newsmakers and news reporters, festivities, food, music and speeches.  There were people from all over the country and US territories all concentrated in a twelve-block area all day.  I caught a screening of “Electoral Dysfunction with Mo Rocca” which made its debut at the RNC the previous week.  It is a look at the Electoral College process and how it came about and suggests that it is no longer relevant – a great discussion.  It will be shown on PBS in October.

It was great to meet people from all over who want to talk about things such as the benefits of access to affordable health care.  After spending my first night back home in the ER with Abby, I can say that seeking medical care in an Emergency Room is not ideal.  There are loooooooong waits.  You don’t know which physician will grab your chart – no Primary Care Physician.   Abby is fine now, by the way - and I was thankful for the ER in a time of need.  But to be unable to afford insurance and go through that whenever you have bronchitis or strep throat is just depressing.  It is impersonal and expensive for both the hospital and for people with insurance who pay indirectly.  The staff in the ER was great, but they didn’t know me from Adam and I will (hopefully) not see them any time soon!

The speeches on the final evening of the convention were riveting; the energy in the arena was palpable.  There were performances by James Taylor, the Foo Fighters and Mary J. Blige.  You all know that the VPOTUS and POTUS (and wives) spoke, which were great, but other speeches I remember in particular were by Beau Biden, son of Joe and the Atty. General of Delaware, Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana and former Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm.  A true high-point of the evening was Representative Gabby Giffords leading the Pledge of Allegiance – I’ve included a picture from that.

Check out the other pictures, there is one of the First Family and two of the House United project.

I will be unpacking my notes and my brain (still chock full) for days to come.  Thank goodness so much of it is accessible online so I can see and listen to some of the key speakers that I either missed or that I couldn’t hear clearly because the arena was so noisy with applause.

I want to thank everyone who made it possible for me to go, from those who voted for me in one or both rounds in the Delegate selection process to those who came to the wine tasting/fundraiser at Lucia’s Bodega.  It was a fantastic experience that I honestly hope was not a ‘once in a lifetime’ occasion.  I’m hooked, I want to go in 2016 – wherever it is!