Candace

Talmadge

Read Candace's bio and previous columns

March 31, 2008

Democracy, Texas-Style 

“I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat.” - Will Rogers 

The chaos of the March 4 Texas primaries and caucuses carried over to the Dallas County Democratic Convention this past weekend. It was really five separate mini-conventions based on state senatorial districts within the county. 

The Senate District 2 confab was at H. Grady Spruce High School in Pleasant Grove, one of the poorest parts of Dallas. There are no glitzy shopping malls, high-rise office buildings or even just decent supermarkets on this side of town. There are mom-and-pop stores in rundown strip malls and aging housing stock consisting of tiny frame homes and dilapidated apartment complexes with banners proclaiming, “Se Renta.” 

There are also plenty of beautiful mature trees – always the first victims of the economic development bulldozers that have yet to reach the area. 

When we walked inside the doors at 8:30 a.m., the high school was so packed it took a while to find our proper registration tables, which of course were on the far side of the hall. After waiting more than an hour to sign in and receive delegate credentials, we then joined the rest of Precinct 3808 to sort out a number of credentials challenges. That took a lot more time, all the while navigating crowds, noise and confusion that required patience and a hefty dose of humor. You simply can’t hurry love – or democracy. 

Then we trudged upstairs to the auditorium balcony where our precinct was to sit – and waited. And waited and waited and waited, along with the rest of the delegates on the floor. We put up “Obama ’08” signs. We told lots of jokes and got to know fellow precinct delegates a bit better. We scrounged lunch from the food truck outside or brought in sandwiches that we bought elsewhere. One precinct ordered a stack of delivery pizzas that vanished rapidly. 

Democratic candidates for various county posts – some of them facing runoffs on April 8 – made the rounds of all five conventions and asked for our support. The incumbent county sheriff, a tiny woman with an imposing presence named Lupe Valdez, received a standing ovation. She could not have left quickly had she needed to because so many people wanted to shake her hand and pose with her for cell phone photos. 

Originally scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., our convention was called to order at 2 p.m. Never let it be said that Democrats squander their resources on trifles. From a distance, the “gavel” appeared to be a large roll of clear strapping tape. 

The delay was caused by the sheer number of credentials challenges. Our credentials committee ruled most of them void because they arrived too late. The convention chair informed us that while our meeting was under way, other conventions were still wrestling with credentials challenges well into late afternoon. We also learned that normally, maybe as many as 160 people attend District 2 conventions. This year, there was almost 10 times that number. 

The two most important items of the day were the delegate presidential preference poll and the elections of state delegates and alternates. The precinct chairs were given packets that had sheets with delegate names. We had to sign by our name and indicate which candidate we support. Our precinct caucused 25 to 1 in favor of Obama; all of our delegates put down his name. 

Electing state delegates and alternates to attend the June convention is democracy at it rawest and most personal – looking fellow delegates in the eye and asking them for their support. All over the floor and the balcony, precincts gathered in tight groups and started talking and gesturing with uncharacteristic intensity. Our precinct, allotted two state delegates and two alternates, managed to sort it all out in fairly short order. Many who were not chosen as precinct delegates applied to be one of the 25 at-large delegates and 25 alternates the convention will also send to the state meeting. 

Those crucial tasks accomplished, we began to vote on the various proposals for Dallas County Democrats to put before fellow party members statewide in June. One of them was a proposal to fund state elections with public money. This is known as a “clean election” law. It has been enacted in other states and has enabled political non-insiders to run for and win state office. It passed handily. 

Delegates were free to depart even before the meeting adjourned, unless they had applied to be one of the at-large state delegates/alternates and wanted to make their case in person to the credentials committee. More consuming hours of work to complete before the day ended. 

Next stop: Austin as an alternate, with at least one pilgrimage to El Patio, one of the top Tex-Mex restaurants in the Lone Star State.

© 2008 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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