UCLA students were among Democrats from across the country
convening in Boston last week to attend the four-day Democratic
National Convention.
Delegates from each state at the convention cast their votes to
nominate John Kerry as the Democratic candidate for president.
At the FleetCenter, in the heart of the city, the gathered crowd
cheered noisily, said Kristina Doan, a third-year political science
student and president of Bruin Democrats.
“I just don’t think newspapers could have captured
the energy that was in there,” Doan said.
But when a prominent politician rose to the podium to speak,
silence dominated the convention hall, she added.
Speakers at this year’s convention included former
Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and Sen. Ted Kennedy,
D-Mass.
In Boston, the Democratic party also introduced their party
platform, describing President Bush’s foreign policy as
ineffective and calling for a shift in direction.
The energy of the convention was not only felt within the closed
doors of the FleetCenter.
From nightclub parties to environmental rallies it appeared that
the Democrats had taken over the city, Doan said.
Among the crowd were college students who came to Boston,
without tickets to enter the FleetCenter, but just to be a part of
the political vigor charging the city, she added.
This year, the College Democrats of America set up events from
Saturday through Tuesday for college students.
These events, Doan said, gave students the chance to hear
speeches in person from famous political figures, including former
Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, political columnist and author
Arianna Huffington and Alex and Vanessa Kerry, John Kerry’s
daughters.
Programs included training sessions that discussed how to raise
money for and win elections.
The point was to get college students excited about politics and
give them practical training for working on the Kerry campaign,
said Tyler Shewey, a UCLA student who also attended the
convention.
“It was very exciting and moving in itself to see so many
young people who are interested,” he added. “There is a
lot of energy about this campaign.”
Shewey, who this summer is interning at the Washington, D.C.,
office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., rode to Boston on a bus
trip sponsored by the College Democrats’ group.
The political and social events organized by the College
Democrats group gave students who have worked on the Kerry campaign
for over a year a chance to relax, get to know each other and trade
campaigning stories, Doan said.
“College students are the ones who put in a lot of the
grunt work in the campaign “¦ It was really nice that (the
members of the College Democrats group) appreciate what we
do,” she said.
On Monday night, both Shewey and Doan were among the thousands
gathered inside the FleetCenter to hear former President Bill
Clinton.
Clinton, who spoke for nearly 30 minutes, attacked Bush’s
management of the Iraq war and his tax cuts.
“He is always very impressive. “¦ It really was a
great kickoff for the convention,” Doan said.
Shewey, who on Monday met with Dukakis, a faculty member at
UCLA’s School of Public Policy and Social Research, and
former Gov. Gray Davis, said seeing these political officials
created an unforgettable day for him.
On Thursday, Kerry accepted the nomination as the Democratic
Party’s candidate for the presidency. Kerry spoke of his
experience in the Vietnam War, and criticized Bush’s time in
office.
“He had so much pressure to deliver the speech of his life
and I think that he lived up to the expectations,” Doan said,
who heard the speech from within the FleetCenter.
But while Democrats from around the nation participated in the
convention, most Democrats serving in the California State Assembly
were unable to attend due to state budget negotiations last week.
The Assembly approved Schwarzenegger’s $105.4 billion budget
July 27.
Assembly Speaker Fábian Núñez, D-Los Angeles,
asked assemblymembers to remain within four hours of travel time to
Sacramento to vote on the budget.
Assemblywoman Judy Chu, D-San Gabriel Valley, although a
delegate was unable to travel to Boston. This convention would have
been Chu’s first time attending as a delegate.
“It is a tremendous chance to be a part of history and be
a part of a large force of people
who want to change things in this country and it is a chance
to be inspired by those that are at the heart of this
change,” she said.