Are you ready for change? ( Series 2 ) By Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D.Third Day: The history-making Nomination Process, America’s Future"America is a place where what holds you back are temporary, not permanent barriers", Rep. Artur Davis said as he seconded the nomination of Barack Obama. He was joined by Honorable Ken Salazar and Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida. Then, the Roll Call Nominating Process was started by Alice Travis Germond, who called on the 36 states, with 2210 votes needed for nomination. Arkansas, Delaware, New Hampshire, New Jersey declared all their available votes for Senator Barack Obama. Shared states that gave most votes to Obama, with a few to Hillary, include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Democrats Abroad, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachussetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico. When California passed with 441 votes, I was worried a bit, but sensed the acclamation was forthcoming. New Jersey declared all 127 votes for Obama and spontaneous chants of Yes, We Can erupted. Hillary’s tally was 341.5 votes and Barack Obama was 1,616.5 votes. New Mexico with 36 votes, then yielded to Illinois, with 185 votes, then yielded to New York, almost like a torch relay of the Olympics. New York had 282 votes to either declare for Senator Hillary Clinton or Senator Barack Obama. In a show of unity, Senator Hillary Clinton, surrounded by Sen. Charles Schumer, Charles Rangel, and other New York delegates called for the suspension of the rules and procedures, and declared “He is our candidate and he will be our president” , and made a motion that all votes cast by the delegates, now counted, be set aside, and to have Senator Barack Obama, by acclamation be declared as the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States. Seconded by a rousing crowd. “All in favor….aye, ayes, two – thirds of the delegates having voted in the affirmative, it is carried!! Officially, Senator Barack Obama became the Democratic Party nominee”. Democracy in the Democratic Party solidified, and now the power of nomination truly rested in the hands of the voters who cast votes in their states, and by acclamation, 2/3 of the 15,000 delegates in attendance. What a rousing historical moment! I looked at my arms and felt the goosebumps. I viewed Hillary Clinton then as a unifier, a person who put her party first, but mostly her nation to come together behind this soon to be elected President Barack Obama. I also salute the actions of Barack Obama who provided the space for this first woman presidential candidate to claim her righteous place in history, a space to memorialize what she gained in an effort to unify the Party on principled grounds, a higher sacred ground of what is true history.Who would think that numbers can electrify ? Who would think that numbers can unify? It was the tone, it was the graciousness on both sides, it was the give and take, it was negotiation and democracy prevailed. In 2008, while gender was trumped, equality, unity, and harmony became the highest social values to define a new Democratic Party as ONE, and soon, AMERICA as one nation under President Barack Obama. It was electrifying, it was unifying, and one African American delegate profusely cried while this historic vote by acclamation occurred: a woman nominated to the highest position in office, who then called for acclamation, the nomination of the first African American to be the Party's presidential nominee, a party that elevated principles of every vote counted, women's place respected and a unifying African American candidate. And guess what, just as the Divine Source is having a swell time challenging us to go beyond our fears, it is now being reported that the Latinos will determine this presidential election. So, we need not stay confined in the English only voting states, but now, we need to cross borders, learn another language and say, not just " Si, Se Puede " but also " todos somos unidos" , "All are united " behind Barack Obama. “History is progressive”, in the words of my deceased friend, Dr. Boone Schirmer. He believed that progressives inched us closer to realize the potential of our generation, ever closer to realizing our humanity.
And tonight, I witnessed Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama be the progressive leaders who moved the struggle of parity by women, and in her own words, their strength manifested in 18,000,000 cracks in the glass ceiling. Soon, that glass ceiling will crumble and make way perhaps for her daughter, a Chelsea Clinton for President.
I was moved to see Native Americans from Montana attending the convention for the first time, as well as cattle ranchers and farmers as first time delegates. We are coming together as a nation to repair the walls that divided us, to repair the breaches and to make those invisible, now visible and actively participating. And in rousing music, folks held hands and broke out in smiles. The spirit of connections engulfed the delegates. As the music got louder, with hands clasped, delegates became more joined in aspirations. Join hands…start the love train…join hands…start the love train…..this got me more goosebumps as I could not help my own tears and see the beginnings of how America repair its breach and unify all within this party, and soon, into ONE NATION.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Rep. Nancy Pelosi declared that “100 years ago, first 5 women delegates were from Denver, Colorado”. Now, progress stares at us, as majority of the 15,000 delegates in the Democratic Party convention are women. It touched me to see my gender represented, a parade of staunch congressional representatives, but it also made me sad that except for one Asian woman, Rep. Doris Matsui, there were no other Asian women, and more starking, not a single Filipina woman congressional representative! I wonder if any of the Fifth Avenue women entrepreneurs: Lilia Clemente, Josie Natori or Loida Nicolas-Lewis might consider public service as a selfless service to the country that made them successful businesswomen? “We can no longer afford the toxic mix of oil and war, according to Senator Harry Reid. He said that Third World thugs are being financed as we pump gas and pay utility bills. In 1970s, President Jimmy Carter even then warned us of this forthcoming energy crisis, but was laughed at by the Republicans back then. For the past decade, he declared that 4 oil executives have become our presidents and vice-president who conspired with their oil cronies and delivered dollars by the ton to Iran, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia. Our current president helped his friends through out and out corruption and oil profiteering, he said. There is an answer, Senator Reid claims, if only a person speaks truth to power. There is an answer, he said, it is Barack Obama. 25 young American Heroes came to the stage with Rep. Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania. “ We need a change not just ending the war in Iraq, but also the soldiers here in home. We have a president who spent billions in war but not enough for body armor. It is time for a president we can be proud of. It is time for President Barack Obama ”. Former 42 nd President William Jefferson Clinton came on stage, after being introduced by Kendrick Meek from Florida. He presided over 22 million jobs, the highest home ownership, and record budget surplus in the trillions. After five minute standing ovation and he said, “ I love this but, we have some important work to do. I am honored to be here tonight to support Barack Obama. And to warm up the crowd for Joe Biden,though as you’ll soon see, he doesn’t need any help from me. I love Joe Biden, and America will too.
The primary began with an all-star line up and came down to two remarkable Americans locked in a hard fought contest to the very end. The campaign generated so much heat it increased global warming. In the end, my candidate didn’t win. Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she’ll do everything she can to elect Barack Obama. That makes two of us. Actually that makes 18 million of us – because, like Hillary, I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November.Here’s why. Our nation is in trouble on two fronts: The American Dream is under siege at home, and America’s leadership in the world has been weakened. Middle class and low-income Americans are hurting, with incomes declining; job losses, poverty and inequality rising; mortgage foreclosures and credit card debt increasing; health care coverage disappearing; and a big spike in the cost of food, utilities, and gasoline. Our position in the world has been weakened by too much unilateralism and too little cooperation; a perilous dependence on imported oil; a refusal to lead on global warming; a growing indebtedness and a dependence on foreign lenders; a severely burdened military; a backsliding on global non-proliferation and arms control agreements; and a failure to consistently use the power of diplomacy, from the Middle East to Africa to Latin America to Central and Eastern Europe.
In no uncertain terms, he declared the traits required of a president and almost to certify to the voters, those traits are in Barack Obama. I felt some healing of breaches here, when a Caucasian president looked at a person of color’s strengths instead of the racialized norm or the cultural practice of finding deficiencies.
I felt proud as a Democrat tonight for my values were reflected in the party and the party’s values were aligned with mine, a synchrony that I am experiencing for the first time, after voting in five presidential elections.
Clearly, the job of the next President is to rebuild the American Dream and restore America’s standing in the world. Everything I learned in my eight years as President and in the work I’ve done since, in America and across the globe, has convinced me that Barack Obama is the man for this job.He has a remarkable ability to inspire people, to raise our hopes and rally us to high purpose. He has the intelligence and curiosity every successful President needs. His policies on the economy, taxes, health care and energy are far superior to the Republican alternatives. He has shown a clear grasp of our foreign policy and national security challenges, and a firm commitment to repair our badly strained military. His family heritage and life experiences have given him a unique capacity to lead our increasingly diverse nation and to restore our leadership in an ever more interdependent world. The long, hard primary tested and strengthened him. And in his first presidential decision, the selection of a running mate, he hit it out of the park. Barack Obama also will not allow the world’s problems to obscure its opportunities. Everywhere, in rich and poor countries alike, hardworking people need good jobs; secure, affordable healthcare, food, and energy; quality education for their children; and economically beneficial ways to fight global warming. These challenges cry out for American ideas and American innovation. When Barack Obama unleashes them, America will save lives, win new allies, open new markets, and create new jobs for our people. Most important, Barack Obama knows that America cannot be strong abroad unless we are strong at home. People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power. The choice is clear. The Republicans will nominate a good man who served our country heroically and suffered terribly in Vietnam. He loves our country every bit as much as we all do. As a Senator, he has shown his independence on several issues. But on the two great questions of this election, how to rebuild the American Dream and how to restore America’s leadership in the world, he still embraces the extreme philosophy which has defined his party for more than 25 years, a philosophy we never had a real chance to see in action until 2001, when the Republicans finally gained control of both the White House and Congress. Then we saw what would happen to America if the policies they had talked about for decades were implemented.They took us from record surpluses to an exploding national debt; from over 22 million new jobs down to 5 million; from an increase in working family incomes of $7,500 to a decline of more than $2,000; from almost 8 million Americans moving out of poverty to more than 5 and a half million falling into poverty – and millions more losing their health insurance. They actually want us to reward them for the last eight years by giving them four more. Let’s send them a message that will echo from the Rockies all across America: Thanks, but no thanks. In this case, the third time is not the charm.My fellow Democrats, sixteen years ago, you gave me the profound honor to lead our party to victory and to lead our nation to a new era of peace and broadly shared prosperity. Together, we prevailed in a campaign in which the Republicans said I was too young and too inexperienced to be Commander-in-Chief. Sound familiar? It didn’t work in 1992, because we were on the right side of history. And it won’t work in 2008, because Barack Obama is on the right side of history.
Since I’ve never been called a man of few words, let me say this as simply as I can: Yes. Yes, I accept your nomination to run and serve alongside our next President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.
With a dad who fell on hard economic times, but who always told me: “Champ, when you get knocked down, get up. Get up.” I wish that my dad was here tonight, but I am so grateful that my mom, Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden, is here. You know, she taught her children—all the children who flocked to our house—that you are defined by your sense of honor, and you are redeemed by your loyalty. She believes bravery lives in every heart and her expectation is that it will be summoned.Failure at some point in everyone’s life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable. As a child I stuttered, and she lovingly told me it was because I was so bright I couldn’t get the thoughts out quickly enough. When I was not as well dressed as others, she told me how handsome she thought I was. When I got knocked down by guys bigger than me, she sent me back out and demanded that I bloody their nose so I could walk down that street the next day.After the accident, she told me, “Joey, God sends no cross you cannot bear.” And when I triumphed, she was quick to remind me it was because of others. My mother’s creed is the American creed: No one is better than you. You are everyone’s equal, and everyone is equal to you. My parents taught us to live our faith, and treasure our family. We learned the dignity of work, and we were told that anyone can make it if they try.
* Should mom move in with us now that dad is gone? * Fifty, sixty, seventy dollars to fill up the car? * Winter’s coming. How we gonna pay the heating bills? * Another year and no raise? * Did you hear the company may be cutting our health care? * Now, we owe more on the house than it’s worth. How are we going to send the kids to college? * How are we gonna be able to retire?
And in the Senate, John sided with President Bush 95 percent of the time. Give me a break. When John McCain proposes $200 billion in new tax breaks for corporate America, $1 billion alone for just eight of the largest companies, but no relief for 100 million American families, that’s not change; that’s more of the same.Even today, as oil companies post the biggest profits in history—a half trillion dollars in the last five years—he wants to give them another $4 billion in tax breaks. But he voted time and again against incentives for renewable energy: solar, wind, biofuels. That’s not change; that’s more of the same.He voted 19 times against raising the minimum wage. For people who are struggling just to get to the next day, that’s not change; that’s more of the same.And when he says he will continue to spend $10 billion a month in Iraq when Iraq is sitting on a surplus of nearly $80 billion, that’s not change; that’s more of the same.
Now, despite being complicit in this catastrophic foreign policy, John McCain says Barack Obama isn’t ready to protect our national security. Now, let me ask you: whose judgment should we trust? Should we trust John McCain’s judgment when he said only three years ago, “Afghanistan—we don’t read about it anymore because it’s succeeded”? Or should we trust Barack Obama, who more than a year ago called for sending two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan?The fact is, al-Qaida and the Taliban—the people who actually attacked us on 9/11—have regrouped in those mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan and are plotting new attacks. And the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff echoed Barack’s call for more troops.John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.Should we trust John McCain’s judgment when he rejected talking with Iran and then asked: What is there to talk about? Or Barack Obama, who said we must talk and make it clear to Iran that its conduct must change.Now, after seven years of denial, even the Bush administration recognizes that we should talk to Iran, because that’s the best way to advance our security. Again, John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.Our greatest presidents—from Abraham Lincoln to Franklin Roosevelt to John Kennedy—they all challenged us to embrace change. Now, it’s our responsibility to meet that challenge.Millions of Americans have been knocked down. And this is the time as Americans, together, we get back up. Our people are too good, our debt to our parents and grandparents too great, our obligation to our children is too sacred.These are extraordinary times. This is an extraordinary election. The American people are ready. I’m ready. Barack Obama is ready. This is his time. This is our time. This is America’s time.May God bless America and protect our troops.
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