For those of you who have never attended a political convention, here's the rundown of what I saw and learned today as a delegate at the Republican County Convention.
Arrive early. The best snacks (ie fresh fruit, breads, and pastries) will be gone within the first hour. I arrived just before 9am and went straight to the registration tables clear at the back, afraid that I might miss out on registering and thus miss the opportunity to cast my votes as a delegate which is why I wanted to be there in the first place. By the time I made it back to the booths at the front, which were handing out the "best snacks," the tables were empty.
Speaking of snacks. There are a LOT of snacks. Mostly candy, but also bottled water, popcorn, apples, brownies, and cookies.
It's okay to bring a baby, but be prepared for difficulties maneuvering through crowded walkways.
Watch for celebrities. I didn't bring my camera, otherwise I might have snagged a photo of myself with SUPERDELL looking quite uncharacteristically serious. I can't wait to see how serious he is about his run for Governor.
Watch for friends. I saw so many people I knew. I spent nearly all of the convention with another stroller-pushing mom/delegate, who happened to have a son in Jade's kindergarten class last year... and her baby is also 9 months old. That was fun!
Some candidates don't even show up. The only real ballots I cast today were for our district's remaining state delegates and for Salt Lake County Mayor. There were two names on the ballot for county mayor but only one of the candidates was even there. Gee, it was pretty tough to figure out who was going to win that one.
It's hard to get rid of the old guys. Chris Butters... does the name ring a bell? He's the politician famous for sticking his foot in his mouth. He managed to stay in the race, winning with 60.2%.
It's worth it to be involved. The majority of the crowd today was men... most of them older. As a mom, it's hard to make the time to read up on politics and attend meetings, but having done so, I am much more informed about issues that concern my family... education, public safety, roads, immigration, etc. Education is a hot topic for me right now, and I'm not just going to sit back and let others make the decisions when I have three little people at my house who will spend a lot of time at school in this state. I encourage all of you to do the same.
Sometimes you miss things. Jade scored the only goal at her soccer game today. Which I missed. They won the game 1-0. Congratulations Orange Cheetahs!
Bed, made.
7 years ago
5 comments:
Hi there! It was great to hear from you and so fun to read up on your darling family - your kids are beautiful! I hope you are doing well!
Hey! It was fun to be your convention buddy ; )! And even funnier that we really knew each other all along.... I've bookmarked your blog, so I'll be back - keep on writing.
I am impressed that you are so politically involved. I didn't grow up with politics as a priority, so the whole scene just intimidates the bjeebers out of me! (I was a mess in my poli-sci class in college!...at least I tried!) Your kids will appreciate your influence one day. Who knows, maybe mine too??
Enjoyed your post! Good on you for getting involved. And seriously, Chris Buttars?! (Sorry, I'm an educator, and most of us aren't big fans.)
Good for you to be so involved. I am certain it was interesting just to be there and I'd imagine you learn much more about candidates when you are observing them, not only reading a well-versed publication or listening to the news.
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