Wow! Attending the convention as a delegate for Hillary Clinton was an incredible and uplifting experience!
I posted a lot of pictures and thoughts on Facebook all week. Here are two that I felt summed up the experience. After Wednesday night’s speeches I posted:
“I watched our leaders — Martin, Joe, Tim, Barack — speak tonight about themselves, about America, about Hillary. They all embody the type of leader I try to be: someone who gets up in the morning and works to make my family, my community and my country better through love, listening and treating every person with respect. Sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing but no matter what getting up and doing it all again tomorrow.”
And then, at 4 a.m. Friday, after a post-convention party, I posted:
“It has been an amazing experience.
As a local elected official, I have so much respect for both Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine and their approach to public service and governing.
“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”
And you do that by listening to other people. And empathizing with them. And working with them. And compromising with them.
Highlights include: listening to Bill and Chelsea talk about their family, watching Hillary’s spectacular speech, hearing from Bernie and Elizabeth and Cory and Michelle and Joe and the Moms and Barack and Tim and Reverend Barber and so many others, and meeting so many great people from Georgia and across the country.
This is the first Presidential election in my lifetime that I remember agonizing over my choice. I spent months, using my role as county chair as cover, struggling. I might be the only person whose car has both Bernie and Hillary bumper stickers.
When I got to the ballot box I ultimately decided to vote for Hillary and then ran as a pledged delegate for her.
After this week’s experience and (as I’ve posted in several links today) the more I learn about Hillary Clinton the more I am sure #IMWITHHER.
(And when you consider the alternative the choice seems like a “no brainer.”)
If you agree with me, there are ample opportunities to get involved with the Fayette County Democratic Committee and also help local candidates. Just message or email or call or text me.
I’ll try to keep the posts to a minimum, but I think this is important. I think people should vote for Hillary, that she is the better candidate, and that she will, as she’s done her whole life, work to make all of our lives better. She’ll sometimes make mistakes but she’ll be nice and always try her best.
And that’s what we should all strive for.
#imwithher #demsinphilly #gadems #clintonkaine #bettertogether #timetowork #ready”
Now that I’m home, and after some sleep, I still feel very much the same way. I’d add some more highlights: hearing Lady Gaga sign “This Land is Your Land,” listening to a panel on 21st Century Policing with Eric Holder and activist Brittany Packnett, meeting John Lewis, and hearing Carole King sing “You’ve Got a Friend” come to mind. I’ve been moved by how much this nomination had meant to the women that I know and how lucky I was to have been part of such a historical event.
I will be speaking about the my experience at the convention at the next Fayette County Democratic Committee Pancakes and Politics breakfast on Aug. 13. We meet at 9 a.m. at the Fayetteville IHOP. In the meantime, you can check out my Facebook feed for more detailed convention coverage.
I hope to see you there.
Leonard Presberg
Fayetteville, Ga.
[Leonard Presberg serves on the Fayette County Board of Education and is chairman of the Fayette County Democratic Party.]
