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August 19, 2009
E-mail a friendYOUNG VOICES
Sore Feet, but So Much to See
"My feet are killing me," first-time delegate Jackie Petty says with a smile. "I'm trying to take in everything, and that's impossible to do."
First-time delegate Jackie Petty (L) figures out which event to attend in the afternoon.
The retired Ameritech worker from Peoria, Illinois took time out of her hectic schedule to gush about her candidate - Barack Obama.
"I went through school and never had an African American teacher," adds Petty, who is African American. "So to think that we've come that far, I never thought I'd see it."
And, boy, has she seen it.
Petty says she was pleasantly surprised on her first night at the conventions when she was seated with the Illinois delegation six rows from the stage. Just feet away from the awe-struck Petty, Sen. Edward Kennedy made his compelling appearance, and Michelle Obama gave what many are calling a fabulous speech. (Click here to hear Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Cynthia Tucker and Tavis discuss Michelle Obama's speech.)
"Just hearing the speeches, seeing these people,” Petty says, “I just can't believe that I'm here in the first place."
And she's not alone.
First-time delegate Shawn Robinson signs up for the Youth Caucus.
Shawn Robinson, 25, of Easthampton, Massachusetts, says he beat out a state representative by three votes to get to Denver and was shocked that he won.
"I immediately called my boss and said I can't come in."
If It's Not Mandatory, It's Not Universal
I noticed when I met Robinson that he had a large Hillary Clinton button on his shirt with a noticeably smaller Barack Obama button underneath. I asked him about that and found that the African American first-time delegate is likely voting for Hillary Clinton in the roll call vote.
Shawn Robinson wears both Clinton and Obama buttons.
"He won and that's great, and we can all unify behind him," Robinson says, "but this is democracy," he adds. "I believe that my vote represents the people in my congressional district."
For Robinson, the choice was about universal healthcare - an issue championed by Hillary Clinton.
"If it's not mandatory, it's not universal," Robinson says. "It takes guts to have that stance," he adds. "Unfortunately, now the dialogue has shifted, and we're talking about making healthcare affordable for everyone but not making sure everyone has healthcare."
Smaller Obama button or not, Robinson says he and die-hard Obama supporters like Petty will be united come Thursday night at Invesco.
"The convention keeps you on your feet all day," Robinson says. But about Obama's acceptance speech Thursday night he adds, "that's where the party starts."