If you are at the convention - please vote David Thielen for National Delegate. If you want a live blog of CD-1 today, please go to SquareState.
7:20 - on my way to Ranum High School
10:19 - got here at 8:30, just got my credentials. Very long line. I think they are renaming Ranum High Joan Fitz-Gerald High - her signs are everywhere. Hundreds. A distant second in the sign contest is Joe Neguse and then a few Hillary signs. That's it. None for Obama or Polis.
Couple of Obama and Kurt Williams (regent) signs inside. Not a lot but at least it's here.
Lots of Fitz-Gerald, Polis, and Neguse people on the ground here. Also a couple of people collecting signatures for Will Shafroth. The signature collectors told me he is already way past 1,000 signatures (which is not a surprise).
Will Jared get 30%? It'll depend on who shows up. This crowd has already made up it's mind. Another interesting question is will Joe Neguse be the only regent candidate. The other two appear to be MIA.
I ran into Jessica Wittmer - she was "not pleased" about my disagreement with the Obama team's telling us all who to vote for. I ran into a couple of others on the list and they were quite gracious with one disagreeing in a very funny way.
Most interesting point so far. I talked to Danny T. Watson Jr. who is president of the Adams County Young Dems and a bunch of other political groups including the Obama teams in Adams county. I asked him about the Adams County list of suggested candidates and he said "there isn't one - that they had heard Boulder had one but they did not have one." In other words, the whole Boulder Obama Grassroots excuse for having a suggested list, according to Danny, is total B.S. I'll keep asking people about this but it looks like this was just a means to garner votes for the Boulder activists.
10:39 - Some guy is up front revving the crowd up, getting cheers, etc. And then in a Rudy Guiliani moment, his cell phone rings and he stops to answer the phone. Apparently this is a bi-partisan affliction.
10:43 - Mark Udall walked up on stage and got a gigantic spontaneous standing ovation. And this is the party activists - from Boulder County. There is not going to be any problem for Mark from the left if this is any indication.
Nice speech ending with a plea for unity regardless of the nominee. We all know Obama has it and the party, here at least, is working on coming back together. It won't be all smooth sailing but people will do it. This is not a party that is split.
About 2/3 stood for an ovation at the end of his speech.
10:53 - Short good speech from Pat Waak. Then the Pledge of Allegiance. Introducing all the office holders in the audience and we have moderate clapping for each. And then he says Andrew Romanoff and the crowd erupts and half stand. The guy has a major future in politics here (I realize that is not news).
11:03 - They are giving each CD candidate 15 minutes (Will 5 as he is petitioning), and each Regent 10 minutes. So we are facing 65 minutes of speeches that will not change anyone's mind. Why? But your intrepid reporter will bear any burden to bring you up to the date news from the source.
Jared Polis: Opposed to Iraq from the start, "my parents" were union members, "I'm a Sierra Club member", thank you educators, no to bias on any reason including sexual orientation. Thank you to mom. He said a great mother's day present would be 71% of the vote today (Jared is funny). Thank you to dad too.
Jared is a solid speaker but he's not inspirational. He rattles off the red meat better than say John Kerry, but he doesn't get everyone screaming. He ended on a couple of lines that got strong applause and it was a good speech - but it's not going to change any minds here.
Polling results: Ok, they announced Joan and based on a rough impression of people standing and signs for her vs Jared it looks roughly to be 66% / 33%. We'll know for sure in about an hour but my guess is Jared will get 30% - 40%.
Joan Fitz-Gerald: Joan's nominator's speeches & presentations are really poor. The thoughts are good but how it's phrased and spoken - yuck. Ok, got lots of cheers for saying NCLB does not work.
This is cool, Joan has a band (3 horns) leading her in. Boatloads of people standing and cheering for her. It's rough counting people in a crowd but Jared could come in under 30%. I'm worried (as a Polis supporter).
Giant cheer for stop funding the war in Iraq and force the troops home now. She's not going to let any distance exist between her and Jared on Iraq. Joan is doing a good job of getting the crowd worked up. Another giant cheer for single payer.
Wow, she is just feeding the audience red meat and they are loving it. Item after item. Definitely a strong speech that the crowd is really loving. She ends on civil rights - that definitely is a core issue for her. And the crowd loved it.
11:50 - The Obama campaign is short 40 delegates here. If you are a delegate or alternate and are reading this - get your ass down to Ranum High NOW! Close your browser, get in your car, and get down here.
12:14 - The Clinton campaign is short 10 delegates in Weld & Broomfield Counties. Same message - get off your ass and get on down here.
The Obama team has the large gym right next to auditorium. The Clinton campaign you have to go through that gym, down a long winding hallway, to the small gym. It's symbolic of the present state of the two campaigns.
1:09 - I've been handing out fliers on why to vote for me. This is hard work. But people seem to be responsive and 2 asked for multiple fliers to hand out. My handout about why the "anointed slate" is wrong has had a lot of people coming up to me and telling me that they feel the same way.
Will Shafroth is now speaking. It's a good speech. No major response though. Good clapping but nothing like Jared & Joan received.
1:37 - Federico Pena just finished his speech for Obama. It was 95% about how we need to come together as Dems regardless of the candidate and 5% about how Obama will be a great president. It was not negative toward Hillary in any way. Clearly Obama sees the primary as won.
1:42 - Wellington Webb is now speaking. The entire speech is about how we have to work together to insure our candidate wins in November. I'm not sure he actually said Hillary's name more than once. He is ending with chants of "Yes We Will!" I'd say the Clinton campaign is in exit mode. And as always, Webb gives a great speech.
1:43 - BREAKING!! 39.8% Polis, 60.2% Fitz-Gerald 39.9% Polis, 60.1% Fitz-Gerald
1:55 - BREAKING!!! Joe Neguse 86.4%, Curt Williams 83.6% Joe Neguse 86.4%, Curt Williams 13.6% - (sorry - don't know how I transposed the 1 to an 8 - and one of my majors was math) Joe's going to be a regent
3:30 - Voted and heading home!
4:58 - Post Mortum
