Sadly I’m out of town on work this weekend. I’m following it via Twitter #MDPConvention or #MassDemCon2017 , for what that’s worth. I’m hearing that Bob Massie got the crowd going. I’m not surprised – a moral-clarity guy like him is the perfect counterpoint in some ways in the age of Trump. Check out his interview by climate warrior Wen Stephenson here.
This strikes me as potentially a more interesting off-year convention than most.
Anyway, hold forth in the comments or @ me @bluemassgroup
Please share widely!
This was not well run. Way too much time spent on endless speeches, not enough debating the amendments, undoubtedly turning off a lot of the energized newcomers.
Well … Maybe. I’ve definitely heard some grumbling to that effect. You could make a strong argument that the candidates are more important than resolutions.
I can tell you didn’t actually attend đŸ˜‰
Amendments, not resolutions. The platform and charter amendments were quite significant and were squeezed in at the end, in an often rushed manner. We didn’t even get to the resolutions (they were tabled), because so much time was wasted on an endless stream of speakers, each of which spoke for too long and often repeated the same things previous speakers had said.
No one had a problem with the gubernatorial candidates speaking. The problem was the endless stream of elected officials and others. This wasn’t just my sentiment — it seemed to be pretty much the uniform sentiment of everyone around me and everyone I spoke to.
The scheduled breakout sessions weren’t even held because so much time was devoted to speakers. I feel bad to the presenters that prepared for those.
Ending with the platform debates also ended the convention on a divisive tone. It would have been much better to end on a high note with (a more limited number of) rousing speeches at the end.
Thanks for the rundown. Much appreciated!
I think the debate itself went fairly smoothly, though I don’t think we needed so many speakers to introduce the platform. Also, the dilatory calls for rising votes when the voice vote outcome was so obvious (including one time where 2/3 was required, but clearly didn’t even get a majority) weren’t needed. I think there was much less confusion this time than previously about what was being voted on.
We followed the lead of the Charter Amendments Committee by adopting amendments to assign disabled add-on selection to the Disability Services Committee rather than Affirmative Action and adding an LGBT+ category of add-on convention delegates, but rejecting amendments to expand the elected DSC and fixing the petition requirement for future charter amendments to 5% of the delegates.
Most platform amendments passed, many without any debate, nudging the platform a bit further left than it already was. Honestly, most struck me as slightly different wordings which I could have taken or left.
I was hoping today would be when we finally heard about some interest in the LG race, but no such luck:(
Platform amendments addressing foreign or defense policy were ruled out of order by the chair because they are properly the province of the national platform. Attempts to overrule him by suspending the rules failed.
The good news is that a lot of new delegates attended. The bad news is it was so poorly orchestrated, I doubt many will be eager to come again. Speeches started at 10:00 AM and when I left at 2:30 PM, they were still going strong. I was interested in the breakout sessions and it was clear that they would never happen. I was not interested in the platform at all. We’ve largely ignored the old one and nothing gave me the sense that we’d really elect representatives to push the new one.
Yes, Donald Trump is a very bad men. Yes, Democrats in Massachusetts are strongly in favor of marriage equality, women’s reproductive rights, and strongly opposed to the police brutally against our black brothers and sisters…..but do we really need to listen to a seemingly endless stream of speaker after speaker making certain to endorse these litmus test points without branching out into other areas of concern?
Where was the discussion of tax breaks for corporations like General Electric when the commonwealth could not afford to repair a bridge to a homeless shelter? Where was the question of why there are so many states pushing for single payer but Massachusetts is not among them? Where was the demand that the Commonwealth lead in areas where Seattle and New York lead with a $15 minimum wage?
I am certainly not eager to attend another one of these.
Senator Elizabeth Warren and Attorney General Maura Healey delivered, as always, a rousing speech. Had it not been for them, I might have fallen asleep.
Of the three candidates for governor, I liked them all and no matter who wins, I will support. My early favorite is Jay Gonzalez and I thought he gave the most energetic speech AND (importantly), made the biggest attacks on Baker.