Party Animal II

So this weekend was another trip to San Antonio (I LOVE San Antonio for conventions!) for the Texas Republican Party Convention. Three and a half days submerged in Party politics. Fish was in Heaven.

Thursday was an all-day seminar on Grassroots Training, and I learned so much. I was ready to find the candidate whose campaign I had worked on (and who had lost) and press him for his next election plans. At the end of it all, I had a few new friends, a passion to get back into campaign mode, and more information than I could possibly retain. SO worth the extra day and $10.

Thursday night brought a look at a candidate who is running for Tom DeLay's seat. So far the count is up to 8, I think, on the Republican side. This one has a record and speaks well, and so she may turn out to be the favorite. Interestingly, though, the candidacy will not be filled in a primary election. If memory serves, precinct chairs in the district will choose the nominee to run against the Democrat in November. Strange how Texas GOP party rules can get!

Friday was a full day, with the general session opening around 11. Speech after speech, some boring, some inspiring. You do have to sit through the boring ones to get to the energizing, inspiring, thrilling ones. When they get boring, you network and schmooze and meet people. Or go shopping. The exhibitors always have boothfulls of merchandise, from the tackiest to the most precious. This year I didn't make the booths. Networking took precedence this year.

One of the benefits of volunteering for a position as secretary to the earlier convention is the marvelous seat in the front row of the district caucus. When we broke out to our Senate Districts, my seat was #3. Yeehaw! And right next to me were the other officers and party long-timers, who just love to sit and whisper gossip and bits of information to newbies like me. Plus, seated providentially right behind us were three elected officials or candidates; candidate for judge, judge, and our very own state Senator. All of whom ALSO like to chit-chat during caucus business. I had a great time chatting them up. This is the heart of networking. Getting people who hold some position of influence to remember you when you run for something.

There was one moment when I did something kind of unexpected. The chair, not always a stickler for rules, went off on a tangent when answering a question, and I called him on it in front of the assembly. What he seemed to be saying was inappropriate, and nobody else was stopping him (probably because they've recognized the futility of it) and so I piped up and told him I thought he was out of order. At which point he backed off and apologized. Turns out we were missing each other on what he was saying, but it was still not appropriate, and I said so. Which brought me a few pats on the back later in the day back in general session. Oddly, people have no trouble taking me seriously after something like that.

Saturday was back to caucus and then to the floor. The senator had bought breakfast for everyone, so people were in high spirits. And this senator isn't one who says what he thinks you want to hear. I got to chat more with him, and he answers some tough questions with "I know this isn't going to make me the most popular guy in this room, but..." and explains how the system works here or there. He has solutions to a few Texas Legislature problems, but not enough support to make them happen. So, maybe we work for a few other senator candidates?

Funniest thing I noticed: the most powerful district in Texas (George Bush I's district way long ago) was shunted to the back corner of the convention hall. They ALWAYS sit up front. What happened? I asked. The candidate they elected for State Senate won his primary with 70% of the vote in a 4-way race. Against 3 former officeholders. He is NOT Party Machine Approved. So all his folk were in the corner. Funny, yes, because that will tick them off and they'll continue to elect people who don't toe the party line. Ya gotta love GDIs!

All of which to say, here's what I decided. I want to be the party woman from my district. Most of the people who go to convention right now are in their fifties or so. Those people have worked for years within the party, so naturally they run things. My goal is to grab younger people and get them in, and to eventually be on the state executive committee. So if I start now, I might be able to get there before I'm forty. And now that I've had that training, I know how, too.

Watch me now!