I think my great-aunt was a PUMA in 1980.
I wrote a diary several months about why my grandfather was a Democrat because my family is very important to me and they've influenced my thinking a great deal.
Perhaps nobody has had a greater impact on my political philosophies (which are still in formation) than my great-aunt, Anne M. Burns. Anne was an elementary school teacher, and a wonderful one at that. She taught me how to touch type - so this diary will take an hour instead of a week. Anne loved nothing more than Ireland and her Kennedys, especially Jack. She took me to the Kennedy Library in Boston as soon as I was old enough to go... oh how she loved Jack.
On the eve of this convention, I'm thinking of Anne.
In 1980, despite having no political connections to anyone (a MUST here in Rhode Island), Anne filed to be a delegate for Ted Kennedy. Due mostly to her name being at the top of the ballot, she miraculously won and attended that historic convention. You see, Anne was a hell-raiser. She never married; she was an extremely independent woman who pretty much did what she wanted. Going through some of her stuff (more on that later), I'm now discovering that she was one of those Kennedy delegates who raised hell on the floor of the 1980 convention. Given the potential drama that Hillary supporters are holding over our heads for this week, I'm having very very mixed feelings about this.
For starters, she carried a sign around that said "Win with Ted or Lose with Carter!" Imagine that! Now let me point you to an editorial that Anne wrote... it ran in the August 1, 1980 New York Times, taking up about a third of the page. It's entitled "Carter Not Chosen Yet." Rather than copy the whole thing, I'll give you some snippets, enough to ascertain her main idea and then some:
As a delegate elected by Rhode Islanders to represent them at the Democratic National Convention, I am incensed at the way news organizations have arrogantly decided that the Democratic nominee for President will be Mr. Carter. Who nominates the candidate anyway - the media or elected delegates? What is the purpose of a convention if people can be brainwashed beforehand into believing that only one person has a chance for nomination?
Since delegates are chosen by the people, it is the people to whom they owe their allegiance - not to party leaders. Therefore, in order to truly represent those who elected them, delegates may be forced to re-examine their own commitment. Mr. Carter is so worried about this that he is desperately trying to change convention rules that have been in effect since 1832.
(snip)
Now, however, this man is pushing hard to change convention rules and replace any delegate even suspected of changing allegiance to him, thus depriving delegates of the freedom of conscience traditionally granted them under Democratic Party convention rules. Ironically, Republicans have just given this right of choice to their delegates! Some people may now question which party really is the "democratic" one, and delegates may begin to wonder whether they are living in the U.S.S.R. or the U.S.A.!
So there you have it. Carter was chosen prematurely, and despite his having dominated Kennedy in the primaries, Kennedy should've been the nominee because he was more electable and a more capable leader. Sound familiar? Auntie Anne was a PUMA (she eventually got on board, of course!).
As vitally important as it is that we have complete unity at this convention, so that the entire party comes out of this week fired up and ready to go, I'll have my aunt in mind as I watch Clinton supporters carry out the roll-call vote and celebrate their historic candidate one more time. The vast majority of these delegates feel very passionately in Hillary Clinton, and I'm literally begging my friends here not to let a few fringe people drown out the hundreds of delegates who are speaking for millions of voters... and are only asking for this one last hurrah.
For what it's worth, I'm pretty convinced that my aunt would've voted for Barack Obama in the primary. Once Ted endorsed him, it would've been all over! She would've had mixed feelings about it, for sure. She was absolutely a feminist who would've loved to vote for a woman president, but I think her anger over the Iraq War would've trumped personal and emotional considerations.
I say "pretty convinced" because Auntie Anne is now suffering from some of the most severe stages of Alzheimer's. As I type, this wonderful woman who helped raise and teach me is sitting in a nursing home, unable to recognize even her sister, let alone my family or me. I haven't had an actual conversation with her in years because to her, I'm just some kid walking by. I could really use Anne's guidance not only through the 2008 election, but as I prepare to begin student teaching in January.
She hosted fundraisers for Patrick Kennedy as he ran for State Representative right out of Providence College, and the two became very close. One of the artifacts I'm holding onto is a postcard that Patrick wrote to her from the 1988 convention. It reads, "Hi Anne! Hope all is well. Dukakis was great! Love, Patrick." He's now arguably the leading voice in Congress on issues of mental health, citing a "pervasive stigma" as the reason for the lack of mental health parity in our country. I hope President Obama and Rep. Kennedy can work together so that future teachers like me will have their aunts like Anne to learn from and treasure when they're needed most.
This diary's a little bit all over the place, but so are my thoughts. What a surreal feeling my family will get if President Carter speaks tomorrow night and Sen. Kennedy DOES make it there. Either way, this thing has come full circle.
As President Bush would say, I'm "getting awfully windy." Thanks for reading. I love you guys.