The Democratic Process in Colorado

Well, here we are, another step closer to the final election in November. Today, May 16, the Democratic Party for three Colorado Congressional Districts assembled to decide who might represent them in the US Congress. Generally speaking, it was a good thing, there was, as before with the county convention, a huge crowd, full of energy and excitement. Unfortunately, as before, there was a serious disconnect in planning. I don’t know if there was a larger venue available, but the one chosen was inadequate (serious understatement) to the needs of the party. In addition to the CD meetings, the event today also served as an opportunity for delegates and alternates to the state convention, tomorrow, May 17, to get their credentials. Credentials were not mailed to delegates and alternates. A tremendously bad idea.

For the county assembly and convention, the party could plead ignorance. Turnout was nearly 10 times what they normally have for any previous events in the past decade or more. This time, two months later, they knew better. After some of us sat outside for two hours, waiting to get in, standing in the cold (and flurries), we had hoped that they realized they needed more planning, better organization. We didn’t get it.

To their credit, everyone involved was volunteers, and volunteers are often doing the best they can while they have other obligations to handle. In this case, however, I think it would have been to their benefit to actively advertise for someone adept in crowd management, someone who has planned events where the participants number in the thousands, instead of the hundreds. I myself was physically tested, something relating to my current physical health, which really irritates me because I used to have incredible stamina but that’s another rant for another day. I was tested. After standing in line for an hour in an overcrowded, undercooled room, I felt myself getting dizzy. Not something that happens with any sort of regularity. Well, didn’t used to, anyway. Fortunately, just when it was at its worst, I was able to find a chair and take a moment to get my bearings. Long enough to get the energy to search for water.

Then there was the parking. The lot was suited for the hotel where the convention/assembly was held, and the various small businesses that shared that section of the complex. Not for the thousands of people descending on the tiny little lot, parking wherever they could. I spent 15 minutes in the lot waiting for a chance to turn around. I wound up parking across the street. The area itself is a large commercial complex, including anchor stores like Target, and some others that I can’t think of right now, and a few hotels and a movie theater, with the private drive ending at World Arena, a venue for major concerts and circuses and such. The lots all across the complex were full. For the state convention, there are shuttles to transport people from special lots around the city. For this convention, everyone was on their own. A couple hours after the official convention start time, there was an announcement that both Target and the World Arena were towing cars in their lots. We were later informed that Target would only tow if cars were left overnight, but we don’t know if any cars had been towed. How they could tell which cars to tow was beyond me, for the ones parked at Target, anyway (I was parked near an Arby’s, further down from the Target). The World Arena, on the other hand, could easily tell, since they didn’t have an event for the day. The state convention is there tomorrow.

Registration for the state convention starts at 7:00 AM. Delegates are supposed to be seated at 8:00, alternates at 9:30. I’m an alternate, so technically won’t be needed until later in the morning. But, like the congressional district event, the state convention is being run by volunteers, inadequately prepared for the onslaught. And there will be MANY more people. So, the plan is to leave here by 6:30. That’s, um, 3 ½ hours from now. My late schedule is finally catching up with me. I tried to go to sleep, but I couldn’t. Combination of not going to sleep until after 2:00 and the pain.

I’m tired, I’m in a lot of pain, and I’m a little frustrated. My health doesn’t really allow for this sort of thing. Not to mention I have a financial analysis project and article review, both due by Monday, neither of which has been completed. That is my own fault, I know, but still, I don’t have the time for all this hassle and drama. To make matters worse, there was a registration for people who wanted to run for delegates to the national convention, which I completely missed. I thought I had already signed up, but I hadn’t. So, the only way I get to the DNC is as a volunteer, something I physically cannot do. Helluva way to spend my birthday. This whole thing could have gone better. Of course, when I got really down about the whole situation, I kept reminding myself I could be speaking Russian…