Reflections of a Democratic Convention delegate

By Carol Naiman Waldman

SAN DIEGO — It has always been a dream of mine to be an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention and it turned out that 2012 was my year. I contacted friends and supporters to vote for me at the caucus on a Sunday afternoon in April and was elected as a delegate to represent the 49^th Congressional District. When the convention finally began in September, I had to leave my husband and three young children for a week.  But it was worth the wait and a gratifying experience. I have been back in San Diego for more than a week already, and I am still amazed and thrilled that I had this remarkable opportunity.

My role as a delegate was to vote to nominate Barack Obama for re-election as President and to approve the Democratic Party Platform.  I also had a personal goal – to teach my children how important it is to be involved in causes that we are passionate about.  As individuals and as families, we can make a positive difference in our world.

The time I spent in Charlotte attending the workshops during the day and then the convention most of the night was worth every waking minute.  The days were long, the nights were longer, but somehow the week went by fast.  My excitement and enthusiasm as well as my need to absorb and learn as much as I could from this convention allowed me to go all day and much of the night.   I wanted to participate in as much as I could because I knew that the voters in my Congressional District were counting on me to represent them and to do it well.

As an elected delegate I was able to listen to all of the extraordinary speakers including President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. I was also able to participate in many interesting issue forums. The Jewish Community organizations hosted several well- organized events.  I attended a Jewish Community Training session, a forum about the “Jewish Vote in American Elections,” and a National Jewish Democratic Council meeting featuring the Chair of the Democratic Caucus, and one my favorite Jewish leaders, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida.

While I knew through his record that our President has been a strong supporter of Israel, I wanted to hear from our Jewish elected officials and leaders in the Jewish Community nationwide on why they were supporting Barack Obama.  Here are just a few of the reasons.

The Obama administration is committed to Israel.  Since President Obama has taken office, he has met with Prime Minister Netanyahu nine times, and has repeatedly reaffirmed the special relationship between the US and Israel.

In FY2013, the President requested $3.1 billion, which is the largest security assistance package to Israel ever, to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge.  This administration has armed Israel with the most advanced military hardware and missile defense systems.

Obama has worked with Congress to craft the comprehensive Iran Sanctions and Divestment Act and additional sanctions on Iran’s central bank, the most far-reaching package of American sanctions against Iran.

In addition to the Jewish community meetings, I attended daily California delegation breakfast meetings where we heard from numerous state and national elected officials.  I also attended the Planned Parenthood and Women’s Caucus forums.  Both featured speakers who reminded us of that the outcome of this election could determine whether our country will continue to protect women’s reproductive health care and access to affordable health care.

As a woman, both Jewish and a Democrat, I feel right at home and very connected to the Democratic Party.  My Jewish and Democratic values have a lot in common, a commitment to Tikkun Olam-repairing the world. Both Jews and Democrats believe in helping those who need our assistance. Having access to affordable and excellent healthcare, supporting education, and ensuring that our older parents are taken care of properly are just a few of the shared values.

The convention eventually came to an end and I returned home to my family in San Diego.  One thing I know for sure, I am even more inspired and motivated to help re-elect Obama as well as help elect our great candidates locally, statewide and at the federal level in November 2012.  I am not afraid to show our country that there are many traditional families with strong ethical and moral values who are proud Democrats.

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Waldman served as an aide to former State Sen. Dede Alpert