Most of the Delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte have arrived and are wandering around downtown Charlotte in an effort to acclimate themselves to the events of the next three days.
Although it’s Labor Day in at the DNC, you won’t see a big union presence because North Carolina is a right-to-work state and the AFL-CIO reminds the Democrats of that fact every chance they get. A handful of big labor bosses will be in town but they won’t be spending big labor bucks on the convention.
The highlight of the day is the Carolina Fest being headlined by James Taylor.
My only other major convention experience was attending the 1996 Republican Convention in San Diego. If you can’t remember that far back, Sen. Bob Dole and former Secretary Jack Kemp were the party’s nominees. And in case you are wondering, they didn’t win but it was fun nonetheless.
I drove in and parked as close to downtown as I could this morning but still had to walk about 15 blocks to reach the convention center. I picked up my credentials (maybe I’ll write a separate post about that process) before finding the media center. All the big guys are here, Fox News, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Politico and the other usual suspects.
However, none will cover the conventions emphasis on faith and religion like The Christian Post. Here’s an example:
I attended the DNC’s Faith Council meeting this morning where Dr. Carroll Baltimore of the Progressive National Baptist Convention and DNC chairlady, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, addressed a group of approximately 150 people. Their primary themes centered on voter suppression and affordable healthcare; two issues that will no doubt be repeated throughout the week. Surprisingly, Rep. Todd Akin’s name or rape was not mentioned in the same breath but I would wager it will be before the end of the week.
What I did find interesting was a comment made by Rep. Wasserman-Schultz, when after describing how she was raised Jewish but in a “secular” home said, “Being Jewish is both a religion and a culture.”
As a Christian, my first thought was, “is this how I view my relationship with God?” Is it both a religion and culture to me? I can see how some Christians could in fact say the same. But some could not.
Both major party’s tout religion in different ways and both try to appeal to the most religious within their ranks while not alienating non-believers. One thing I will be looking for this week is how the Democrats showcase faith and religion at this convention. Rep. Wasserman-Schultz may have given me a preview.
I wonder if I will see more faiths represented in Charlotte than some of my colleagues saw at the GOP convention in Tampa?
I’m going to be eager to hear what you pass along! Sounds like a fascinating endeavor to me, and one which I would embark on myself if I were able. I’m a constant seeker of truth, a doubter but not a denier of my faith
( raised southern Baptist with an evangelist dad & a Baylor world religion major), a singer-songwriter and right -leaning Independent voter. By the way, curious about your thoughts on the film, 2016, if/ when you have the time. I was impressed by it, despite many who say it is only propaganda, I found it to be very informative and well made. Given, I wouldn’t go quite as far as D’Souza with his conclusions, but much of what I suspected in my heart to be true was validated by his investigation into the life of Barrack Obama.. I was concerned about his perspective on faith and his ideology based on his life experiences and relationships. Anyway, I don’t dent each party is led by their own faith and gut feelings, all the things they believe to be true, but I have discovered that just about the time we think know it all is right about the time we discover what we were too dumb to doubt- and should have! Ha! Believe me, I have experienced that a lot.. Keep us informed! I will enjoy reading. Thanks! -Heather McCready ( http://www.HeatherMcCready.com)
Heather,
Thanks for the comment and sorry I haven’t replied earlier. I haven’t seen 2016 yet but have heard good reviews from those like yourself who have seen it. My primary concern is that if Obama is elected to a second term, just exactly what will America look like in 2016?
The American people are strong and can handle most any challenge thrown their way, but if American values continue to decline and our respect from other nations continues to erode (remember, our enemies don’t have to like us, but they MUST respect us), then we will face monumental challenges.
Looking forward to keeping up with you too.
Paul