By Chuck Lindell Updated: 11:52 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012
Published: 10:37 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From a hotel in the "boonies" to seats in a far corner of the arena, Texas delegates were reminded daily of their relatively low standing in national Democratic politics and yet a persistent Texas twang pervaded the three-day convention that ended Thursday.
Gov. Ann Richards, whose rapid-fire quips were silenced with her death in 2006, received one of the loudest cheers Wednesday with just the mention of her name. The faithful still revel in her verbal manhandling of "Poor George" H.W. Bush, the president "born with a silver foot in his mouth," at the 1988 convention.
Texas actress Eva Longoria, born to modest means in Corpus Christi, hit Republican nominee Mitt Romney for pushing tax cuts for the wealthy.
"The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy's flipping burgers needed a tax break, but the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets, she does not," she told delegates Thursday night.
A classic quip from Bob Strauss — a noted Texas lawyer, U.S. ambassador and national party leader in the mid-1970s — helped former President Bill Clinton contrast what he called the Republican "alternate universe," where successful people were completely self-made.
"One of the greatest chairmen the Democratic Party ever had, Bob Strauss, used say that every politician wants every voter to believe that he was born in a log cabin he built himself. But, Strauss then admitted, it ain't so," Clinton said.
"You see, we believe that ‘we're all in this together' is a far better philosophy than ‘you're on your own.'"
Team Obama turned to Texans, particularly Hispanic Texans, to buoy the campaign's message of the moment.
U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio, praised Obama for inviting the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to the White House on policy matters, appointing Sonia Sotomayor as the first Latina Supreme Court justice and naming Hispanics "in unprecedented numbers" in his administration.
"As the president likes to say, every single one that he appointed wasn't just the best Latino for the job, but the best person for the job," Gonzalez said Tuesday. "President Barack Obama understands that for more than 50 million Hispanic Americans, their dream is the American dream."
In a segment devoted to immigration issues, Benita Veliz of San Antonio spoke in favor of the DREAM Act, which would provide legal status to young immigrants brought into the country illegally, but who go to college or serve in the military and meet other conditions such as passing a criminal background check.
Veliz, who was 8 when her Mexican parents arrived in Texas under a one-week tourist visa but stayed, said her life would have been better without the fear of deportation.
"I graduated high school as valedictorian of my class at the age of 16. I went on to earn a double major at the age of 20," she told delegates Wednesday. "I feel just as American as any of my friends or neighbors, but I've had to live almost my entire life knowing I could be deported just because of where I came from."
San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro's keynote address Tuesday night was a Texas highlight — even if he was briefly overshadowed by his 3-year-old daughter, Carina, whose not-a-care-in-the-world hair flips while her dad gave the biggest speech of his life captivated TV cameras seeking family reaction shots.
Castro popped up again Wednesday sitting next to Michelle Obama whenever cameras panned to the first lady's box in Time Warner Cable Arena. The president followed Thursday, praising Castro as "obviously just an incredible talent" during his conference call with the thousands of people left out of the convention when Thursday's events were moved from Charlotte's NFL stadium to its smaller NBA arena.
Speaking to young voters, Alejandra Salinas from Laredo, a recent University of Texas graduate and president of College Democrats of America, said the youth vote helped elect a president "who understands our struggles, shares our dreams and believes in our future."
"Some say young people aren't excited about this election, that it isn't about us. But the decisions made over the next four years will affect us more than anyone," Salinas said.
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., invoked Texas President Lyndon Johnson, saying he "lit the candles of Medicaid and Medicare" while Republicans opposed him and "cursed the darkness."
While delegates from many swing states enjoy prime arena seating, closer hotels and far shorter shuttle rides, Texas delegates had to travel 20 miles to and from Concord, N.C., sometimes waiting two hours for delayed buses.
Published: 10:37 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From a hotel in the "boonies" to seats in a far corner of the arena, Texas delegates were reminded daily of their relatively low standing in national Democratic politics and yet a persistent Texas twang pervaded the three-day convention that ended Thursday.
Gov. Ann Richards, whose rapid-fire quips were silenced with her death in 2006, received one of the loudest cheers Wednesday with just the mention of her name. The faithful still revel in her verbal manhandling of "Poor George" H.W. Bush, the president "born with a silver foot in his mouth," at the 1988 convention.
Texas actress Eva Longoria, born to modest means in Corpus Christi, hit Republican nominee Mitt Romney for pushing tax cuts for the wealthy.
"The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy's flipping burgers needed a tax break, but the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets, she does not," she told delegates Thursday night.
A classic quip from Bob Strauss — a noted Texas lawyer, U.S. ambassador and national party leader in the mid-1970s — helped former President Bill Clinton contrast what he called the Republican "alternate universe," where successful people were completely self-made.
"One of the greatest chairmen the Democratic Party ever had, Bob Strauss, used say that every politician wants every voter to believe that he was born in a log cabin he built himself. But, Strauss then admitted, it ain't so," Clinton said.
"You see, we believe that ‘we're all in this together' is a far better philosophy than ‘you're on your own.'"
Team Obama turned to Texans, particularly Hispanic Texans, to buoy the campaign's message of the moment.
U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio, praised Obama for inviting the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to the White House on policy matters, appointing Sonia Sotomayor as the first Latina Supreme Court justice and naming Hispanics "in unprecedented numbers" in his administration.
"As the president likes to say, every single one that he appointed wasn't just the best Latino for the job, but the best person for the job," Gonzalez said Tuesday. "President Barack Obama understands that for more than 50 million Hispanic Americans, their dream is the American dream."
In a segment devoted to immigration issues, Benita Veliz of San Antonio spoke in favor of the DREAM Act, which would provide legal status to young immigrants brought into the country illegally, but who go to college or serve in the military and meet other conditions such as passing a criminal background check.
Veliz, who was 8 when her Mexican parents arrived in Texas under a one-week tourist visa but stayed, said her life would have been better without the fear of deportation.
"I graduated high school as valedictorian of my class at the age of 16. I went on to earn a double major at the age of 20," she told delegates Wednesday. "I feel just as American as any of my friends or neighbors, but I've had to live almost my entire life knowing I could be deported just because of where I came from."
San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro's keynote address Tuesday night was a Texas highlight — even if he was briefly overshadowed by his 3-year-old daughter, Carina, whose not-a-care-in-the-world hair flips while her dad gave the biggest speech of his life captivated TV cameras seeking family reaction shots.
Castro popped up again Wednesday sitting next to Michelle Obama whenever cameras panned to the first lady's box in Time Warner Cable Arena. The president followed Thursday, praising Castro as "obviously just an incredible talent" during his conference call with the thousands of people left out of the convention when Thursday's events were moved from Charlotte's NFL stadium to its smaller NBA arena.
Speaking to young voters, Alejandra Salinas from Laredo, a recent University of Texas graduate and president of College Democrats of America, said the youth vote helped elect a president "who understands our struggles, shares our dreams and believes in our future."
"Some say young people aren't excited about this election, that it isn't about us. But the decisions made over the next four years will affect us more than anyone," Salinas said.
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., invoked Texas President Lyndon Johnson, saying he "lit the candles of Medicaid and Medicare" while Republicans opposed him and "cursed the darkness."
While delegates from many swing states enjoy prime arena seating, closer hotels and far shorter shuttle rides, Texas delegates had to travel 20 miles to and from Concord, N.C., sometimes waiting two hours for delayed buses.